Extraction | Movie | 2020

“A hardened mercenary’s mission becomes a soul-searching race to survive when he’s sent into Bangladesh to rescue a drug lord’s kidnapped son.” No need to assume anything about the movie here. As the name suggests, it is about the extraction. That is all the movie is. Extraction is a remarkable execution of a mediocre idea.

Some may classify Extraction as an action-thriller, but it is simply an action movie; and action is one thing it did well. There is gruesome action, a little bit of gore and a touch of dark humour. The world development and the role of the environment is commendable, which adds on to the action. The fights are beautifully choreographed complemented with brilliant cinematography. One example of the cinematography, probably the best in the movie, is the seemingly single camera shot covering multiple scenes in an action sequence. It is a breath of fresh air considering how rare it is, despite its importance in effectively presenting the action, in the genre. The performance of the cast with high screen presence is also noteworthy, except for Ovi Jr., possibly because of lack of focus on the characters and heavy focus on the action.

The apparent lack of depth in focus is true for all the characters (offset by the performance of some of the cast members), as well as for the plot of the movie. Although the movie is action packed from start to finish, there is a short sequence at the middle, which tries to develop some chemistry between and sympathy for Tyler and Ovi, and fails to do so. It seems unnecessary except for a small twist that nudges the plot forward. You may also find the same scenario during a few other scenes, but they are neither as apparent nor as long.

If you like brutal action and are okay with its shortcomings in character development, I recommend you watch it. It is an entertaining one-time-watch (although you may want to watch the above-mentioned action sequence again).

Rating: 7/10

IMDb

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