Film Review: "Extraction 2" (2023).

"Prepare for the ride of your life" with Extraction 2. This action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave, adapted by Joe Russo, and based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando León González, and Eric Skillman. It is the sequel to Extraction (2020). After barely surviving the events of the first movie, Rake is back as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held.

In May 2020, it was reported Joe Russo had been hired to pen the sequel, with the intention of both Hargrave and Chris Hemsworth returning to direct and star respectively. In December, the Russo Brothers stated that beyond the sequel they hope to develop a series of films set within the world of Extraction to not only explore some of the characters that were introduced in the first film but to potentially launch a cinematic universe. In January 2021, it was rumored that the Russo brothers were also working on an origin story for Randeep Hooda's character Saju. By late November, Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, and Adam Bessa were confirmed to reprise their roles, with  Olga Kurylenko, and Idris Elba rounding out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early April 2022. Filming took place in Prague, Czech Republic; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and Vienna, Austria. The film was shot on the Arri Alexa Mini LF cameras and implemented the same long-take strategies from the first film.

The film stars Hemsworth, Farahani, Bessa, Kurylenko, and Elba. Hemsworth makes Rake a consistent, driven, intelligent, and yet vulnerable hero. It's too bad Academy voters will fail to notice his fantastic performance. As phlegmatic mercenary Tyler Rake, Hemsworth's svelte and photogenic demeanour is paraded with grace and pride. Hargrave loves his leading man, understands his appeal and shoots him accordingly as a killer on a catwalk.

The film does exactly what good sequel should: it replicates aspects of the original while also expanding its mythology through a measure of novelty and one-upmanship. If the element of surprise has gone, there’s plenty for genre fans to soak up in the film , not least Hemsworth’s impeccable, graceful presence as the world’s best mercenary. As ever, it's the action that dazzles. Hargrave choreographs the killer action sequences with brutal elegance and the flick contains genuinely tense and unpredictable moments. The elegance of this action packed sequel is marvelled and celebrated in its brutal violence. While it struggles to reach the heights of its surprisingly entertaining predecessor, the film certainly raises the bar for action films. The creative team blows open the doors to this secret world and allows viewers inside this dark world where Rake (the appropriately manly Hemsworth) made his home, and boy, do they make it fun again. The film delivers action, plenty of guns and a hint of class, providing the necessary action and narrative to develop this growing franchise.

Simon says Extraction 2 receives:

Also, see my review for Extraction.