Extraction II (2023)
Director: Sam Hargrave
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Tinatin Dalakishvilli
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Thriller
The first “Extraction” (2020) received some …traction (sorry!) three years ago as a tailored vehicle for Chris Hemsworth’s bulky frame utilizing a “The Raid” (2011) style of brutal skirmishes through the narrow alleys of Dhaka. It was apologetically a cinematic output that resembled the 80s but featured modern traits in shooting action. Far from perfect, it was nonetheless a breath of fresh air during the one of 2020 where virtue signaling prevailed within a number of films deprived them in the process of any form of natural storytelling.
Its (streaming) success led to a second “Extraction”, this time from a dungeon like prison in Georgia serving as the catalyst of a simple plot. While there is not much depth here, “Extraction II”, for all its faults, is mostly entertaining and surpasses its predecessor in terms of quality. Hemsworth slips effortlessly into the role of Rake, a moving behemoth of carnage (when it is necessary), brutally dispatching opponents without portrayed as a human action cliché. Although his Rake has all the expected elements of a man who talks less and shoots more, Joe Russo’s script seeks to showcasing him as a guilt-ridden, shame-filled individual for abandoning his wife and sick son in their time of need in a pleasant turn of events.
Meanwhile Bessa and (especially) Farahani might not have many scenes but their sharp characterization is enough to portray them as capable team members. But the real surprise is the incorporation of the villain in the grand scheme of things. Despite not having much to do, his brief development through flashbacks of domestic abuse, bullying and a life on the run as a refugee can be interpreted as an intriguing commentary of how violence spilling over to younger generations leads to a vicious circle of blood lust, consuming men and turning them into monsters. Yet, such intricacies are wasted in favor of a hasty plot which could have provided a powerful statement and a compelling antagonist.
Sam Hargrave is back at the director’s helm displaying more ambition and a stronger conviction in the action department - a twenty one minute, seemingly “uncut” sequence is definitely a crowd pleaser, a greatest hits compilation pulling moments from (far) better movies like the car chase in Alfonso Cuaron’s “Children of Men” (2006) and the prison riot in “The Raid 2” (2014) - but when he employs some jarring CGI, the visceral impact of the on-screen destruction derby is reduced. For the most of its running time though, he gives exactly what the audience craves extending the action into Vienna’s DC Towers with an unapologetically high ranking body count and painful stuntwork that most films would look away from. However, visually his Georgia looks like how US cinema sees Balkan/Eastern European countries (e.g., “The Expendables 2” (2012), “A Good Day to Die Hard“ (2013), “Hobbs and Shaw“ (2019)) (despite Georgia being in Asia); with grey and earthly tones, desolate areas of concrete and dirt populated by Orthodox Zealotry, Adidas clothing, silver/gold necklaces and prison tattoos which seem an odd choice considering we are in 2023.
To attempt to review in more detail “Extraction II'“ would be an exercise to deconstruct a Margarita pizza. Like the beloved dish, its ingredients are in the right dosages, its appearance unable to betray a hidden favor that might be residing within once it gets consumed. While you might crave for something more substantial after your meal, for the time being, you are content. And this is what “Extraction II” offers.
Hearty but standard action flick
+Hemsworth
+Unapologetic
+Convincing Farahani
+Adds a few more characterization shades
+21 minute “uncut” action sequence
-No on the “Children of Men” level
-Glaring CGI
-Stereotypical and interchangeable villains