It’s almost like the Avengers are assembling again.
Thor himself Chris Hemsworth is the action lead of a new film written by one of the brothers who directed Avengers Endgame, Joe Russso, who also produces the film with his brother Anthony. Meanwhile, MCU stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave makes his directorial debut in this new a film.
Based on the comic Cuidad by Ande Parks, Extraction follows a cold and fearless mercenary named Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) who is hired to seek out and rescue Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of an imprisoned international crime lord who has been taken by his father’s enemies.
To save Ovi, however, Tyler must venture into the darkest corners of Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka and its criminal underbelly but what he finds will change his and Ovi’s lives forever.
However, has Hemsworth found success in this action release to distract us in these months of quarantine?
Sadly, Extraction is very much a disappointment that fails to have an emotional impact or provide enough depth to its characters to care about who survives the bloodbath.
Sam Hargrave proves that he can choreograph stunts and action as the film goes from one breathless action set-piece to the next, however, there is little to no investment in these characters and Hemsworth is given little to do other than brood.
Perhaps if the script had expanded further on the relationship between Tyler and Ovi there could have been more to see here, with the strongest scene occurring in the film’s quietest moment between Jaiswal and Hemsworth.
Despite this one moment that allows Hemsworth to display his acting chops, he’s otherwise just a gun-toting trope of a tortured action hero. There is no opportunity for him to use his charm and humour but then he doesn't get to go deep into the pathos apart from that final scene.
Jaiswal is also a natural performer but never gets enough to explore any depths to his character.
The rest of the cast is rather wasted, especially Stranger Things star David Harbour as a face from Tyler’s past whose motivations are scattered to say the least.
The action rolls along like something out of a video game but without the forward momentum and love for characters that the Russo Brothers gave us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it all just ploughs on with violence and blood until a climactic conclusion.
However, the film’s attempts at twists fall flat and it’s all rather grim and uninviting.
Extraction is also open for criticism regarding the choice of sending a white man to Bangladesh - portrayed as a hot bed of corruption and criminality - to play the hero and save the Bangladeshi child, making it another white saviour cliché that feels rather tired.
Verdict
Extraction is a formulaic action thriller for Netflix that doesn't utilise Hemsworth’s greatest skills for all their worth whilst having none of the flare of the Russo Brothers’ work in the MCU.
Extraction is released on Netflix on April 24, 2020.
Will you be watching Extraction on Netflix and why? Let us know in the comments below.
