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My favorite type of action films is where there are long takes of action scenes. Ones that immediately come to mind where directors utilize this style are John Wick, The Raid, Atomic Blonde, and 1917. Those films impress me on many levels and now I can add Extraction to that stellar list!
The newest Netflix action film is directed by Sam Hargrave, who was a stunt coordinator for several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He worked alongside the Russo Brothers for several films and Extraction is his directorial debut. Joe Russo also wrote the film and produced it alongside his brother and Chris Hemsworth. It was nice to see a reunion of sorts after their success in the MCU. Hemsworth stars as Tyler Rake, a black-market mercenary who is recruited to rescue the son of India’s biggest drug lord who is being held ransom by Bangladesh’s biggest drug lord.
Extraction has some of the best stunt work I have seen in recent memory. Every moment involving car chases, shootouts, and hand-to-hand combat is absolutely thrilling. Luckily for any action fan, Extraction has plenty to offer. There were several times in the middle and towards the end that the action scenes kept on coming. The film has a perfect build up for its intense action scenes. The mixture of the score and character interactions lets the audience know that there will be plenty of explosions and shooting coming soon. As the film moves towards the end, the action scenes feel bigger than the previous scenes with helicopters and cars being blown up and many people being shot at. The film is packed with well-choreographed action scenes and pure adrenaline.
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Since the film is filled with tons of action, the storyline suffers. The film takes short cuts when it comes to building the plot. Some of the plot points felt rushed just so they could get to the action scenes. Most of Extraction feels like it is ripped from other films and it has no problem with doing that. The best thing Joe Russo does with the script is connecting Tyler with Ovi, Tyler’s rescue mission. Tyler has nothing to lose. It is explained in the beginning of the film that Rake lost his six-year-old to cancer. He will jump into any situation if it means protecting Ovi. Ovi lacks a father figure in his life so Tyler acts as perfect candidate for that role. The two share some meaningful moments throughout the film amongst all the action.
Extraction is an exhilarating Netflix original film. In terms of Netflix action films, this is by far their best. The white-knuckle action scenes will be remembered throughout the year even if we get some films in theaters late this year. The real question I had after watching this film was who would win in a fight, Rake or John Wick?
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