There is no question that Chris Hemsworth is a cinematic action hero. For the first time since he initially wielded Mjolnir in 2011, the Australian actor has successfully found a forum for that aspect of his star status. Extraction is Netflix’s latest big-screen-feeling action flick, after the Michael Bay helmed and Ryan Reynolds starring 6 Underground, and it fits the Thor star impeccably.
Extraction finds Hemsworth as Tyler Rake, an Aussie special forces caliber soldier for hire, who—as the titular endeavor hints at—accepts a gig that entails rescuing an Indian drug lord’s teenage son. Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal) was kidnapped by his father’s rival, the Bangladeshi Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).
Adding emotive layers to the tension is the powerful and high stakes laden script, penned by Joe Russo (of the Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America: Civil War Russo brothers)—who also served as executive producer alongside his brother, Anthony. The filmmaking siblings keenly know how to weave a web that not only sends the heart racing due to pricelessly precise action sequences, but is amped up exponentially due to a soulfully deep connection with characters. What is stunning is how they manage to accomplish that aspect and never sacrifice an ounce of the thrills. It is organically achieved thoroughly wonderfully worded “establishing” scenes. Russos’ characters head into their fights with their heart firmly on their sleeves. In Extraction, this connection arises from powerful scenes between Rake and Mahajan that deepened the bond between these folks who could not have come from more diverse backgrounds.
There is something that is haunting Rake. That could not be more glaring … by how the film commences. He is a damaged soul, and it is not simply from multiple tours in Afghanistan and years as a mercenary. Also, Tyler’s connection with Ovi is not immediate. The boy is just a means to an ends, and this is a guy who needs cash. When he busts into the site where Ovi is being held, the teen might as well be a commodity. As the you-know-what hits the fan and well-laid plans fall by the wayside as Tyler’s team becomes compromised and hobbled by their landing in the middle of a drug war, our hero has to improvise and reevaluate how he approaches this endeavor and even goes so far as to mentally undertake the idea of legacy. That is not anywhere near the emotive juice that your average, everyday action flick generates. That is the gift of the Russo brothers and with Hemsworth as their muse, they have struck gold once again in the most welcomed and surprising of manners.
Hemsworth not only gets to show off his seasoned action chops with fight choreography that is off the charts amazing, but his thespian talents are firmly on display in the quieter moments as well. Other than the Norse God, never has he been gifted such a character as Tyler. We are vested in his present, future and yes, even his past. As he evolves from selfish and self-destructive to selfless, it features Hemsworth grounding his performance in something much larger than memorizing fight choreography. In addition, Tyler is a man of few words. Much of what we learn about the mercenary is through his facial gestures and even the glean in his eyes. It is by far, the best performance of his career (right up there with “large and in charge” Thor in Avengers: Endgame).
Mahajan was tasked with having his Ovi serve as a catalyst for so much within Extraction. The Mumbai native’s characterization not only elevates Tyler’s modus operandi, but also Saju (Randeep Hooda)—who works for Ovi Sr and would literally take a bullet for his boss. But would he for his boss’ son? Another character dynamic, and another opportunity for the Russos to illustrate their uncanny command of the art of storytelling. Saju himself is a father, to a young boy, who is madly in love with his wife. Yet, there is a dichotomy there that plays out as the bullets fly. It is as fiercely fascinating as it is seismically suspenseful.
Then, there is one of our favorite character actors, David Harbour. The Stranger Things star portrays Gaspar—a military pal of Tyler who “owes him his life.” In many ways, he is the voice of reason for Tyler. He manages to provide a perspective during their simultaneously heartwarming and heart wrenching scenes that paint a picture of a mercenary amid an interpersonal revolution. When the action exits Gaspar’s world … no one is the same.
Sam Hargrave gets his big screen directorial debut with Extraction. He served as a fight and stunt coordinator for the Russos on many of their films. He learned from the best, in terms of helming a Russo-penned tale, and it shows on every single frame. The action sequences are bloody brilliant and recall some of the revolutionary work we saw in Atomic Blonde. There are many a tight spot that finds Tyler taking on more men that he has fingers on both hands and believably bests them. It is breathtaking to witness Hemsworth and Hargrave join forces to push the stunt envelope in such a manner that it makes Hargrave’s film one worth witnessing a second, or third time—simply to take in all that is thrown at our eyes, ears … and yes, heart.
The landscape itself in Extraction takes viewers to India and Bangladesh and the crowds, the sea of people that exists in that part of the world adds to the tension factor. First, Hemsworth sticks out like a neon sign—and this is all while he is trying to be more stealth than he ever undertook prior. Just the mass of people to orchestrate had to be problematic for Hargrave. Nothing was sacrificed for ease, that is apparent throughout the Netflix flick. Not only are there people everywhere, but there were many car-centric chases that involve mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, trucks, police cars and any other number of elements that all add up to some jaw-dropping sequences. Production design and action choreography were interwoven in such a manner that you would be hard pressed to find a more magnificent marriage of those two in recent movie memory.
Grade: A-