Extraction 2

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifeth Farahani, Adam Bessa, Tornike Gogrichiani, Tornike Bziava, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Idris Elba, Olga Kurylenko
Directed by: Sam Hargrave
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Thriller
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) tries to recover from his horrific injuries from his last job, but is pulled into another when his former sister-in-law and her children are held by her psychotic husband in a Georgian prison.

Review:

Tim: In 2020, Extraction proved to be an enormous hit for Netflix. It came out right at the start of the pandemic and people being stuck inside flocked to the action film. I read raves about it. When I watched it, I have to admit, I scratched my head. This was the film people were praising? It was decent, but unremarkable as a film. Three years later, I was still excited for the sequel, even though my expectations were muted. Thankfully, this is the rare sequel that improves on the original. This one delivers the same relentless action we expect from the franchise, but it feels more tightly directed by Sam Hargrave. It focuses more on the characters and tells a more emotional story. The film still has a few issues, but I generally liked the film and consider it a good movie. This is certainly a movie to feel really good about.

The biggest change from the first one is making this story feel more personal for Tyler Rake. The original movie felt too undifferentiated from many other movies. It followed the same formula we'd seen in better movies. It felt redundant at times. On this mission, Rake is once again trying to extract children from a dangerous situation, but he has a personal connection to them. That made a huge difference- it wasn't about him unexpectedly bonding with the child in his charge. He was risking his life for his ex-wife's family. That made the film feel different and more interesting. It helps that the first movie established Rake as a character. He was a bit thin in that movie and we get much more time to understand him here. We're already familiar with him (which helped a lot), but the early scenes of his brutal recovery process really endear us to him. Chris Hemsworth shows more vulnerability in the character in the early scenes, so we more easily identify with him. The personal nature of this mission gives his character some much needed backstory, too. The film doesn't spend a ton of time on these moments, but there's definitely a larger focus on the human element. That makes a world of difference. Rake becomes someone we understand and care about, not just "the protagonist" like he too often was in the first movie. This is an impressive shift for the film and it's a big reason why I liked this movie.

The action is absolutely incredible. The first film delivered superb action scenes, but they felt hollow because we weren't truly invested in the characters. As mentioned, this film solves that issue early on, so every action sequence feels heightened. We care about these characters, so the intensity of the relentless action scenes really pull us in. This is the rare action film that really had me gasping for breath. It just does not let up. I was surprised by how much of the film is dedicated to action- the budget had to have been quite large. They are all well done- there's gritty brutality in the fight sequences. There's explosions, car crashes, a ton of destruction rained down upon all sorts of vehicles, buildings, and people. I was incredibly impressed by how Hargarve crafted multiple action sequences. It's hard to pick a favorite. The prison breakout scene was heart-stopping. The train sequence was fantastic, more epic than I ever imagined it would be. The battles around the tower had me cringing and so worried for the characters. The conclusion might be less effective, but it was more personal, so that's okay.

Hemsworth is even better this time around. By carving out time for us to identify with him as a character, Hemsworth is able to show more of himself in the role. Tyler Rake really became a great character in my mind here. Hemsworth is really good in the role and now that we care about him, I desperately hope this franchise continues. It was great seeing Glshifteh Farahani and Adam Bessa again. It took me a second to remember their characters, but they add a lot to the film. Farahani gives an especially physical performance, which is quite impressive. Tornike Gogrichiani and Tornike Bziava both are chilling in their antagonistic performances. They really elevated this film by giving us characters to dislike. It was great fun seeing the inclusion of Idris Elba. I loved the Thor reunion with Hemsworth and it certainly seems like the movie is setting up Elba for a larger role in the future. Nothing would make me happier. Olga Kurylenko is a nice addition to the cast and while her role is very limited, she adds to the movie.

As a whole, I really enjoyed Extraction 2. I'm honestly debating between a 7-7.5 for the film. I think I'll come down on the lower end of that scale, but this movie gets awfully close. The story still follows a familiar path, despite the personal connection being a positive. The film is a clear improvement on the original. It's engrossing and entertaining. The action sequences are some of the most impressive I've seen in several years. I tend to think Netflix makes a lot of bad and overrated movies, but this is one everyone involved should feel good about. Now, let's make this a trilogy and keep the train moving.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Extraction, Man on Fire, Taken, Blackhat, The Raid: Redemption