Tyler Rake: Extraction

In a world that is currently minus new films, to get a fresh one delivered to us via Netflix was a much needed treat. And I'm glad to report that 'Extraction' was worth the wait. It isn't a flawless movie, but it certainly has some good things going for it. The action sequences were probably the highlight of the film for me. I'm not usually someone who appreciates or even notices good action sequences, but I did with this film which says something. There is one sequence that really blew me away. It is a one-shot sequence that goes on for quite some time and has some amazing ingenuity behind it. Definitely the highlight of the film.

Chris Hemsworth was right at home in this role. He doesn't have to do a lot of speaking, and can just let his actions speak for themselves. Some of the stunt work in this film would not have been easy. When he is required to slow things down and have some dialogue in the odd scene he does so adequately.

The film surprised me with just how violent it was willing to be at times, especially in scenes involving children. There were a couple of time where I thought - they're not going to do that are they? - and then sure enough they did. This is a very serious film as well. Very little (if any that I can think of) humour whatsoever makes an appearance.

The film does get a little tedious towards the end. You can only watch so many people getting shot without becoming numb and a little bored by it. Also the film opens with a shot from near the end of the film. It doesn't work though because there is no intrigue behind it. This was one of the few poor choices an otherwise very good film made however. I would recommend giving this one a watch.

Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is tasked with extracting the son of a druglord amids an all-out drug war. Battling hostiles and a troubled past along the way.

Thank you Jon Wick for upping the game for action films! Extraction excels in its action set pieces. Long, gorgeous takes with brutally grounded fight scenes, showcase the vicious nature of warfare. Hemsworth carries this entire film on his shoulders and has the daunting task of elevating the paper thin narrative to an acceptable level. Thankfully, he succeeds. Thor can act darn it, and in this film he proves it yet again.

Like Jon Wick before him, seeing Hemsworth kicking ass in amazingly choreographed fight scenes, is exhilarating. The film is unapologetically honest in its depiction of violence and its consequences. Riding on fantastic sound design, every impact, bullet wound and car crash pulls you in deeper and deeper in the film.

"Extraction" is fast, vicious and simple. With a death count that's approaching John Wick 3 levels of bullet ballet, the movie hardly pauses for breath.

Chris Hemsworth is excellent as the haunted mercenary Tyler Rake. This is a very physical role and Hemsworth delivers in spades.

8 out of 10.

The latest Netflix original film to arrive on the streaming service. Extraction sees Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a black market mercenary, embark on the most deadly extraction of his career when he's enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son (Rudhraksh Jaiswal) of an imprisoned international crime lord.

As much as their originals are hit and miss and the sheer amount of content they release being ridiculous, there is no question that Netflix allow pure filmmaker freedom without the restrictions and interference of Hollywood influence as here the film is allowed to make full use of its 18 rating and not have the burden of setting up or continuing a franchise. Though generic and cliche in its story telling, the action and stunt work are an absolute blast to witness and make this a step up from what I was expecting.

The film's 2 hour runtime may have some filler sequences around the middle section, but the 1st and 3rd acts are fast paced and frantic, throwing you right into the situation, the film knows exactly what it wants and sets out to deliver it. The race against time and constant improvisation of the extraction itself makes for a consistently engaging watch, though the film does brush over motivations (the villain here is especially lacklustre) and character back story, with Tyler solely relying on a few flashbacks and essentially an exposition interview with the kid he is protecting, so that we get more of his story.

However what this basic premise does allow for is to be filled with brutal, well choreographed and creative action. This film delivers one of the best set pieces of this year, with a phenomenal one-take style 15 minute sequence, which goes from a car chase, to a building assault to a lorry chase, it's absolute controlled chaos. As a fan of John Wick, The Raid etc. it was excellent to see their influence on the choreography, the camerawork never is too shaky or quick cutting meaning it is easy to follow and witness every stab, punch, kick in their bone crunching and visceral glory. The shootouts sound great and are intense, always ending in bloody results, especially the finale sequence.

It's good seeing Hemsworth in a grittier, darker non-Thor/MIB role and he delivers here in a more somber and focused role, though also channels some of the action hero vibe of the 80/90's that this film is going for. Jaiswal is also good here as the kid thrown into this life or death situation, he is never irritating or acts unrealistically at all (which is the case with kids in these types of films at times). Randeep Hooda has an intimidating screen presence as someone working for the kid's father and David Harbour gives an enthusiastic performance, though his character's section does stall the plot pacing.

Extraction is a fun watch to turn your brain off for 2 hours and was actually better than I expected. The action is bloody, visceral and frantic with some brilliant practical effects and choreography and the cast give good performances. The film does suffer from several cliches and genre traits and lack of character depth, but honestly from a purely entertainment perspective this does the job.

Extraction is a fun and average action flick that has awesome action, good performances, and a totally "meh" plot. But hey, this is exactly what Netflix is for and I'm totally okay with that.