'Extraction'-Action Porn That's Good Enough
"Extraction" is a dumb action movie with none of the charm that flicks like "John Wick" or corny action films from the 80s accommodated, yet it still delivers on some great old school violence porn. It doesn't know if it wants to be "Call of Duty" or "Children of Men." The action is spectacular, utilizing the single shot gimmick where unlike "1917," it knows it's a gimmick, and "Extraction" is entertaining for that particular aspect. I'm not going to beat a dead horse with my intense coronavirus cough by telling you that if you "look over the script, you'll have a good time." What I will say to you is that if you can look over the film's glaring thematic inconsistencies, you'll be thoroughly impressed, for the most part.
The plot is the usual action thriller recipe. There's a kid whose dad is the drug lord who secretly controls all of Bangladesh. Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal) is captured by some thugs holding the little guy for a ransom worth an approximate $10 million. Assigned to extract the boy is Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) Throwing away his hammer to the side so he can add XP to his COD arsenal, Hemsworth tears through Bangladesh like he's Arnold Schwarzenegger. His character gets shot, stabbed, hit by a car, tossed out of a truck, his arm broken, trapped in a sewer, and that's just the start of his day. Still, he chugs along like it's nothing. First-time director Sam Hargrave uses his stuntman background to deliver on some spectacular action set pieces that utilizes a bucket of blood every minute. When the film gets into the heat of the action, the throttle is obliterated.
It's a commonplace for a stuntman to direct action films, and you can see why. If you look at Christopher Nolan directing the action in "Batman Begins," it's a choppy nonsensical mess. You don't know who's hitting who or where the Batmobile is coming from. "The Dark Knight Rises" has a group of one thousand extras looking like they are play fighting each other as the blows from each person's fist hits the air rather than the opponent. When you look at "V for Vendetta" or "John Wick," which are both directed by stuntmen, the action moves like a ballet. Everyone has a specific set of movements that work perfectly in sync with the direction of the camera, all doing a magnificent dance for the audience who's sitting right in the middle of the combat. "Extraction" performs that dance to a tee but is missing its component of levity.
There are funny moments where Tyler Rake quite literally slams a guy's head into a rake. GET IT? Another moment involves Tyler beating up a group of kid soldiers with non-lethal force. He even slaps one kid in the face exclaiming "piss off." For the majority of the film, I felt as if it was trying to lean far too hard within a realm of gritty realism. Child soldiers are murdered on display by their Commanding Officers that belongs in a far more subtextual film. Issues of child abandonment and economic disparity certainly provide a pragmatic edge to differentiate this action romp, but is it essential? I want to see bad guys get wracked; not children get mangled. If aiming for grit, use the film's atmosphere to provide me that. Bangladesh is an impoverished warzone. Make this movie "Commando" fights in India instead of "Black Hawk Down" Chris Hemsworth one-person army addition.
For the most part, the cast delivers on all fronts. Hemsworth's efforts not only physically but emotionally as well are on full display. He does a beautiful job playing the wounded Black Market Australian Mercenary with nothing to lose. Even more impressive than Hemsworth is Randeep Hooda playing the antagonist Special Forces Soldier, Saju. Hooda knocks it out of the park. His character is empathetic but is someone who will scare the hell out of you just by the look in his eyes. To make an example of how to write a strong female character without preaching to the choir is Nik Khan (Golshifteh Farahani), Tyler's C.O. doesn't play. She never raises her voice, keeps her morals in check, and single-handedly shoots down a chopper with an RPG like it's no big deal. As you could probably guess, the one weak link in the cast is Ovi. Rudhraksh Jaiswal doesn't do a bad job playing him; he's just a hollow character with no discernable traits. Ovi is a scared kid who takes a liking to Tyler because the script called for it. That's about it for Ovi. If he weren't a boy, we probably wouldn't care if he lives or not. One surprising cameo in the film comes from David Harbour. Without giving too much away, Harbour is positively intimidating, yet his motivation is entirely relatable in what is one of the picture's most memorable sequences.
Despite its tonal inconsistencies, I can give my alpha male action junkies a recommendation for "Extraction." Its highs are high enough to float yet not sore above its lows. When you get into the initial single shot extraction scene in "Extraction," your attention will be held. There are plenty of "oh snap!" moments that are perfect for you and your friends to crack a beer to during your stay at home quarantine parties. As long as you can trudge through the boring talking scenes in between, you'll get your two hours worth. "Extraction" doesn't hold its own as an action classic but is fun enough for a needed distraction while stuck at home.
DON'T SEE IT! RECOMMENDED. SEE IT!
VERDICT-RECOMMENDED
