Extraction 2 movie review: Chris Hemsworth, Russo Brothers go full throttle on action in a delectable sequel

Extraction 2 movie review: Director Sam Hargrave and screenwriter Joe Russo leave no stone uncovered in their attempt to outdo the relentless action set pieces of the first installment, and boy, do they succeed!

In April 2020, Chris Hemsworth's Extraction 2 takes up precisely where the first installment left off. Since then, however, a great deal has transpired for its executive producers, the Russo Brothers, in, say, alternative dimensions. Chris Hemsworth's Tyler Rake returns from the grave for another round in the Extraction 2 trailer. Watch)

They directed the under-the-radar Apple TV film Cherry, which starred Tom Holland. They directed The Gray Man, a Netflix espionage thriller starring Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, and Chris Evans, for Netflix. And most recently, they supported yet another espionage thriller, Citadel, starring Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden, for Prime Video.

Action over plot, not a bad thing

In both of these international espionage thrillers, the action significantly outweighs the plot. In The Gray Man and Citadel, the train scenes in Prague and Italy are more memorable than any characters, narrative twists, or themes.

Therefore, we know exactly what to expect from Extraction 2: magnificently mounted action sequences, including the obligatory train one. Extraction 2 has earned this reputation not only because of the Russo Brothers' track record since the first film, but also because the first film featured 12 minute-long action set pieces.

If there was any lingering doubt, the excellent teaser and trailer for the sequel make it abundantly obvious that the action will be the primary selling point of Extraction 2 as well, with all of its breakneck speed, unadulterated intensity, and merciless tenacity.

And this expectation setting could not have been more reasonable. Extraction 2's director and former stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave and screenwriter Joe Russo approach action as if it is the story, the grammar, the language, the essence, the soul, and the purpose.

A hired mercenary must discover the purpose of his resurrection (is it to achieve mindfulness in the mountains? ), how far an apple falls from the tree, whether the son of a terrorist grows up to be the same as his father despite his mother's efforts to protect him, and whether rescuing another disoriented son absolves a man of his own father's guilt.

But the best part is that Joe Russo knows precisely where and for how long to position them. The sequences in which the actors engage in conversation serve as breathers between the three lengthy, action-packed set pieces.

The initial 10 minutes are the most exasperating to observe because there is no sign of action. When the antagonist kills a peacemaker with a garden fork and he falls directly into a grave being dug by none other than the film's director, Sam Hargrave, the film's intention is made abundantly clear: let's cut to the chase, plunge into the action, and dig some graves.

When Idris Elba appears with a new mission for Chris Hemsworth's Tyler Rakes, you can expect a great deal of chaos. Watch Elba have joy pronouncing 'Rakes' every time, or when he says, "That's why you don't have any friends" after Rakes rejects his cup of tea.

Why the action in Extraction 2 is next level

It's unsurprising that Extraction 2's 18-minute climax surpasses the first installment, given its widespread acclaim. The best aspect, however, is that you realize about halfway through the sequence that this is the one. You are so consumed by the pursuit that you fail to recognize that this is the precise sequence you've been anticipating.

The film begins with a prison escape, moves swiftly through a car chase and a factory shootout, and concludes with the train sequence that has become Russo's trademark. With the restless energy of tracking views and handheld cameras, the transition is made organically seamless. Only at the conclusion of the sequence does cinematographer Greg Baldi use a long shot to provide a comprehensive view of all the debris.

Likewise, editors William Hoy and Alex Rodrguez weave the sequence together so precisely that there is no jarring effect. The only jolts we experience are shared by the actors who submit, without a bone or a disability, to the vision of this action spectacle, which is unprecedented.

When a sequence of this scale and accuracy is executed, not only the actors and stuntmen but also the camera and production personnel become a part of the action and escalation of the stakes. They transmit their daring and risk-taking energies to the sequence, which is precisely why the oner feels like a shared expedition.

One can imagine the logistical nightmare that production designer Philip Ivey must have endured in order to ensure that every prop was in the right location at the right time. However, in the first installment, which was set in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the set design gave the action sequences texture and personality. In the sequel, however, this is conspicuously absent. The majority of the story takes place on the snowy expanses of Georgia, which lends the story a video-game aesthetic. It makes the action participatory, but in a synthetic rather than organic manner.

Having said that, it's a relief that the filmmakers didn't squander too much time on local cultural nuances. Since the primary emphasis was on the action, they underutilized Indian actors and reinforced some stereotypes in the first installment. In Extraction 2, they go all out on this front, and it couldn't have been more appropriate; is there a more universal and global language than that of tremendous action?