By JASON GUYER
Netflix has been a lifesaver in these confined times.
Don’t get me wrong, I miss theaters because I prefer that experience. With that said, Netflix has started to unleash the content, starting with the new Chris Hemsworth action film “Extraction.”
Actions films can be a particularly difficult film genre to rate. They have to keep the viewers attention and that may sound easy but it is not. When a viewer is expecting action than the expectations for that action is high. For a film to become a great action film it has to exceed those expectations.
Older action films used to do this by blowing things up — think “Rambo.” The more modern action film does this by choreography — think “John Wick.”
Action films in 2020 are more like dancing the salsa where the dance partners are almost in a constant forward and back, or give and take situations with one another. The back basic and cumbia basic steps create that step-forward-step-back motion in salsa (well back and forth and circular when you add the turns and switches) but it is essential to learning the salsa.
Well, the back and forth is essential to great action in films that revolve on it in 2020.
“Extraction” does this brilliantly (but not as good as “John Wick”) and this is the best part of “Extraction,” hands down.
The story in “Extraction” follows a black-market mercenary who has nothing to lose. The mercenary’s name is Tyler Rake, a great action star name by the way. When Rake is hired to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord, the seedy and murky underworld of weapons dealers and drug traffickers makes an already deadly mission almost impossible.
“Extraction” is written by one of the Russo brothers, Joe specifically. The screenplay is based on the graphic novel “Ciudad” written by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando León González and Eric Skillman The film is directed by Sam Hargrave.
The writing is well done, best defined as simplistic and straight forward which greatly benefits the film. Action films, in general, should not be overly didactic. This is not a hard fast rule, as a good story is a good story, but action films specifically are often best when they are overly simplistic in story. Examples include stop the bomb or save the girl themes. In the case of “Extraction,” a boy is kidnapped. The straight line narrative drawn leaves the film to concentrate on the things that make an action film good, the action.
“Extraction,” like “John Wick” before it, is made a great film by its battle sequences. They are choreographed magic. A perfectly-timed salsa between the lead character, Tyler Rake, and all his enemies, where each partner is hitting their marks to create these beautiful blood soaked and explosive scenes, one after the other.
The ability to pull this off, though, just as with “John Wick,” is based on the film’s lead. Hemsworth is brilliant in “Extraction,” especially during the action sequences.
The Thor actor continues to challenge himself in roles and with each film he gets better as an actor. And besides The Rock, Hemsworth has had one of the better career arcs of the 2000s.
“Extraction” gives Hemsworth another notch on his belt: action star. Yes, he played Thor — as I previously mentioned — and while those are technically action films they are not action films in the same way “John Wick” or “Die Hard” are. “Extraction” gives us an action star on the level of John Wick or John McClaine, and his name is Tyler Rake.
It may be premature but the sequels will prove how long lasting Tyler Rake will be as an action hero — and yes, there will most certainly be sequels.
The two best action sequences in “Extraction” are the building sequence (when Tyler Rake finds the boy) and the bridge sequence (the second one). The better of the two is the building sequence. This choreographed, fast-paced style of action always plays better in close quarters.
The closeness allows the viewer to feel as if they are right there and gives the combat a very combative feel. Close quarters also challenges the director and his camera work giving the viewer more interesting camera angles. Once the action and environment open up you lose a lot of the frenetic energy the close quarters brings the action.
The same goes for “John Wick” as well and the comparison is apt because the two films feel very similar. The big difference between the two is the overall story in “John Wick” is a little more robust, even though the story of each John Wick film is still simple.
The best part of “Extraction” is that it never falls into the trap of having a story that is too simple or formulaic. This is what a great action film does. The great ones never let you think of the plot holes, the formulaic story or any absurdness an action film might have.
This is the brilliance of the director, Sam Hargrave, and Chris Hemsworth.
The action in “Extractions” is top notch. It treats the close quarter gun play as hand-to-hand combat. Just as the moves and variations called the ochos bring the heat in salsa, the hand-to-hand combat brings the heat to “Extraction.”
In “Extraction,” Hemsworth steps his way into action flick history bringing the heat.
IRATE SCORE: 3.5/5
Jason Guyer is an avid moviegoer and works in the graphics department at the Eagle Times. For questions or comments he can be emailed at [email protected].
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