Extraction is a 2020 action thriller about a black market mercenary who goes on a dangerous mission in Bangladesh to protect the son of the biggest drug lord in India.
First of all, it’s important to mention that the action is outstanding, and you have to praise the stunt team for their amazing work. Whenever Hemsworth is going up against his enemies, it’s insanely entertaining.
The fight choreography is top-notch with some great camera movements by Newton Thomas Sigel who’s responsible for the remarkable work that he has done as a cinematographer in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. If you have seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, you know that the crew is comprised of incredibly talented people who are able to showcase some exciting action sequences. The filmmakers don’t hold anything back on the violence shown on screen, which makes the movie thrilling, gritty and fun. Admittedly, some scenes might be too extreme and intense for the audience to handle, but that’s totally up to you.
While the action sequences obviously deserve to be praised, the narrative is unfortunately pretty generic in its execution. Hemsworth does a good job as the main protagonist, but the rest of the cast doesn’t really stand out. The supporting characters are just there for the sake of being there, and they don’t add anything interesting for you to be immersed in. The biggest gripe with the film is that you don’t really care much about the storyline itself, because it’s a premise you’ve seen many times before done better in other action flicks. It’s nothing new and original, and it does take you out of it sometimes. This is definitely one of those movies that prioritizes action over plot, which will either please or irritate you.
After watching Extraction, Hargrave will most certainly be recognized as one of the best action directors in the film industry, which makes you look forward to see what he does next in his career. Even if the storytelling feels pretty uninspired, it’s still enjoyable as an action flick. It is worth seeing once, and you’ll have a good time watching Hemsworth go up against his dangerous opponents. If you just want to be entertained with some exciting stunt work and fight choreography, this might be the movie for you.