Directed By: Sam Hargrave
Written By: Joe Russo
Studio: Netflix
The quarantine has developed a strange craving in me for adventure, drama, thriller, action and escape films. This includes cathartic movies about virus outbreaks like Contagion. Thrillers like YOU season 1 and 2. And binge-watching dystopian shows like Black Mirror or The Handmaid’s Tale. I’ve enjoyed these a lot. But if you know me well, you’ll know that I am a pretty romcom kind of a person. I guess I am also somewhat influenced by the recent global events that have filled us all with terror and well, insomnia.
So, on my list today is this Netflix film called Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth.
I was excited when I saw the trailer because it not only starred THOR himself but it also had him speak in Bengali with 90% of the film shot in India and some parts in Dhaka. Though the film implies that it’s set in Dhaka, I’ve no idea why this was critical to the story. I felt that the movie could’ve been easily set in Hong Kong or Mexico or Mumbai for that matter. I was looking for an answer throughout the film – why Dhaka? What’s the significance of the location? No clarification whatsoever provided. So, the only explanation that I could think of was – the makers wanted to attract Indian audience but did not want to offend Indians. It could have led to a lot of controversy showing Hemsworth fighting Indian forces like the way he did. I guess the next best option other than Pakistan was probably Bangladesh. So, in terms of business strategy, OKAY I understand. In terms of story and context, I don’t get it. At all!
Extraction is about Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a fearless mercenary with nothing left to lose. He is hired to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. So, the film is all about how he rescues this young 14-15 year old boy from the murky underworld of weapons dealers and drug traffickers.
Okay the good part first. The movie does have some breathtaking and outlandish action sequences. I like the way it has been filmed with an array of saturated colors that capture the tension. Chris Hemsworth, Randeep Hooda, Priyanshu Painyuli and Rudhraksh Jaiswal are very convincing. For action movie lovers, it can be a fun-ish ride.
BUT the story here is so predictable. It’s written by Joe Russo and produced by Russo brothers and Hemsworth. So, I definitely had expectations because hello, they made Infinity War and Endgame!! But this was so underwhelming. It felt like I was watching a 90s Bollywood film with Akshay Kumar rescuing his kid brother from the bad guys. There are SO many movies like that. It’s super cliché. Tyler has a tragic back story (of course!). The characters are so generic. You might as well watch/play a video-game to get the same thrill. I think the movie over-relies on star power and the hype. The story does not have depth. I wasn’t expecting anything deep and intellectual in an action flick but I was expecting at least to be entertained. When the guns are not firing and Hemsworth is not fighting Hooda, the film can make you yawn. Maybe they just wanted to make a dumb action movie for audiences in India? Who knows!
In that case, might as well add a dance number by Nora Fatehi in the film. I’d watch that.
Xoxo
Ritwika
