Movie review: Gina Rodriguez deserves better than bland border thriller 'Miss Bala'

“Miss Bala” - ★ ★

If you've ever watched TV's hugely entertaining “Jane the Virgin,” you know that its star, Gina Rodriguez, is one of the most engaging and relatable actresses out there.

It was only a matter of time before she headlined a big-studio movie. But she deserves better than “Miss Bala,” a bland and formulaic Hollywood remake of a much grittier Mexican thriller.

No discredit to Rodriguez, of course, who remains genuine and appealing in scene after scene where her character, a Mexican-American makeup artist, is tasked with finding her way out of the most terrifying jams. But if you're looking for a movie with something substantive to say about Mexico and drug wars, you won't find it here. Director Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) does a fine enough job staging action sequences; the script has far bigger issues, with lines that are often banal and predictable.

We first meet Gloria (Rodriguez) in Los Angeles, where she has a makeup job at Fashion Week. But she aspires to much more. Proposing her design ideas, she's met with a snide retort from a male boss: “Honey, we're not paying you to think.” Discouraged, she swipes some makeup and visits her childhood best friend, Suzu, in Tijuana.

Their goal: securing a victory for Suzu in a local beauty pageant, which will lead to a better life for her and her young brother. After registering, the two women head out for an evening of networking at a swishy nightclub, where they hope to rub elbows with the pageant's corrupt patron.

Minutes after they arrive, gangsters intent on killing the patron force their way in and a huge shootout ensues. Suzu is kidnapped, and Gloria sets out on a desperate quest to find her. A corrupt police officer hands her over to the gunmen, led by the menacingly handsome Lino (Ismael Cruz Cordova, a charismatic actor in a cardboard role).

Lino demands a favor in return for helping Gloria. As always here, declining an offer means death. This leads to her unwittingly bombing a DEA safe house. When she manages to escape Lino's clutches, she falls into the hands of a DEA agent (Matt Lauria). Hardly a knight in shining armor, the American threatens her with years in jail or worse, unless she cooperates.

Gloria is working now for both sides. Meanwhile, Suzu is nowhere to be found.

It's not giving anything away to say that we'll eventually get to the beauty pageant. It's also clear that Gloria will be forced to rise yet again to the occasion and show how tough she has become.

This was not the point of the original movie, but it works well for Rodriguez's winning persona. Watch it for her; for more substance, you might want to check out the original.

<b>Starring:</b> Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Matt Lauria

<b>Directed by:</b> Catherine Hardwicke

<b>Other:</b> A Sony Pictures release. Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual situations, drug content, thematic material and language. 104 minutes