Watched the new Chris Hemsworth action flick Extraction on Netflix. This is an original film produced and written by the Russo Brothers (of recent Avengers renown) starring Thor (Hemsworth) and directed by the stunt coordinator behind some of those Marvel flicks. It’s kind of a “what do we do between big event movies” flicks where the Disney/Marvel teams can make something a lot grittier and a lot more violent.
Hemsworth stars as a mercenary hired to rescue the kidnapped son of a Bangladeshi drug lord. The kidnappers are also criminals so its a movie with very few good guys. Hemsworth plays a one man wrecking crew as he tears through India to protect the kid as the gangsters, police, street toughs, and pretty much everyone else try to stop him.
This is a straight-up unapologetic action movie with as basic a plot as you can get. It’s a fine example that you don’t need an amazing plot or a twisty story if you are competent enough film maker to actually make the action scenes exciting, suspenseful, tense, and riveting. If you can nail – really nail – that level of adrenaline, then all you have to do is make sure your story works on whatever limited level it works. And this movie does that.
There are some amazing action sequences in this very gritty, very brutal action film. Especially one at around the half-way mark that is filmed to look like one continuous take… and it’s largely convincing and thrilling. To say it borrows a little from John Wick would be completely true… but while Wick has a cool, modern aesthetic, this movie is gritty and dirty. It feels like it’s own movie while borrowing some of the action choreography.
Hemsworth is remarkably good in the film as well. As probably his first chance to flex his non-hammer-based action chops, he delivers. I’m not sure how much is him and how much are stunt men, but he’s very convincing. Plus the movie does take a few minutes to deliver some back story and it’s actually surprising to see how well he can grieve on screen. It’s all in his eyes and his face… so much more acting chops on display in this big action extravaganza than in other flicks he’s done.
I highly recommend this movie for people looking for a straight-up unapologetic action film. If you don’t need great plot as long as the action delivers, this one is for you.
Score: 85