Dropping onto Netflix today is the action sequel, Extraction 2. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani and Idris Elba, and picks up shortly after the events of 2020’s Extraction.
In the movie, after barely surviving a mission in Bangladesh, black market mercenary, Tyler Rake, is flown to Dubai to undergo hospital treatment, before being taken to Austria to recover. Here he spends time watching trashy TV shows and hanging out with his dog and pet chickens.
Life is much quieter than usual, and Rake has plenty of time to relax and retire. That is until he is approached about a new mission, to extract his ex-sister-in-law and her children from a deadly prison, where they are being held captive.
After agreeing to take on the job, Rake gets back into shape and makes his way to the prison. But the rescue mission is just the beginning, and soon Rake finds himself with a target on his back as he fights to protect the family.
If you caught Extraction back in 2020, or you stumbled across it more recently, you’ll know the Chris Hemsworth-actioner is a good Netflix film. Hemsworth is great in the movie, there’s plenty of pulse-pounding sequences, and the story feels neatly knitted together.
Is it the greatest action film of all-time? No, but it’s a solid picture and an ideal movie for streaming, and the same can be said for this sequel.
If you loved Extraction then you’ll be pleased to know Extraction 2 is pretty much more of the same. No one is going to come away from this new film believing it to be the next Die Hard, but Extraction 2 offers plenty of scenes of Hemsworth kicking ass, beating up bad guys, and looking devilishly handsome while doing it.
Director Sam Hargrave returns for this sequel, having previously helmed Extraction – his feature film debut – and he continues to demonstrate he knows how to deliver fist-pumping action sequences. Hargrave has previously worked as a stunt coordinator on a range of movies, including Deadpool 2 and two Avengers pictures (Infinity War and Endgame), and with Extraction 2 he brings his expertise in this field.
From the moment Rake heads to the prison for his latest ‘extraction’, Hargrave has him running a seemingly never-ending gauntlet of fisticuffs, gunfire, and explosions. What begins with a prison brawl soon becomes a chaotic car chase, before moving onto a battle inside, on top of, and all over a train.
For a good twenty minutes the action is intense, exhilarating, and bloody relentless. So much is thrown at the screen in quick succession, I needed a lie down afterward, followed by a stiff drink.
The action is gloriously over-the-top, but it’s marvellous to watch. And the good thing is, there’s plenty of it throughout the film, meaning you’re never too far away from someone falling off the side of a building or being blasted by bullets.
As this film is very energetic, and largely concerned with scenes of spectacle, there isn’t a great deal of depth in the story department, however, what is on offer works fine. Rake’s backstory is given a little more flavour, and with his new mission centring around ex-family members, the ‘extraction’ feels more personal.
Hemsworth is great in everything he does (not that I’m jealous), and he delivers everything he needs to here. He takes what little story there is, pushes it forward, and continues to ensure Drake is always likeable.
There are a couple of brief moments when his hard exterior is softened, to show some internal pain relating to his past, and Hemsworth nails these scenes. They are only short moments here and there, but Hemsworth makes them land, and this adds a bit more weight where needed.
Overall, Extraction 2 is a highly enjoyable action film. It does exactly what you expect it to do, but it does it very well, all while remaining entertaining.
The film zips through its two-hour runtime, with three big action sequences making up the bulk of the picture, and at no point does it run out of juice. The whole thing thunders along effortlessly, and makes a fine companion piece to its predecessor.
I know it’s sunny (and hot) as heck at the moment, and streaming movies may not be on the agenda right now, but pop this one on your ‘watchlist’ for when you want a couple of hours of escapism. Extraction 2 is enjoyable, easy viewing, and certainly something worth watching on Netflix.
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