- Release Date: – 16/06/2023
- Cast: – Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Tornike Gogrichiani
- Director: – Sam Hargrave
‘Extraction 2’ begins just after the events of its predecessor. Tyler, the man who raised hell in Bangladesh to save an Indian gangster’s son, was left for dead but was rescued by his team members soon after. He spends months in a coma, and just when his team members feel compelled to pull the plug on him, he comes back to life.
After spending another few months in rehabilitation, he gets a new mission to extract a woman and her children from a Georgian prison notorious for elaborate gang riots. Freeing her from prison would also mean freeing her from the clasp of her abusive husband, a Georgian drug lord and arms dealer held up in the same prison.
Why would Tyler take up the job after nearly ending up dead in his last mission and that too when he has earned a comfortable and much-deserved retirement? Who is the woman in question, and how is she related to Tyler? How far will Tyler and his team have to go to extract her? These are some of the questions that drive the narrative of ‘Extraction 2’.
Great transition from action coordinator to director:
Sam Hargrave is the second stunt coordinator and stuntman after Chad Stahelski (John Wick series) who has successfully transitioned from being a stunt coordinator and choreographer to directing films that center on an element that he knows best; epic action sequences.
As was the case with the John Wick films, where the story is triggered by motivation to exact revenge for the protagonist, ‘Extraction 1’and ‘Extraction 2’ are films about a private contractor who is tasked with getting people out of tricky situations and is responsible for keeping them safe for a finite period.
The story is as simple as it can be, and that is a great thing because Hargrave’s emphasis is on creating some of the most elaborate, well-choreographed, and spellbinding action sequences that you can expect to see on the screen at this time and age. For that to work, the story needed to be simple and easily intelligible.
Emotional depth and genuine drama in the protagonist:
In this instalment of the film, Hargrave adds an emotional angle for Tyler by giving us brief but powerful glimpses into his past and how he had to leave for his deployment, leaving his near-death son in the hospital. His wife divorces him after his son’s death, and he feels that his son died with the notion that Tyler ran away from the situation.
As the film progresses, we see Tyler deal with this tragedy from time to time, and it adds an additional layer of complexity to his already dilapidating mental health. This element drives many of his key actions and also justifies the extreme hardship that he endures to defend the woman and her children.
As I have said over and over again in my reviews, action is best served when it is complemented by complex emotions and impactful drama. This is exactly what we get here through the different characters and their respective predicaments, and this renders the already stunning action of the film even more powerful.
Sensational and creative execution of the action:
I don’t have enough words to praise the action of the film. There are three primary action sequences, and all three are executed with such murderous physicality, intense thrill, and inescapable drama that it feels as if we are caught in the middle of the action, experiencing every threat, turmoil, and near-death predicament that the characters are shown enduring.
The first action sequence starts off as an extraction from a jail where two gangs are trying to kill each other off and are attacking Tyler and his team with a no-holds-barred attitude. This sequence then transitions to a thrilling chase sequence that shows vehicular mayhem to an extent that would easily put a Fast and Furious film to shame. If that was not enough, the action then moves to a train where Tyler and his team have to fend off an aerial and on-ground onslaught that ends with an exceptionally physical and well-choreographed train accident.
The next action sequence unfolds when Tyler and the rescued family try to make their way out of a multistory building. The onslaught that the villains launch on the building and the hand-to-hand combat complemented by gunfights that we see here left me breathless. The climax is no different.
The climax has one of the most grueling and tense hand-to-hand fights of the film, and it ends in a manner that ensures the most satisfying release of tension after experiencing the same for the entire duration of the film. Having said all that, I have to admit that the opening action sequence takes us to such a height that the remainder of the action sequences of the film cannot live up to. This proves to be a matter of marginal disappointment.
Terrific cinematography and editing:
The action of the film is not only well-choreographed and realised but is also shot and edited with creativity, power, and a firm focus on technicalities. I re-watched the action sequences of the film and tried to decipher the camera moves and the editing by following the camera. There were moments when I couldn’t understand how a particular change of angle or camera movement was created. There is some use of CGI, but it is all done so well that you hardly notice it.
The editing of the film and its creativity is particularly noticeable during the action sequences. As was the case with the first instalment of the film, there are unbroken long takes of action that not only make the proceedings interesting and gorgeous to look at but also make you wonder how much planning and preparation must have gone into creating and mounting each of the action sequences.
Good performances from the ensemble cast:
The performances in the film are as good as they can be. Chris Hemsworth as Tyler has to maintain one expression throughout, and he does so convincingly. In the scenes where he has to portray concern and care for the ones that he is trying to save, he is successful in portraying the correct expressions. The flashbacks that form an important part of the film are also done with conviction.
Hemsworth’s performance in the action sequences was never in question, and he performs with equal conviction and inspiring physicality here. Golshifteh Farahani as Nik has a much more substantial role in this film. She not only looks alluring but also holds her own in the action sequences as well as in some of the interpersonal drama that plays out between her and Hemsworth’s characters.
Weak antagonist and a somewhat lacklustre performance from Tornike Gogrichiani:
Tornike Gogrichiani is the only actor who could have done better. His character is written in a very one-dimensional manner, and he is unable to bring anything substantial to the character of Zurab with his performance. He is a generic bad guy who has absolutely no redeeming qualities about him and is not all that scary either. I felt that the failure of the character of Zurab had more to do with the poor writing of the character than the performance of Tornike Gogrichiani. However, it goes without saying that sometimes, a great performance elevates a mediocre character. Unfortunately, that was not the case here.
The film loses steam after the initial mayhem:
I also felt that the film slowed down considerably after the initial flair. It might have been because the film and its action couldn’t match up to the first action sequence in terms of scale, execution, and pure fun. The antagonist was one-dimensional, uninteresting, and couldn’t match up to the stellar screen presence of the protagonist played by Chris Hemsworth, which did spoil the fun of the film to a certain extent. Having a strong antagonist in a film of this nature that has little in terms of storytelling is absolutely key in sustaining interest in the narrative and screenplay. Having a weak antagonist was also an issue with the first Extraction film, and it continues to be a meddlesome issue in the second instalment as well. I hope that Sam Hargrave can do something about it in future instalments of the film.
Final words:
Having said all that, ‘Extraction 2’ is still one of the best action films that I have seen this year. The film deserves a view for the opening action sequence alone, leaving aside a gamut of other good things it does with its characters, technicalities, and storytelling. Chris Hemsworth is in top form. The ensemble cast provides him able support. The action is electric.
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The cinematography and editing are outstanding. Sam Hargrave’s direction of the film is on point, and he knows how to sustain the interest of the audience through action and thrill. I wish this film got a theatrical release. It would have been an exhilarating watch on the big screen with crisp Dolby Atmos sound.
Rating: – 3.5/5 (3.5 out of 5 stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position
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