Extraction

Based on a graphic novel, Extraction follows elite black-market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) as he’s tasked with recovering the kidnapped son of a feared drug lord – with complications ensuing after Rake is betrayed by the very people he thought he could trust. It’s a somewhat generic premise that is, at the outset, employed to less-than-promising effect by Sam Hargrave, as the filmmaker, working from Joe Russo’s screenplay, kicks Extraction off with an entirely by-the-numbers opening stretch that isn’t exactly teeming with compelling or charismatic characters. (It’s a while, even, before Hemsworth is able to wholeheartedly transform his grim figure into a sympathetic protagonist.) There’s little doubt, then, that Extraction‘s dramatic turnabout is triggered by its first major action set-piece, as Rake battles a series of armed assailants within the cramped confines of a cramped, dingy apartment – with the strength of this sequence certainly (and efficiently) lifting the picture out of its doldrums and paving the way for a (slightly overlong, admittedly) midsection that’s been jam-packed with similarly compelling interludes. (Extraction‘s centerpiece is undoubtedly a prolonged, single-take shot that’s nothing short of mind-blowing in terms of its audacity and effectiveness.) By the time the slightly padded-out yet mostly thrilling third act rolls around, Extraction has undoubtedly confirmed its place as a top-notch modern actioner that hopefully marks the start of an exciting new franchise.

***1/2 out of ****