SnoopyStyle Good girl Laura Guerro and her friend Suzu enter and qualify for the Miss Baja pageant. Laura is waiting for Suzu at a nightclub when a drug gang breaks in to kill the drug enforcement cops. She escapes from the massacre and tries to find Suzu. She seeks help from a cop but he calls in a gang who kidnaps her. The gangleader takes an interest in her and makes her compete in the pageant. He kidnaps her father and little brother pulling her further into the crime family.This is a wild crazy crime drama. This movie is nuts. One really feels for Laura. I wish she has a drug gang watchdog on her for the whole movie. She needs another person to build a relationship, have conversations and to interact with. Her character needs to show more struggle. Of course, the gang has her in complete control. The only way for her to show some spark is through some dialog with another person. That's the main thing missing here.

MarcoLara Get ready to review your ideas about good and bad guys. And nope, it's not about corrupted police vs. citizens fighting the good fight. Just forget about the thin line altogether.And this is what I enjoyed the most about this movie. The initial plot has been revisited more time than I care to remember, and probably you go to this movie expecting to know what you are getting into...but you don't. You will be better off being realistic about the character and its possibilities and then you will fully understand her actions and its consequences.Very realistic and very recommended action movie.

paulwaidelich Why is this film entitled "Miss Bala"? It should be "Miss Baja". From the title to direction, acting and even film editing, this movie doesn't live up to the script. It's a story from the headlines, seen through the eyes of an innocent young woman. The story weaves drug violence and corruption through a young girl's dream of becoming Miss Baja....or Miss Bala. Trouble is, the heroine seems stupid and weak, and doesn't seem any wiser at the end of the story. Many scenes are poorly lit and take too long. None of the other characters, except maybe the drug kingpin, seem real; more like cartoon gangsters, policemen, beauty pageant officials and soldiers on both sides. It's worth watching. With the same script in the hands of a better director, technical staff and actors, it could have been amazing.

olafco03 Miss Bala was a riveting movie that abducts the audience taking them deep into the movie and leads them on an emotional heart-pounding ride. The film was a great success largely in part to the outstanding performance of Stephanie Sigman and the superb storytelling abilities that director Gerardo Naranjo displayed.The film had a good script that seemed natural and flowed very well as the movie progressed. Also, the cinematography was excellent as is did a great job submerging the audience right into the film. Often times the suspense was clenching as the camera focused into a still point on the protagonist and the audience mimicked the character wanting to see what was around the corner but hesitated to look because we all knew danger lurked. As the plot delved deeper, the lines dividing what we thought we knew get blurry. This feeling of confusion was amplified by Sigman's realistic performance. It was like an emotional 3D effect, where not only was the character unsure of what was going to happen the audience themselves were not too sure either. I didn't have to hear a cheesy narration (*cough, cough* Savages) to know just how the main character felt at any giving time, I could just see Sigman's face and know exactly how she felt. In the end the audience follows Sigman's character through thick and thin, wondering, worrying, try, failing, and is left at the mercy of the fate.Though this movie is a very well made, no movie is unblemished. A few flaws to point out is that the movie jumps from plausible to farfetch events. Also this movie may have a few plot holes that cannot be fully explained by anyone.The selected theaters is a key point to note a few things. This is not a typical action movie, this a drama/suspense film with action in it. This movie is not a good guys versus bad guys movie with a clear black and white distinction, this is a film that mirrors real life and has many shades of grey. This is not a mainstream movie that ends with a pretty bow wrapped around it, this is a film that leads to many questions about an issue that is very important in a beautiful country. This movie hits and it hits hard be prepared because most people that like "happily ever afters" is not part of that selected audience that needs to see this movie.