Summary
Extraction 2 is one of the best action movies of this decade, featuring a bonafide action star performance from Chris Hemsworth.
This review of the Netflix film Extraction 2 does not contain spoilers.
Chris Hemsworth returns as Tyler Rake in Extraction 2, the sequel to the 2020 blockbuster from Netflix, Extraction. Hemsworth reteams with Joe Russo, who is back to write the sequel, and Sam Hargrave, who is back to direct.
Extraction 2 review and plot summary
Extraction 2 sees Rake’s return to Australian black ops as a mercenary. He is thrust back into action, having to rescue the family of a gangster from a prison they are being held in.
The film picks up right where we left off, with Rake lying shot and wounded in a warzone fighting for his life. He is airlifted out of the warzone to Dubai, where the film moves months later, and Rake has yet to awaken. Regardless of everyone saying that it’s the end of the road, Nik refuses to give up on him. When he wakes up he begins his recovery. Nik and the team set him up in a cabin in Austria to officially retire.
In Georgia, a man heads to talk to Zurab, who tells him that his brother’s prison sentence has been extended for ten years. He heads to speak to the governor about why he signed off on his brother’s extended sentence and says that he didn’t have much choice, and Zurab kills him on the spot. A man (Idris Elba) arrives to say that Mia, Rake’s ex-wife, has asked him to save her sister, Davit’s wife, and kids stuck in a Georgian prison.
In the first film, it felt as if the movie tried to bring a meaningful story along with these wild and intense action sequences, but the script fell short of bringing anything to the table outside of those action sequences. However, writer Joe Russo added stakes to the second film with this redemptive arc for Rake that added what the first film lacked.
Sam Hargrave takes Russo’s script and elevates it with his astonishingly well-shot direction in some of the most intense, claustrophobic sequences you will see all year. Early in the film, there is an “extraction” sequence that sees Rake trying to break his ex-sister-in-law out of prison, and Hargrave just flexes his direction muscles. This is one of the most impressively directed action films I’ve seen this decade.
Chris Hemsworth is the pure definition of an action star. His “it” factor makes you believe he can kick ass and take names while bringing some genuine heart to a film. I could watch him in these types of movies for years to come.
Is Extraction 2 good or bad?
Extraction 2 is much better than the original, with equal parts story-telling and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s so good that you’ll want to watch it multiple times.
Is Extraction 2 worth watching?
Despite issues with the first film, the sequel ramps up the action and story, making it worth watching the moment it drops. It’s an action-packed adrenaline rush with some gory kills that leave you wanting more.
What did you think of Extraction 2? Comment below.
You can watch this film with a subscription to Netflix.
