Extraction – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Extraction – Mercenary and Mission: Save the Boy … No Mercy

What is it that draws you to be, entertained?  The winding road is all a matter of depth, detail and perception of the escape.  It is wonderful when you find that spark, especially with film.  Extraction is an action film that pushes forward an adrenaline ride within the predictable.  Even in a familiar outline, Extraction delivers on its own accord.

On his deadliest mission yet, Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) takes on an extraction job to rescue the son of an international crime boss.  From the first shot, you realize that there is no development beyond the premise.  You have a basic outline that invokes with an inciting incident (son taken hostage) only to introduce the audience to the protagonist, antagonist and the mission.  You are introduced to Tyler Rake, a typical ‘anti-hero’ with a tragic past.  Hemsworth does a good job in bringing personality to a common archetype, helping to elevate some of the dialogue that is trivial (at best).  Once the foundation lays out the rest of the ancillary characters and general exposition, everything kicks into high gear when Rake and his team head to Bangladesh to rescue the boy.  This leads to the key incident (Rake meeting the boy) pivoting the generalization into something more.  What starts off as a by-the-numbers action film becomes something more because of realistic/raw action, unpredictable mayhem, precise choreography and the use of the ‘one shot/continuous’ camera technique.

As Rake and the boy make their way through the streets of Dhaka, character development is thrust into an intrigue of wits within action.  Watching Rake fight his way through each sequence creates an experience of endearing veracity.  The flaws are pushed aside for the battlement of a fearless mercenary trying to protect an innocent boy caught in a world he didn’t choose.  The revelations are subtle, but the interactions are honest and pure.  The depth through indifference creates an experience that thrust emotions through visual prowess.  Once in the final act, it is the typical ‘man against the world’ finale with the predictable ‘mission accomplished’ climax.   Extraction is predictable, but the familiar allows for the mission to standout in a different way.  If you’re a fan of action films, this is one for you.  It is available on Netflix, but it would be worth seeing in the theaters, full price. 

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)