James Silva (Mark Wahlberg) is the lead operative in a top secret para-military unit of the CIA. He is extremely skilled and intelligent, but as but has a bit of an anger management issue. His unit is currently stationed in Indonesia, where they are trying to locate six stolen discs of cesium before they can be weaponized. James’ fellow operatives include Sam (Ronda Rousey), Douglas (Carlo Alban) and Alice (Lauren Cohan)—a newly-single mother whose over-dedication to her work led to the end of her marriage, and a constant struggle for visitation with her child. In addition, the team is backed by a high-tech tactical command team known as “Overwatch”. Led by a man called Bishop (John Malcovich), each member of the support team goes by a chess-themed code name.

One of Alice’s assets, a local cop named Li Noor (Iko Uwais), suddenly shows up at the embassy demanding asylum. he claims to know the locations of missing cesium discs, and has put this information on a flash drive that will self-destruct in 8 hours. Once the team gets him to the airfield, and safely out of the country, Li will give James the code to unlock the drive. Silva doesn’t necessarily trust Li, but he is forced to help him in order to find the cesium in order to stop a massive attack on the U.S. However, getting Li to the airfield isn’t going to be easy as there is another group trying to take him out before he makes it out of the country.

Mile 22 is the fourth collaboration between star Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg, who previously worked together on Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day. It is yet another action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, with everything from high speed chases that literally put the viewer in the driver’s seat, to shootouts and explosions, to visceral hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. The film is visually captivating, incorporating overhead drone footage, and handheld camera shots to make the viewer feel more a part of the action.

The film opens with a tense raid on a Russian safe house. Then we jump ahead 16 months to the team’s latest mission with the stolen cesium discs. There is also a framing device where Silva is being debriefed about the mission to extract Li Noor. While we don’t get much backstory on the other team members, the film does give the viewer a glimpse into the lives of James and Alice, to create more of an emotional connection these characters. Silva was a gifted child, who at an early age was orphaned when his mother and twin brothers died in a car crash. He joined the military, but has always had a bit of an anger management issue. He wears a band around his wrist, which he snaps to help calm himself down. Alice is a single mother whose devotion to her work ultimately led to a messy divorce, and limited visitation with her child. That said, if she had to do it all over again, Alice would still choose her work over her family. Mark Wahlberg and Lauren Cohan do an excellent job of bringing the emotion, and making you care about these characters. Iko Uwais, who is known for his work in the The Raid films, once again brings his intense and, exciting martial arts skills to this film. There are several intense scenes where Li must single-handedly take out a room full of bad guys. Li Noor is a mysterious man, who grows increasingly more interesting over the course of the film. The film is quite exciting, and has some unexpected twists and turns.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The picture is pristine and detailed, capturing all of the high-speed action beautifully. While the film didn’t receive a 4K UHD release, those with a 4K Apple TV can watch the 4K version of the movie via the included digital copy. The audio track provides clear dialogue as well as a wonderfully immersive soundtrack that makes the viewer feel a part of the action, especially as the bullets start flying.

The Blu-ray disc comes packed in standard HD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for a 4K iTunes digital copy of the film (it is not Movies Anywhere or UltraViolet compatible, so will not port to any other services). The bonus material consists of about 15-minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and 5 versions of the trailer.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:34:48)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

DVD:

• 480p / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• 4K digital copy redeemable via iTunes
  (Not Movies Anywhere or UltraViolet compatible)

Extras:
All of the bonus features can be found on both discs.

• Overwatch (1:34)
  The cast and crew talk about Overwatch, the para-military division of the CIA the film is centered around, where the mission is more important than anything else, and anyone can and will be left behind in the name of the operation. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with stars Mark Wahlberg (“Silva”), Ronda Rousey (“Sam”) & Lauren Cohan (“Alice”), writer Lea Carpenter, and director/producer Peter Berg.
• Introducing Iko Uwais (1:44)
  The cast and crew talk about working with this world-reknowed action star from The Raid. Features behind-the-scenes footage of him practicing his Indonesian martial arts, and choreographing/blocking out scenes. Participants include stars Mark Wahlberg & Lauren Cohan, director/producer Peter Berg, and fight coordinator Ryan Watson.
• Iko Fight (1:44)
  Go behind-the-scenes with star Iko Uwais (“Li”) for the planning of Li’s big fight scene. Includes footage of the men choreographing/blocking out the scene, and shooting some pre-viz on set. Participants also include assistant fight coordinators Lateef Crowder & Sam Looc, and director/producer Peter Berg.
• Bad Ass Women (1:41)
  Director/producer Peter Berg, writer Lea Carpenter, and stars Lauren Cohan & Ronda Rousey talk about the characters of Alice and Sam, as well as some of the physical and stunt work they do in the film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage.
• Behind-the-Scenes Stunts (1:53)
  The cast and crew talk about the film’s action sequence and making them look realistic by utilizing practical effects where possible. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with stars John Malcovich (“Bishop”), Mark Wahlberg & Carlo Alban (“Douglas”), director/producer Peter Berg, and special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher.
• Modern Combat (1:53)
  The cast and crew talk about filming modern combat, which mixes martial arts with other styles of fighting and warfare, and utilizes multiple cameras at the same time to catch all the action. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Peter Berg, stars Carlo Alban & Mark Wahlberg, fight coordinator Ryan Watson, and stunt coordinator Clay Cullen.
• Colombia (3:42)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about filming in Bogota, Colombia and give a behind-the-scenes look at the filming locations. Includes interviews with director/producer Peter Berg, stars Mark Wahlberg, Carlo Alban, Ronda Rousey & Lauren Cohan, mayor Enrique Peñalosa Londoño, location manager Miguel Tapia, and president Juan Manuel Santos.
• Trailers (12:01)
  Play All, or select from:
  • Trailer 1 (2:38) Red Band
  • Trailer 2 (2:38)
  • Trailer 3 (2:34) Red Band
  • Trailer 4 (2:31)
  • Trailer 5 (1:20)

Final Thoughts:

Director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg once again team up to make a highly-entertaining, action-packed film. The film sets up an interesting, modern, high-tech world of warfare, some captivating characters—an intelligent but somewhat gruff lead operative, his partner who’s letting the stress of her family situation seep into her work, and a mysterious informant—and puts them in the dangerous situation of trying to escape a hostile foreign location as they are being hunted down. The film has lots of amazing action and fight sequences, and some really tense moments. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and even offers a 4K version via iTunes. The release is a little light on bonus material, but what is included is entertaining. This release is definitely worth picking up for those who have enjoyed Berg and Wahlberg’s previous collaborations.