The Union - Netflix - 1 hour and 49 minutes
Tom directs his team to extract a CIA turncoat, Derek. Roxy watches from above while Nick works on the ground with other operatives. The extraction van explodes as Nick and the ground crew run to it. Roxy runs to help, but someone takes out each ground team member except for Nick. Nick and Derek make it to the bridge and wait for further instructions. A van pulls up, shoots them, and steals their briefcase. Roxy is the only survivor.
Mike hangs at a bar with his friends when a familiar face, Roxy, walks through the door. They talk about tuxedoes, drinking, and high school. Roxy asks if Mike wants to take the party to a better location, and he says yes. Mike woos Roxy with Jersey Girl at their favorite spot (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Roxy hugs Mike and admits she has an ulterior motive for bringing him to a remote location on a hill. She stabs Mike in the neck with a tranquilizer, knocks him out, and pushes him down. Two people pick Mike up and put him in a van.
Shocked, Mike wakes up in The Savoy Hotel in London. He tells Roxy he can't be late for work and will be Ronnie's best man in 3 weeks. She laughs and watches Mike leave the hotel room. Mike exits the lobby and hears Tom call him over. He hands Mike the keys to his car and offers to buy Mike breakfast. Tom and Roxy explain they are part of a covert task force called The Union. Half of the world's intelligence agencies don't know they exist, and the others wish they didn't know them. They are a group of blue-collar workers who hide in the shadows and do the dirty work. They value street smarts over book smarts.
After breakfast, Tom updates Mike on their situation. Derek sold a list of every law enforcement officer, intelligence operative, Union member, and their families worldwide to a woman called the auctioneer. This woman, Juliet, will sell the list on the black market in 2 weeks. They want to buy access to the auction. Then, they can purchase and destroy the list before it falls into the wrong hands. But their names are on her list. So, her goons will kill them. They need a nobody to buy the device to access the auction. Roxy thinks Mike is perfect for the job. He is a construction worker with a football background and is honorable. Mike doesn't like being called a nobody but agrees to help. They will turn six months of training into two weeks. Then, Mike will meet Juliet to exchange a device for $5 million. They will use it to access the auction and buy the list to delete it. This job should be easy. Right?
Espionage movie fans know to look for the double-cross or the story within the story. Unlike most films in this genre, Foreman says there is a leak in The Union. But no one, including Tom, believes that's possible. Some viewers will get the person right, but others won't. Also, you feel that Roxy and Mike have an unresolved history. They act flirty and fun when they first meet, but things come to the surface when their lives are on the line. This film has fistfights, shootouts, and car chases. But it shocks when Roxy reveals her biggest secret to Mike and the audience. The plot uses New Jersey toughness to make viewers laugh while relying on the mission to keep you watching. The film is entertaining and hints at a sequel. But it won't garner your undivided attention.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
What is he, a ringer on your CIA softball team - Tom
You almost passed me - Michael
Is it as you imagined - Roxy
I can work with this- Frank
And yes, I can hear the look on your face. I'm your mother - Lorraine
Pick something heavy up and throw it - Foreman
You shouldn't let this job get too personal. Clouds the judgment - Juliet
And we wouldn't want that - Nick
Yes, Queen - Athena
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