Hey guys and welcome to a brand new 2020 review! This time I’ll be taking a look at one of Netflix’s most successful movies ever on their streaming service, so much so that there’s already a sequel in development. Yes Extraction the latest Netflix blockbuster that got a lot of attention due to it having Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, in the lead, the Russo Bros. themselves involved in a producing role and the simple fact that thanks to there not being a whole lot of high profile movies last summer it was able to stand out all the more. While I will admit that this one was kind of under my radar for a bit, and I assumed it would just be another standard Netflix actioner until I started hearing some surprisingly good things about it. So I decided to give it a shot and it actually ended up exceeding my expectations as I found it to be an exhilarating watch that is one of my favorite action films of last year. So let’s suit up and see how this ended up being the pleasant surprise it ended up being!
Taking place in the city of Dhaka, Bangledesh, things kick off with the kidnapping of Ovi Mahajan, the son of an incarcerated drug lord, at a nightclub by police officers working with the rival of Ovi’s father, Amir Asif. Unwilling to pay off the ransom, Ovi’s father orders his protector, former Para operator, Saju Rav, to rescue him threatening his family in the process. Saju isn’t the only one trying to rescue Ovi however as mercenary, Tyler Rake, is hired by a fellow mercenary to extract him in return getting some money once they bring him to the extraction point. But while things start off going as plan as Rake is able to get Ovi out of captivity, things start to go astray as Ovi’s father’s men intentionally fail to give them the money, and Saju kills Tyler’s team. Now deciding that the right thing to do is bring this boy to safety Tyler must protect Ovi at all costs and the two must make it through the city facing numerous obstacles along the way before it’s too late.
For me this is an example of a simple story done correctly. Yes the movie certainly has a some familiar elements to it, like the basic plot of a tough guy persona trying to protect a kid and forming a relationship in the process yet it still manages to execute it very well. It sets up the situation efficiently in the first act doing a nice job of showing the situation unfold with the right amount of exposition and introducing Hemsworth’s character nicely while also escalating more and more. Then right when the mission begins the film is a non stop thrill ride from beginning to end and never lets up for a minute. Throughout the movie I was constantly on the edge of my seat thanks to the amount of tension that comes from not only the spectacular action sequences (more on those in a bit) but also because I did have an actual investment in the characters and wanted to see them get out alive and every time they face an obstacle they don’t just shrug it off like they are invincible as they do get hurt and earn the audience’s investment. Plus it’s also paced very well moving at a high octane pace during the action yet still finding the time to let things settle for a bit and learn a little bit more about our two leads and further develop their relationship. While this is definitely a full on action movie I do still appreciate these little moments in between that make the proceedings actually matter and have actual stakes to them which is what the best “simple” action movies are able to pull off. As I was watching it actually reminded me of John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum in a number of ways and even though I like that film a little more they both are strong examples of action thrill rides that succeed in what they’re going for and make the audience care about what goes down.
But of course the real stand out aspect of this movie are the action sequences and they really are a sight to behold in this movie. One of the more notable tid bits concerning this film is that first time director, Sam Hargrave, was a very famous stuntman/stunt coordinator who worked on the stunts for many high profile films such as Avengers Infinity War, and Endgame, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, and the Hunger Games sequels among others. He uses that experience to good use here as these are some of the most brutal yet exciting action scenes I’ve seen in the last couple of years. Each one is extremely well staged, and they are shot in a way that makes sure that we as the audience can see everything that is going on in a coherent manner (which is something some action movies aren’t so successful at unfortunately). The stand out sequence for me (and many others from what I hear) is in the middle of the movie where Hargrave is able to shoot an absolutely fantastic sequence where we go from a shoot out in a building, to a car chase (in which Hargrave, and his team literally sat on a moving car to film it), to a fist fight on the streets and it’s all done (or made to look like) one single take. It’s such an enthralling thing to watch unfold and was quite the accomplishment given all the effort that had to be put into this scene to make it possible. But that’s not the only great set piece in the movie as I also thought Tyler’s first showdown with the kidnappers was brutal, and did a nice job of showing off the character’s skills, and the part where he runs into some street kids sent to take them down made good use of the setting, while the finale is one large shoot out that is very intense and contains plenty of surprises as well. All of these sequences contain phenomenal stunt work, and are just a blast to watch unfold. Also really dug the look of the feature as cinematographer, Newton Thomas Howard, did a good job in terms of making it look big in terms of scale with a lot of colors standing out and they did a good job making Dhaka look like this vast city where danger can come out and jump at our heroes at any moment as no matter what aspect we’re discussing technically it is evident that the crew was able to accomplish a lot with a mid sized budget of $65 million.
Bringing us back to the characters of the movie another reason why they mostly work is that all of the actors do a solid job with what they’re given. Chris Hemsworth is of course very good playing a more serious role as this mercenary with a tragic past and not only does he look the part of an intimidating action hero who can take down a lot of guys with his skills but he also proves to be a really solid dramatic actor when the occasion calls for it since he never tries to oversell a moment and it makes for some effective emotion when we’re learning about this man. As I mentioned the movie does a very a good job of setting up (mainly through visuals) who this man is and his I thought his relationship with Ovi is very well done thanks to some strong bonding moments and a very good performance from Rudhraksh Jaiswal. Ovi is also set up well in the beginnig as we see a little bit of what it’s like to be the son of an infamous crime lord even though I do wish the movie delved a little bit more into that aspect as it is an interesting one. Speaking of interesting ideas I also really liked the character of Saju (played very well by Randeep Hooda) as he also shows himself to be a very skilled fighter getting in on some of the action and he adds another layer of conflict to the proceedings as there are times where I was actually rooting for Tyler, and him as he turns out to be a very sympathetic character that’s forced into this situation with nowhere else to run. Heck I actually wouldn’t mind seeing a prequel/spin off for him as that could have a lot of potential. The rest of the cast does good work all around for the most part even if some could have benefitted with more screen time. Golshifteh Farahani is underused as fellow mercenary, Nik, mostly serving as the one who brings Rake back in action, while Priyanshu Painyuli makes for an interesting villain as the calm, and collected, Amir, yet I feel he could’ve used a bit more development which I feel would’ve made him a great one. Other notable players were Suraj Rikame as Farhad, a young boy who lives on the streets who becomes something of a henchman for Amir due to his instincts, and David Harbour who gives in an effective performance as Gaspar, a former teammate of Tyler who lives in the city. Some of these characters could’ve had a bit more to do but a good majority of them work and everyone is giving a good performance.
In all, Extraction is a very solid, and consistently thrilling action movie that will please any action movie junkie who is in the mood for some excitement. It of course delivers on the action with plenty of memorable, and impressively staged set pieces, a simple yet effective story that is told nicely, and efficiently, a investment in the conflict, and characters at hand, a uncompromising pace that never lets up, and some solid performances from the cast. There are nits to be picked for sure (concept can feel familiar to some, and some ideas, and character could’ve used more attention being the most apparent) but it still is a very entertaining watch that is easily among the best big blockbuster type movies that Netflix has made. As for the sequel that’s in development I’m not sure how to feel about that as one thing I like about this film is that it ties up almost all loose ends by the end with very little set up for a follow up… until a certain shot occurs at the end seems to undue a certain surprise that happened in the climax (those who’ve seen the movie know what I’m referring to). I don’t know what could happen and whether or not it’ll work but if it’s anywhere near as good as this then I supposed it can get my benefit of the doubt.
Rating: A-
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