Tyler Rake: Extraction 2

Of all the films I've enjoyed in the "super soldier" genre, this is my favorite. The casting is good, mainly for the obvious chemistry between and among the three main characters, Nikki, Yaz, and Tyler. The three act as though they really have been close for years. I haven't yet noticed a miscast actor in the cast, and I have rewatched this film, more than once.

I'm very glad that the seldom seen Golshifteh Farahani is in this film. IMO, she's the prettiest actress on the current scene as well as being very good at her job. Anyway, this is quite a lot better than the typical shoot-em-up action film.

The way this one follows on the first film in the franchise isn't really clear to me because I didn't see the first one. At this point, fans will tell me to shut up, so I probably should. The action in Extraction 2 is a little unbelievable, but it's well done.

The Georgian brothers are not fully fleshed out, so their backstory takes a little flashing back to establish what we are to expect from them. Put your critical thinking on cruise control and just take the ride. It's worth the price of admission.

Update: I've now seen "Extraction", the first film in the franchise, and it was also very good and well cast. Chris Hemsworth, as Tyler Rake, is a good action film star, and so is Adam Bessa, who plays Yaz Khan, brother of Nikki and Tyler's fellow soldier in the story.

The main draw for me, Golshifteh Farahani, as Nikki Khan, is the one who lured me to watch these films. I enjoy looking at her and watching her act, but I can't take the chick flicks that she does outside of this franchise. I won't watch just anything to get a glimpse of her, so at least I'm not a fanatic. ;-)

Every once in a while, you come across a movie like "Extraction" that not only exceeds your expectations, but takes you on a satisfying, heart-pounding thrill-ride. Then you hope they make a sequel. Then you are elated to discover that a sequel has been greenlit and put into production. Then there is the apprehension on whether or not it will live up to the expectations of the predecessor. Then, "Extraction 2" is released, and let me assure you that any doubts or fears of whether this sequel can hold a candle to the original are quickly extinguished. This action-packed, high-octane follow-up not only reaches the heights of the original, it blows it out of the water.

Grab your drinks and snacks, switch off all mobile devices and make sure your seatbacks are secured in the upright position, as this film will have you on the edge of your seat!

The film opens with a brief rollback of the previous film with Rake, dying of his injuries, taking a reverse swan dive off a motor bridge in Bangladesh. Then after a period of time convalescing, is put back into what Rake does best...extracting! His mission is to extract the wife and children out from a maximum security Georgian prison from under the nose of a powerful imprisoned gangster. What ensues is a kinetic, explosive rollercoaster ride on planes, trains, automobiles, elevators, choppers, all with spent shell casings trailing.

The hand-to-hand combat in this flick is brutally entertaining. The weaponry would make any gun enthusiast salivate. The car-chase sequences are nothing short of spectacular. The cinematography is absolutely jaw-dropping, and moments of Hemsworth's dry Aussie humour and charm will want to make anyone want to visit the land down under!

A big shout out to the dynamite Golshifteh Farahani and the slick Adam Bessa for reprising the roles of sibling team, Nik and Yaz. The chemistry between Farahani and Bessa with Hemsworth really shines through, and have audiences truly invested in their characters. A salute to director Sam Hargrave for another hard-hitting action flick and a big thanks for the "Thor" easter egg!

What makes this film great is that it has steered clear away from identity politics, meeting minority quotas, and trying to indoctrinate an audience with ideologies. The story itself may be thin, but sure as hell makes up for it in entertainment. Extraction 2 harkens back to a time where movies were made to entertain, and to allow the audience to take from it a great story, a thrill, catharsis, or be simply lost for words apart from "Wow!" Take note, Hollywood. THIS is how movies are to be made. Which begs the question: "When are they making Extraction 3?"

The first 45 minutes are spectacular. I was having constant goosebumps for 20 minutes straight. I was in total awe; I couldn't avoid smiling. You will not witness much better stunts and choreography (it is arguably better than that of the John Wick trilogy).

What's most impressive is the camerawork. There is a 20-minute sequence without any visible cuts that is so immersive. You will be blown away by the impressive technological achievement this crew has achieved. I could hardly believe what I was watching; helicopters landing on moving trains and cameras going in and out of windows have never been easier to follow. This is not a gimmick; it's a highly efficient tool used to make the movie highly intriguing.

The rest of the movie does sadly not live up to what the first act had to offer. It goes from an action masterpiece to another generic action-thriller by Netflix. It should honestly have ended after 50 minutes. There is no way you could top what we've just seen. The story doesn't justify the action. They are fighting -- but why? They go back and forth between each other, and at one point it gets tiresome. Just finish it up already.

Overall, a movie worth your time with some spectacular action. Don't go into this expecting a movie with substance, but rather an entertaining movie. Can't a movie be nothing more than entertaining at times? Sometimes that's enough. Good writing is however important to make the breathtaking action mean something.

It was a straight forward none stop action, with all the good reasons that pushes the story forward, and i loved it.

Loved the sequences where the camera keeps following around in middle of the action with no cuts.

Loved how they kept pushing the protagonist to the limits, as much as humanly possible, which makes it feel even more like i'm watching a documentary of some war hero or something.

Loved how the action was outrageous but realistic to some extent which makes the whole scenario believable because the writers respected our minds.

As i'm writing this review, i'm trying to think of something negative to say about this movie and i couldn't find any.

Please make more like this the world needs it.

Edit => on 18 june 2023 (two days later) i finally found something negative to say about this movie, and it's about how the ending is simply not satisfying, i mean there could have been so many better scenarios to end the final boss fight and they settled with the laziest one.

'Extraction 2' is the kind of movie I call a "time-killer". Say you have 2 hours until a dinner you're looking forward to and you want the time to pass quickly, you put on 'Extraction 2' and before you know it it's time for dinner. You then proceed to never think about the film again for the rest of your life, because there is absolutely nothing memorable about it. There's no problem with these types of movies, we need them. But you can't get angry at people finding them instantly forgettable. There's no true emotional depth to them, try as they may.

It is worth noting that there is an incredible "single-take" scene early in this film that was done phenomenally well. The work that must've gone into pulling it off, I can't even imagine. It's the highlight of the movie by a comfortable margin. The only problem I find with these scenes is that it takes me about 6 minutes to click onto the fact I'm watching a "single-take".

The film has a decent villain and the pacing is pretty good. It's an above average action movie and worth your time for sure if this is your kind of thing. 7/10.