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'Extraction' review: an exhilarating film that's unexpectedly touching

Movie Reviews

‘Extraction’ review: an exhilarating film that’s unexpectedly touching

Extraction is more than what you’d think just by seeing the poster.

I was not completely sold on this film. Even though I am a Chris Hemsworth fan, this appeared to be a standard action flick and those get kind of old to me. Well, I’m very happy to report that Extraction is more than what you’d think just by seeing the poster. This film succeeds by combining exhilarating over the top intense action with well developed characters that share some truly touching moments. I wasn’t prepared for the great characters or the emotional scenes, but I must say they are a big reason as to why this works.

The action is handled in a very realistic way; the direction is masterful in filming these scenes in an almost interactive fashion. The camera work is truly stunning and the way in which these scenes are filmed makes the action onscreen all the more intense. On top of the way in which they’re filmed, the actual content is top notch. There is an edge of your seat feeling that permeates these action scenes because the choreography is so well done. I didn’t get a repetitive vibe, which is kind of unbelievable considering the large amount of shooting and fighting that go on throughout Extraction all the way up to the end.

I appreciated the level of excitement they were able to drum up during these scenes, and they didn’t resort to buckets of blood to do so. And Chris Hemsworth….. damn! I mean I knew he was a great actor, anyone who’s seen Rush knows that, and I knew he could handle action from the Thor films, but he really goes above and beyond in Extraction.

The moves he pulls off during the action scenes here are truly impressive and he makes it seem so seamless. The thing that makes Chris so special is BOTH his great stunt abilities AND his phenomenal acting. Not only does he handle his action scenes exceedingly well but he also really nails some very emotional scenes that tell us a lot more about his character. 

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This is why he is such a huge star…he can doth both and that is what makes a great actor. He can be the over the top action hero but also be an endearing lovable character that seems so real. In this lead performance, he will excite you in one scene then break your heart and make you fall in love in the next. That’s talent and that is what’s onscreen here.

Speaking of onscreen talent, there’s a lot of it in this film. Besides Hemsworth and his fantastic lead performance, we also have Rudhraksh Jaiswal who plays the teenager that Hemsworth is “extracting”. Jaiswal is truly great here, I was extremely impressed by his range – especially at the end. He definitely needs to be recognized when talking about this film and I hope he gets other work from this. Randeep Hooda and Golshifteh Farahani are both magnificent here. They both captivated me. Hooda is especially good with his fight scenes. Everyone is operating at an expert level here and that’s extremely refreshing to see.

The script gives us an exhilarating thrill ride of an action film complete with strong dramatic/emotional content. I don’t feel as if the emotional aspect was shoehorned in, it came across as genuine and organic. Even though Hemsworth and Jaiswal don’t immediately have any kind of emotional connection and even though we don’t know much about them at first, as the film moves along, that changes.

What we find out about them as characters is useful in helping them bond and grow closer, which makes for a better/more complete film. There’s one scene in particular that really moved me because their performances and the writing are both so good. They have a conversation about their pasts and their demons in life. Hemsworth has his own troubled past and Jaiswal has grown up with an evil murderous drug lord as his father… they dialogue about these things and their performances bring the emotion behind it all to life in a truly moving fashion.

Be warned though…. the ending does pack quite a heavy punch and I really loved how this ending is handled. There is a sense of love and heroism in the midst of immense evil and that is really the theme of Extraction. I felt affected by the time the film was over and that’s a true testament to the writers and cast. It’s not always easy to make a thrilling action film that can also deeply move people. The only thing about this film is didn’t like is one brief scene where a young innocent kid is killed and I felt it was unnecessary. 

Extraction

Extraction is a successful film because of the incredible performances, the edge of your seat action, and the deeply moving script. Seriously y’all this film will stick with me. Stream this now!

'Extraction' review: an exhilarating film that's unexpectedly touching
‘Extraction’ review: an exhilarating film that’s unexpectedly touching
Extraction
Extraction is a successful film because of it's fantastic performances, thrilling action, and surprisingly moving script.
Reader Rating1 Vote
9.5
Chris Hemsworth
Rudhraksh Jaiswal
Randeep Hooda
Golshifteh Farahani
Edge of your seat thrilling action scenes
Deeply moving script
There's one scene where an innocent kid is killed and i thought that was unnecessary
8
Good

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