Extraction (2020)
2020
R
116 Minutes
Tyler Rake, a fearless mercenary who offers his services on the black market, embarks on a dangerous mission when he is hired to rescue the kidnapped son of a Mumbai crime lord.
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: In the midst of a global pandemic, we could all do with a bit of mindless fun, so a Chris Hemsworth action movie about a burly mercenary rescuing a drug lord's kid in Dhaka sounds like the perfect medicine. Ultimately though, no matter how mindless, to make for good escapism a film has to be engaging. Luckily, 'Extraction,' ticks that box for the most part because the story itself is simple and compelling enough to keep you hooked, and also because the execution is pretty successful.
Yes, guided by Sam Hargrave (the latest in a line of stunt coordinators to turn his hand to directing), the action - of which this film is chock full - is constructed such that you can see and feel everything unfolding, all whilst keeping the grit and excitement up. There's no excessive shaky cam and the city looks and sounds real, whilst the stunts are not only breathtaking on their own, but are also sold very well by a very committed and increasingly worried performance from Chris Hemsworth who trades his whispy Thor locks for a determined frown and scruffy beard. It's as a result of all that that you really feel the odds stacking against him and the kid as they make their way across the city, and you should at least nearing the edge of your seat throughout. That's all the film sets out to do at the end of the day, and for a couple of hours of escapism, you could do a whole lot worse.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The characters themselves are hardly the most well-written or developed by Joe Russo's script, and that means that when the final act rolls around and your investment in them and their relationship is relief upon, it doesn't quite carry the weight the film clearly thinks that it should.
VERDICT: A simple and very well-executed action movie, 'Extraction,' is a bit of good Hollywood escapism. It's no profound masterpiece, but it's an achievement in itself to make an engaging film - no matter how mindless.0 member like this review.
