Dueling 3 Short Paragraphs: Extraction

2020, d. Sam Hargrave - netflix

I'm kind of a sucker for films that are action-heavy yet quiet-and-brooding.  Some films do it better than others, where the lead character or characters still manage to take central focus, while lesser films will be primarily an action showcase with characterization rather sidelined.  And sometimes it's all about building a legend...a John Wick or a Snake Plisskin.  Extraction, written by Anthony Russo (based on the Ciudad graphic novel by Ande Park) and directed by Sam Hargrave (the Russo brothers' stunt coordinator on many of their Marvel films) more or less manages to succeed at being a character-focused, action-heavy, legend-building feature.

This guy is awesome.

Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake (not quite the same ring as a John Wick or Jack Reacher), a man suffering from PTSD following the loss of his child and living a hardcore, death-wish mercenary life since.  He's big and broad but not too big or too broad.  He's quick and powerful, and has experience.  He's basically the best in the business, working for an agency who brokers deals and supports in the field.  In Bangladesh, Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of an imprisoned mobster is kidnapped as a power-play by a rival gangster. Rake and team are called in for the extraction by a desperate Saju, head of family security (played by the captivating Randeep Hooda).  But he doesn't have the funds to pay for their services so he actively interferes with Rake's escape with Ovi from the gangster and his ample forces.

This leads to a a violent pursuit throughout Dhaka, as we see the power the gangster wields over much of the city and its officials. Rake is advised to abandon the mission by his support squad but his own issues push him on to see it through, to ensure Ovi is safe.  The action is miles, MILES better than, say 6 Underground, it's clearly shot, expertly crafted, and it looks brutal and painful.  What's more, Hemsworth carries the emotional subtlety of the character well... he's not just a pretty, funny meatbag, he's got serious acting chops too.  The immediate finale is a little far-fetched but it's the main setup for Rake's legendary status... and with a second feature already greenlit I'm welcoming more, and hoping for something quite different (kind of like what Chronicles of Riddick  was after Pitch Black).