A goofball New Jersey construction worker’s (Mark Wahlberg) life is turned upside down when a former sweetheart (Halle Berry) pops up out of nowhere and recruits him for a high-stakes, hush-hush U.S.intelligence mission. During the set-up in the first half hour, I found myself thinking up nice things to say about how good actors can elevate mediocre material. 

Then, after the requisite training montage, it’s like someone switched films, giving way to an unbelievably hackneyed, personality-free action/spy retread that very well could have been written by a Netflix algorithm. 

The two leads are holding together pretty well. Wahlberg’s 53 and Berry’s 58. Both deserve better movies. Joining the cast for a paycheck are J.K. Simmons, Jackie Earle Haley and even, briefly, Lorraine Bracco.

You know, it’s a bit insulting when films on this level try to set up a sequel in the closing scenes. If there’s a The Union 2, I’ll be skipping it. As will most everyone else. On Netflix. (107 min)