Extraction 2

• Directed by Sam Hargrave
• June 16, 2023
• Based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando León González and Eric Skillman
• Netflix

After fighting his way back to recovery, Tyler Rake is hired to rescue the family of an abusive crime lord from a Georgian prison.

It seemed pretty conclusive in Extraction that what we got was going to be a one-off film. Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) fell off a bridge perforated like so much Swiss cheese yet here we are with Extraction 2-a film that is not a prequel, but rather a direct sequel.

This film is as action heavy as the last but done with an eye towards realism. Our characters do not simply walk off injuries. It takes a toll on them. This is especially important since the bulk of the film takes place in real time other than the first 10 to 15 minutes which is largely about Tyler recovering from his physical wounds. We see him in therapy and building back up his strength.

The story of this film also continues the theme of Tyler finding something to live for rather than seeking a way for someone else to kill him. He now has to find out the reason why he fought so hard to live and recover. This connects with what exactly his emotional baggage was in the first film.

We learn that Tyler was once married and that his son died of terminal movie illness when he was deployed. That’s the grief he has been carrying. A man who could save everybody and fought danger without thinking twice was too cowardly to stay there with his child in their final days and was unable to save them.

Chris Hemsworth absolutely kills it in this film. Not just from the action perspective but from the acting as well. He’s able to create a human character that is the best of the best, but we can at least empathize with on an emotional level. He’s going through some tough stuff and his reactions are not out of the realm of normality. Hemsworth actually acts. No Oscars for him here but a good performance in a type of film that could have been carried just on action.

The story of Extraction 2 continues a romantic subplot only hinted at in the last one between Tyler and his partner Nik (Golshifteh Farahani). There are no declarations of passionate love, but it is clear they have feelings. Nik’s efforts to exact revenge in the closing moments of Extraction get somewhat reframed and her efforts to help Tyler recover are an act of love. I am glad they did not have them end as a definitive couple. Not only does it leave something for another film, but it would have been rushed and just unnatural.

Idris Elba bookends the story as a mysterious man with no name (referred to as ‘Alcott’ in the credits) who offers Tyler a job that he cannot refuse. And if you don’t know where this is going by the appearance of Idris Elba then you haven’t seen many sequels. He was clearly setting things up for more movies.

Tyler’s former sister-in-law Ketevan (Tinatin Dalakishvili) and her kids are living in a Georgian (not US) prison because her husband Davit (Tornike Bziava), a major drug lord, is there. Tyler is hired to get them out and kill Davit. What vested interest does Elba’s employer have in all this? How did Tyler’s ex-wife Mia (Olga Kurylenko) become connected to the mystery employer? Never told. You just go with it.

Once they get to prison Extraction 2 is just two extended action sequences broken up by a brief breather in the middle. George Miller would be proud. It is very much in the mold of what Miller did in the Mad Max films. They take on a feel of one long take. The CGI appears minimal which makes it so much better.

The cliché of the dumb kid screwing things up rears its ugly head here. The drug lord’s son (Andro Japaridze) steals a satellite that nobody notices is missing and calls his uncle (Tornike Gogrichiani) whom has been trying to kill everybody to tell him where they are. It speeds up the final confrontation which is not the issue.

Not only do we have the dumb kid making the dumb decision that puts everyone’s life in danger (including his own) but we have somebody that doesn’t notice that a valuable AND important piece of equipment is totally missing. At no point does anybody ask where it is and they are dependent on those phones for communication until the mission is over.

At just barely better than two hours it doesn’t feel like it. The plot is pretty straightforward and really not too different from the last one. They make things feel fresh enough that you will not get déjà vu. The hook is that while we expect the good guys to win given how much of a beating they take and that the injuries have staying power you have no idea how they succeed.

Despite some flaws Extraction 2 lives up to its predecessor. It has the same level of intense action that’s well done and a surprising turn by Chris Hemsworth of all people. If you like action films, you will certainly like this.