The Union Looks Like Another Fun Mark Wahlberg Action Comedy
Mark Wahlberg's latest is a fun union with Halle Berry. For the time being, Mark Wahlberg is staying in the PG-13 lane with his upcoming action-comedy The Union. This casts him as a construction worker turned reluctant spy when his ex-girlfriend (Halle Berry) recruits him for a deep cover mission. I really dug the trailer for The Union, which shows off the great chemistry between Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry, in addition to some well-staged action setpieces. This type of project is very much in Mark Wahlberg's toolbox; he gets to be charming and funny while showing off his action skills.
There's nothing terribly fresh about The Union or its concept, and it will be leaning on its star power and action to draw viewers in. Tonally, it resembles 2 Guns the most, which was also an action-comedy two-hander that didn't take itself seriously. I'm positive that The Union will become Netflix's Number One film the week it debuts, but what's also predictable is the inevitable division between critics and audiences when it comes to reviewing it.
The Union Probably Won't Break Mark Wahlberg's Rotten Tomatoes Streak
Mark Wahlberg's Rotten Tomatoes ratings haven't been very "Fresh" recently. I'm weirdly excited for Mark Wahlberg's next Action Comedy, but I doubt it's going to help his current Rotten Tomato streak. Mark Wahlberg has had a varied acting career, which includes acclaimed dramas like Boogie Nights or The Departed, but audiences still know him best for his action output. Mark Wahlberg action movies are (usually) a fun time, with some of his best offerings including Shooter, Four Brothers and 2 Guns with Denzel Washington. In recent years, I've noticed an interesting trend in his career though.
I'm not onboard with the notion a movie's Rotten Tomato score is the final say on its quality. Still, there is no denying how important these ratings have become to both viewers and studios, and Mark Wahlberg's Rotten Tomatoes streak makes for grim reading. Out of Mark Wahlberg's last 11 movies, only two hold "Fresh" ratings on the Tomatometer. Both 2018's Instant Family and 2024's Arthur the King scored "Fresh," with the latter being one of Mark Wahlberg's best movies in a long time.
It Won't Matter Much If The Union's Reviews Aren't Great
There is a flip side to Mark Wahlberg's Tomatometer score. Maybe The Union will beat the odds and receive solid reviews, but one thing I can guarantee is it will be a success on Netflix when it lands. A big-budget Action Comedy with two genuine stars will make it a curiosity watch for subscribers seeking something fluffy but entertaining. I should also note that the audience scores for Mark Wahlberg's "Rotten" films are typically higher in every case.
Critics and viewers were totally divided on Uncharted, with the audience score being 90%. Meanwhile, The Family Plan got a 25% "Rotten" mark from critics, but a healthy 62% from viewers. Pretty much everyone agreed that Me Time is very skippable, with the audience score on that being only 32%. Opinions will vary on The Union too, though it only has the jump over the reasonably low bar of being an entertaining film to watch during the weekend it arrives.
