Extraction 2 review: Chris Hemsworth, Russo Brothers go full throttle on action | Hollywood
Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction 2 picks up the events exactly from the end of the first part that released in April 2020. But a lot has happened for its executive producers, the Russo Brothers, since then in say, alternate dimensions. (Also Read: Extraction 2 trailer: Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake returns from the dead for another round. Watch)
They directed the Tom Holland-starrer Apple TV feature Cherry that went under the radar. They directed Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas and Chris Evans-starrer spy thriller The Gray Man for Netflix. And most recently, they backed yet another spy thriller, Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden-starrer Citadel for Prime Video.
Action over plot, not a bad thing
In both these globetrotting spy thrillers, one thing stands out: the action far trumps the storyline. One would remember the Prague and Italy train sequences in The Gray Man and Citadel, respectively, more than any character, plot twist or theme.
So going into Extraction 2, we know exactly what to expect – stunningly-mounted action sequences (yes, including a mandatory train one). Extraction 2 enjoys this reputation because of not only Russo Brothers’ track record after the first part, but also the fact that the first part featured relentless action set pieces, including one that lasted for 12 minutes.
If there was still any doubt left, the terrific teaser and trailer of the sequel make it amply clear that the action would be the primary USP of Extraction 2 as well, in all its breakneck pace, unadulterated intensity and unforgiving relentlessness.
And this setting of expectation coul not have been fairer. Director and former stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave and writer Joe Russo treat action as if it’s the be-all and end-all of Extraction 2 – it’s the storyline, the grammar, the language, the essence, the soul and the purpose.
Sure, there are the usual narrative strokes by Joe Russo — a hired mercenary must find out what the purpose of him rising from the dead is (is it to achieve mindfulness in the mountains?), how far an apple falls from the tree; does the son of a terrorist grow up to be the same too, despite a mother who’s trying to protect him; and whether rescuing another disoriented son redeems a man of his own father’s guilt.
But the best part is Joe Russo knows exactly where to place these and for how long. The scenes involving the actors engaging in dialogue act more like breathers between the three long, loaded action set pieces.
The first 10 minutes or so are the most frustrating to watch — there’s absolutely 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 director Sam Hargrave, the film’s intention becomes quite clear — let’s cut to the chase, dive into some action, dig some graves.
So when Idris Elba appears with a new task for Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rakes, you know there’s going to be a lot of mayhem. Watch Elba have fun with enunciating ‘Rakes’ every time, or when he says, “That’s why you don’t have any friends” after Rakes shoots down his cup of tea.
Why the action in Extraction 2 is next level
It’s no surprise that Extraction 2 upstages the first part with its much talked-about 18-minute oner. But the best part is you realise probably halfway through that sequence that it is the one. You’re so consumed by the chase that you fail to recognise it’s exactly the sequence you’ve been waiting for.
The oner lures you in quietly with a prison break, travels across a car chase and a factory shootout without wasting any time, before culminating with the Russo signature stamp: a train sequence. The transition is made organically seamless with the restless energy of tracking shots and handheld cameras. Cinematographer Greg Baldi turns to a long shot only at the end of the sequence to lend a comprehensive perspective of all the debris.
Similarly, editors William Hoy and Alex Rodríguez stitch the sequence together with such precision that it doesn’t jar at all. The only bumps we feel are shared by the actors who surrender themselves, without a bone or a limp maybe, to the unprecedented vision of this action spectacle.
When a sequence of this proportion and precision is carried out, not only the actors and the stuntmen but also the camera and production crew become a part of the action and stakes-building. They transmit their daredevilry and risk-taking energies to the sequence, and that’s exactly how the oner feels like an adventure we’re all a part of.
One can imagine the logistical nightmare that production designer Philip Ivey would’ve had to endure to ensure that every prop is in the right place and at the right time. However, in the first part, since it was set in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the set design lent a texture, a character to the action sequences. But in the sequel, that’s glaringly missing. The action is mostly set in the snowy plains of Georgia, and that imposes on a video-game aesthetic on the action. It makes the action participative, but more in a way that’s more synthetic than lived-in.
Having said that, one is glad that the makers didn’t waste time in dwelling too much on the local, cultural nuances. In the first part, they ended up underutilising Indian actors and reinforcing some stereotypes, since their primary focus was on the action. In Extraction 2, they go all the way on that front and it couldn’t have been more apt — for is there any language more universal and global than that of great action?
Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction 2 picks up the events exactly from the end of the first part that released in April 2020. But a lot has happened for its executive producers, the Russo Brothers, since then in say, alternate dimensions. (Also Read: Extraction 2 trailer: Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake returns from the dead for another round. Watch)
They directed the Tom Holland-starrer Apple TV feature Cherry that went under the radar. They directed Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas and Chris Evans-starrer spy thriller The Gray Man for Netflix. And most recently, they backed yet another spy thriller, Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden-starrer Citadel for Prime Video.
Action over plot, not a bad thing
In both these globetrotting spy thrillers, one thing stands out: the action far trumps the storyline. One would remember the Prague and Italy train sequences in The Gray Man and Citadel, respectively, more than any character, plot twist or theme.
So going into Extraction 2, we know exactly what to expect – stunningly-mounted action sequences (yes, including a mandatory train one). Extraction 2 enjoys this reputation because of not only Russo Brothers’ track record after the first part, but also the fact that the first part featured relentless action set pieces, including one that lasted for 12 minutes.
If there was still any doubt left, the terrific teaser and trailer of the sequel make it amply clear that the action would be the primary USP of Extraction 2 as well, in all its breakneck pace, unadulterated intensity and unforgiving relentlessness.
And this setting of expectation coul not have been fairer. Director and former stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave and writer Joe Russo treat action as if it’s the be-all and end-all of Extraction 2 – it’s the storyline, the grammar, the language, the essence, the soul and the purpose.
Sure, there are the usual narrative strokes by Joe Russo — a hired mercenary must find out what the purpose of him rising from the dead is (is it to achieve mindfulness in the mountains?), how far an apple falls from the tree; does the son of a terrorist grow up to be the same too, despite a mother who’s trying to protect him; and whether rescuing another disoriented son redeems a man of his own father’s guilt.
But the best part is Joe Russo knows exactly where to place these and for how long. The scenes involving the actors engaging in dialogue act more like breathers between the three long, loaded action set pieces.
The first 10 minutes or so are the most frustrating to watch — there’s absolutely 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 director Sam Hargrave, the film’s intention becomes quite clear — let’s cut to the chase, dive into some action, dig some graves.
So when Idris Elba appears with a new task for Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rakes, you know there’s going to be a lot of mayhem. Watch Elba have fun with enunciating ‘Rakes’ every time, or when he says, “That’s why you don’t have any friends” after Rakes shoots down his cup of tea.
Why the action in Extraction 2 is next level
It’s no surprise that Extraction 2 upstages the first part with its much talked-about 18-minute oner. But the best part is you realise probably halfway through that sequence that it is the one. You’re so consumed by the chase that you fail to recognise it’s exactly the sequence you’ve been waiting for.
The oner lures you in quietly with a prison break, travels across a car chase and a factory shootout without wasting any time, before culminating with the Russo signature stamp: a train sequence. The transition is made organically seamless with the restless energy of tracking shots and handheld cameras. Cinematographer Greg Baldi turns to a long shot only at the end of the sequence to lend a comprehensive perspective of all the debris.
Similarly, editors William Hoy and Alex Rodríguez stitch the sequence together with such precision that it doesn’t jar at all. The only bumps we feel are shared by the actors who surrender themselves, without a bone or a limp maybe, to the unprecedented vision of this action spectacle.
When a sequence of this proportion and precision is carried out, not only the actors and the stuntmen but also the camera and production crew become a part of the action and stakes-building. They transmit their daredevilry and risk-taking energies to the sequence, and that’s exactly how the oner feels like an adventure we’re all a part of.
One can imagine the logistical nightmare that production designer Philip Ivey would’ve had to endure to ensure that every prop is in the right place and at the right time. However, in the first part, since it was set in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the set design lent a texture, a character to the action sequences. But in the sequel, that’s glaringly missing. The action is mostly set in the snowy plains of Georgia, and that imposes on a video-game aesthetic on the action. It makes the action participative, but more in a way that’s more synthetic than lived-in.
Having said that, one is glad that the makers didn’t waste time in dwelling too much on the local, cultural nuances. In the first part, they ended up underutilising Indian actors and reinforcing some stereotypes, since their primary focus was on the action. In Extraction 2, they go all the way on that front and it couldn’t have been more apt — for is there any language more universal and global than that of great action?
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