Movie: Extraction
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Randeep Hooda, Rudraksh Jaiswal, Priyanshu Painyuli, Golshifteh Farahani, Pankaj Tripathi and others
Music: Henry Jackman, Alex Belcher
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Screenplay: Joe Russo
Producers: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Chris Hemsworth, Mike Larocca, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwern
Distribution: Netflix
Direction: Sam Hargave
Independent movies are not looking for studios for a theatrical release anymore. Some notable films also were released directly on Netflix and still managed to make profits. Hence, the makers of Extraction took the gamble and went for a Netflix release during the lockdown.
With Avengers star Chris Hemsworth (Thor) at the forefront and with Indian actor Randeep Hooda playing a significant role in it, Extraction is currently trending at #1 on Netflix India.
Plot: Ovi (Rudraksh), son of a Indian mafia kingpin gets kidnapped by a Bangladeshi don Amir Asif (Priyanshu). A black market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) takes up the job of extracting the kid from Dhaka that has armed men of Asif all over the city.
Artistes’ Performances:
This movie wholly relies on Chris Hemsworth’s broad shoulders as there is little or no story to tell. Chris gets into action mode without wasting a minute and uses his brawn and skills to power through every obstacle. The Thor actor wouldn’t disappoint his fans as he goes all guns blazing, literally.
Randeep Hooda got a significant role to play and he is good as the one who becomes Chris’s enemy to an ally.
Iranian actress Golshifeth makes her presence felt and Bollywood actor Priyanshu Painyuli is effortless as the ruthless mafia kingpin.
Rudraksh's performance is okay and talented Pankaj Tripathi gets only one scene to shine.
Technical Excellence:
Stunt directors had more job to do than the writers and director himself. Stunts are visually stunning and brutally violent too.
Cinematography is spot on as the camera is the on the move all the time and makes everything look very realistic. Music is good.
Stuntman turned director Sam Hargave shows his love for stunts throughout the film. The film has little dialogue and excessive action with loads of violence.
Analysis:
The film’s opening shot shows us blood soaked Chris Hemsworth gasping for breath after getting shot by a sniper giving us a hint about what to expect going foward.
The scene cuts to an Indian high school where a shy teenager is introduced. In no time, he gets kidnapped and Tyler, a black market mercenary has been assigned the job to extract the kid from extremely dangerous Asif for a ransom.
The mission seems impossible with Asif’s army all over the place. Even kids carry guns and aim to kill Tyler when they get a chance.
The Thor actor doesn’t have superhero powers but his towering physique makes even the impossible look possible. He is on the run right from the word go. He gets shot, hit by a car, fall from a building top, hide in a sewage canal, but is still on his feet and always in the game.
Tyler has a gun stick to his hand all the time like a video game hero and rarely uses his muscle power to tackle the goons.
The action seems exciting at the beginning but it keeps on going forever. It is almost like watching a video game where the ‘hero’ needs to clear every obstacle to level up. Some action blocks are superb to watch, though.
For instance, the chase sequence followed by a hand to hand combat between Hemsworth and Hooda is a treat to watch. The mighty Thor dealing with a bunch of rebel kids also is entertaining.
Wish there is a bit more drama and depth to the story than just non-stop action in Extraction. Surprisingly, the movie is based on a comic Ciudad by Ande Parks and still didn’t have a strong story to tell.
Violence is excessive to a level most of the viewers will look away from the screens in certain scenes. That said, it is surely thrilling to watch the action set in the crowded and narrow streets of Dhaka.
With Hemsworth doing the extraction job, it is easy for anybody to predict the ending, which is why there is a deliberate attempt to end it a bit different than expected. To cut a long story short, Extraction is strictly for action lovers and Thor fans.
Bottom Line: Bullet Ballet!