"Extraction": review

Now that I'm on Netflix, I can watch Netflix-exclusive films like 2020's "Extraction," directed by Sam Hargrave (he also has a small role in the film) and starring Chris Hemsworth as Aussie Special Forces-turned-mercenary Tyler Rake, who is called upon to rescue the son of an Indian crime kingpin from the clutches of a Bangladeshi crime kingpin. And that's pretty much the whole plot right there. The film is relentless, offering only a few breathers. In general, it plays out like a chase movie, with our protagonists and antagonists constantly on the move, and with Tyler Rake getting bloodier and less functional, in the manner of that stalwart John McClane, as the plot crunches along.

The film also stars Rudhraksh Jaiswal as Ovi Mahajan Jr., the 13-year-old kidnapee; Randeep Hooda as Saju Rav, head of security for Ovi Mahajan Sr., an Indian crime lord; Golshifteh Farahani as Nik Khan, Tyler's partner in mercenary work; Pankaj Tripathi as Ovi Mahajan Sr., the Indian crime lord who is Ovi's father and languishing in jail. Also in the mix are David Harbour as Gaspar, a friend of Tyler's who lives in Bangladesh and owes Tyler his life; and Priyanshu Painyuli as Amir Asif, the Bangladeshi crime lord who has taken Ovi Junior.

You don't watch a film like "Extraction" for its high-handed thoughts on the relationship between fathers and sons (a constant motif in this film), nor do you watch it for the social commentary about the mercenary life and how it makes one treat human beings like chattel. No: you're there for the John Wick-style ultraviolence, and of that, there's plenty, although, as with the John Wick films, it's bloody but not really gory. That said, the film is ably directed by first-timer Sam Hargrave, who—like Chad Stahelski for the John Wick films—has a stunt background and knows action from the inside. Hargrave takes us through action sequences by using long, seemingly one-take shots (CGI often covers certain transitions), and you have to marvel at how well-done the choreography is, with everyone hitting their marks perfectly. While the hand-to-hand combat isn't quite up to the level of a film like "The Raid: Redemption," it's still pretty brutal and will satisfy an action hound's bloodlust.

That said, the film does flesh out Tyler Rake a bit by making him a father who lost his little boy to cancer when the kid was six, leaving Rake depressed, without a wife, and now possessed of a death wish. These days, for Rake, it's all about the money, so when this job comes his way, he snaps it up despite some obvious red flags (e.g., do you really trust a crime kingpin to pay you once the job is done?). When he initially liberates Ovi (not a spoiler: that happens early on) and gets to know him a bit, however, he finds he still has paternal feelings, knowing that Ovi Junior never asked to be the son of a crime lord, and that the boy deserves a chance at life. Over time, Ovi's rescue becomes about something more than money.

Hemsworth brunts his way through the film, driving and shooting through piles of nameless dirty cops and soldiers on the take, most of them armored, thus requiring Rake to shoot them or stab them multiple times to put them down. Hemsworth does a fine job portraying this not-quite-hero who rediscovers things worth fighting for beyond money. Rudhraksh Jaiswal, as Ovi Junior, does a decent job portraying a boy who knows only too well that everyone around him sees him as an object, not as a person. Several other cast members stand out as well: Priyanshu Painyuli, as Bangladeshi crime lord Amir Asif, comes off as a nasty customer, willing to toss children off rooftops and have subordinates cut off their own fingers. Randeep Hooda, who plays Saju Rav, the head of security for Ovi Senior, invests his role with depth. Saju, ex-Indian Special Forces, is also tasked with retrieving Ovi Junior, which puts him at cross-purposes with Tyler Rake and his team. He carries out his mission under threat from his boss: bring back my son or your son dies. Saju comes off as fairly ruthless and evil at first, but over time, we see that he, too, is a family man, all while being a badass on the battlefield. David Harbour's appearance as Gaspar was a surprise to me, but his character added an interesting wrinkle. Lastly, I have to mention Golshifteh Farahani as Tyler's female associate Nik Khan. Actress Farahani is distractingly gorgeous, making it hard to evaluate her performance: she simply looks fantastic in every scene she's in (and at one point, her character proves to be a crack sniper). Can the woman act? I don't know because I was, frankly, hypnotized every time she appeared on screen.

Overall, I found "Extraction" to be entertaining, although the movie left me a bit confused by some of the bad guys' motives. A major plot point in the film is a double-cross that makes less and less sense the more you think about it. Aside from that quibble, though, I found the movie to be a fun actioner that gets right down to business and doesn't let up until the very end. I saw some complaints about how the movie could be seen as a "white savior" narrative, but Tyler Rake isn't out to save all of India or Bangladesh: he's just a money-hungry guy who is tasked with extracting a teen on behalf of a criminal. Sure, Tyler undergoes a bit of a character arc as he gets to know Ovi, but he's no one's savior. Another complaint I saw was from Bangladeshi viewers who were upset at the negative portrayal of Bangladesh on screen. Here, I think there might be more justification for complaint: the Bangladesh we see is an overcrowded, over-built, polluted hellhole, complete with filthy sewers. I have no idea what Bangladesh is really like, but if someone portrayed my hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, as a den of druggies and a field of unending garbage, I might find that unfair, too. That said, the squalor of Dhaka is there at least nominally to serve a purpose: it drives the story.

If you're in the mood for some mind-numbing action, with plenty of flying bullets, flashing knives, explosions, and car crashes, you could do worse than to sit down with "Extraction" for two very brutal hours. I hear they're working on a sequel, although saying that is a spoiler.