★ 6 / 10
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SierraKiloBravo
Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/5VSDwYyxjsA _Extraction_ has just been released on Netflix and stars Chris Hemsworth as Tyler…
Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/5VSDwYyxjsA
_Extraction_ has just been released on Netflix and stars Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake, a former Special Forces soldier who now works as a mercenary. He takes on a high risk job rescuing the kidnapped child of a drug lord. Sounds pretty much like every other action movie doesn't it? Well it kinda is, and it kinda isn't.
It is a fairly standard action movie from the point of view of having a simple story, a clichéd hero with a tragic past, lots of fights, car chases, and explosions. But what steps this up somewhat is the quality of the action. This movie was put together by Sam Hargrave and the Russo brothers, who of course all made huge contributions to the Marvel cinematic universe, and are therefore people who understand how to string action sequences together.
This experience shows in brilliantly choreographed fight scenes that echo John Wick but which have a more real world feel like Jason Bourne. There’s fights that take place in a single room, others across multiple floors in an apartment block, and others out in the open street. Wherever the action needs to be the film-makers take you there and make you feel like you’re part of the action.
This is most evident in a car chase sequence that we paused and rewatched because it was so well put together. Shot to look like one like 15-ish minute take, the camera goes from outside the car to inside the car then out again and around the car and then back in and out the back window, it was excellent. I’ve seen some footage of how they filmed the externals and Hargrave literally strapped himself to the hood of a car to get the shots - a benefit of having a Stunt Co-ordinator as a Director, I guess. The end result was that it just added another level of intensity to an already balls-out sequence.
So yeah, this movie is one heck of a ride from start to finish, and while it might be light on story, the real reason to watch it is for its incredible action.
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★ 7 / 10
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Manuel São Bento
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com A lot of times, people can’t figure out who was really in…
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A lot of times, people can’t figure out who was really in control of a particular movie. Was the director truly the person in charge of every creative and technical choice? Were the producers the ones responsible for most of the film? Or was the cast that carried the whole thing? Having in mind that Extraction is Sam Hargrave’s directorial debut, I have no doubt that the Russo brothers helped him achieve the spectacular action that this movie possesses. The complexity of each choreography screams Russo all the way through.
Now, I don’t want to take any credit from Hargrave! He has a clear vision of how the film should be like, and he delivers the best Netflix original action movie ever. While it’s true that this last sentence doesn’t really mean that much, it’s genuinely great and far better than every other original action flick distributed by the streaming network. Two key components make Extraction a success: its unbelievable, jaw-dropping action, and Chris Hemsworth’s extraordinary physical (and emotional) performance.
I’ll start with the actor. Chris Hemsworth is one of the most underrated actors working today. Everyone looks at his portrayal of Thor in the MCU, and think that he can’t do anything else. First of all, Thor is one of the characters that changed the most within that universe. Chris has demonstrated both his dramatic and comedic range interpreting this superhero. However, in Extraction, not only his physical display and stunts are out of this world (he actually does quite a lot of them), but he’s able to slow down and really delve into an emotionally compelling state. Brilliant performance!
Nevertheless, the action steals the show. Joe and Anthony Russo bring their Marvel’s experience of having to balance dozens of characters at the same time, and the impressive choreography elevates the film so damn much. During the promotion campaign, people kept talking about a stunning oner (one-take sequence), which Chris Hemsworth himself described as “the most complicated action sequence” he’s ever done… They were not joking nor overselling their movie. It’s genuinely a work of art.
I was so surprised by those (approximately) twelve minutes that I stopped the film, went back, and watched them again. I believe it’s one of the pros that home viewing has against theaters. Just to be clear, it’s not actually just one take. It’s a collection of long takes “stitched” together to make it seem (and feel) like a oner. However, it doesn’t diminish this incredibly technical achievement in any way, much on the contrary! The long takes are packed with all kinds of action: car chases, shootouts, knife fighting, hand combat, running, jumping, crawling, you name it.
I’m going to put myself at risk and state that it’s one of the best oners of an action flick in the last few years, especially if we don’t count the two best action sagas of today (Mission: Impossible, John Wick). Throughout the whole runtime, the action is exceptionally filmed. The editing is impeccable, the excitement is always there, and the sense of urgency is never lost. It rarely gets over-the-top, every time our protagonist gets hit, cut, or even shot, it never feels like he should be down and dead. It’s that base of realism inside an action movie that can make it become an outstanding success or a massive fail, and Extraction built a very solid one.
This film has all the ingredients of popcorn-entertainment, and I’m confident it will get huge praise from, at least, the general public. However, it’s evident that the Russo brothers and Hargrave didn’t offer the screenplay the same care that they had with the action. Even though it’s a pretty simple premise, the attempts at making secondary characters important or emotionally resonant fail its target completely. Even Tyler Rake gets a pretty cliche backstory that everyone has seen hundreds of times. I struggled to care for a single person or a relationship.
The reason behind the whole extraction procedure being due to some drug warlords is so formulaic that it’s honestly becoming annoyingly unimaginative. There isn’t even a logical reason for them to be fighting each other over one’s son. The movie also wraps up by leaving tons of questions unanswered regarding its plot, and with a ridiculous try at either being philosophical or actually ruining the entire thing. Finally, I was never a fan of films starting with a flashforward of the protagonist, especially in this genre. It takes away tension and suspense during the actual movie since the viewer knows the flashforward scene hasn’t happened yet.
In the end, Extraction is going to be remembered by its insane action and a fantastic lead performance by Chris Hemsworth. The latter is one of the most underrated actors working today, and he delivers not only a phenomenal physical performance but also an emotionally powerful display. The action is jaw-dropping at every level. The outstanding choreography plus the seamless editing are able to elevate the action into some of the best I’ve seen in the last few years, including a technically mind-blowing oner. The excitement levels are super high throughout the entire runtime, credit to the Russo brothers, who definitely helped the debutant Sam Hargrave in making a great film. However, the focus went all to the action, making the actual story and characters suffer from formulaic storytelling, cliche backstories, and an overall lack of emotional attachment. Still, Extraction is the best Netflix original action movie of its history, so don’t miss it!
Rating: B+
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Please release in BluRay