Review: Extraction

Release date: April 24, 2020
Running time: 116 minutes
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, David Harbour, Rudhraksh Jaiswal

Extraction is so insanely good.  Just stop reading this and watch it now.  Seriously, just go watch it.  Extraction is a new action movie starring Chris Hemsworth (looking much more trim from his fat Thor days) as an ex military man with deadly skills and no will to live after losing his family.  He is sent into Dhaka to rescue a kidnapped boy from a drug kingpin, and as you would expect, extreme violence ensues.  

Extraction is just pure action.  Accomplished stunt coordinator turned first time director Sam Hargrave nails this film.  From the gunfights, to the hand to hand combat, to the car chase scenes, and everything in between, this movie will get your pulse going and keep it pumping throughout.  You can really see the stunt coordinator pedigree in the amazing action.  The gunfights are loud and precise.  The hand to hand combat is visceral and brutal; what you would expect from a fight to the death with nothing flashy.  The first fight scene will have you gritting your teeth and trying to cover your eyes.  And the car chase scenes are simply superb.  Really, this film's action is amazing to see and part of that is the insane choreography.  This is 1917 levels of amazing choreography, with shots that make you wonder how the camera was able to even follow it.  It is smart in its angles and really lets you feel and experience the action.  And at some points, the camera follows the action so well that you would swear you are playing an insanely good video game.  Honestly, if you are looking for action Extraction has you covered.

Hemsworth is a convincing, reluctant mercenary.  He really gets to flex his action chops and his biceps.  But on top of that, he also displays a good range of emotion during this film, with plenty of personal scenes on top of his normal, serious and supremely confident persona.  Jaiswal as the kidnapped boy is also very convincing, and although he mostly follows Hemsworth, he also displays a wide range of emotions throughout the film.  The plot itself also has enough to keep you interested.  The story will take you to a variety of locales within Bangladesh, and although it mostly takes place in one city, there is enough variety in the locations and action that occurs to keep you entertained.  Whether it is a multi-story apartment complex, a crowded market, or a congested bridge, the action conforms around whatever it needs.  This film will get your pulse pounding, but also has enough variety and emotion to keep you engaged.  Seriously, just see this movie now. 

Extraction is an adrenaline rush from start to finish, with amazing action, brutal fighting, and intense vehicle scenes that are complemented by some superb cinematography and characters.

Watch it.