Extraction (2020)

Rating: ⭐½

Netflix Original's latest shot at an action thriller is Extraction, that has a Rambo like mercenary with a tragic past, assigned to rescue (extract) the young son of a mob lord who is kidnapped by a rival gang lord. The story and locale is set in India and Bangladesh which adds a bit of colour and variation to a familiar theme.

The film appears to have generated some positive reviews and audience response but to be honest Extraction is just a rehash of many similar movies done in the past and offers nothing new or creative to the genre. The bloody and fast paced fight scenes and an ambitious action sequence done in a continuous long shot keeps action fans entertained but for me, they just felt like fillers and there is little surprises since we all know our hero will not get killed in the middle of the film. The bad guys are killed and defeated swiftly, while the hero or main villains survive all sorts of incredible situations including being hit by vehicles in high speed!! In-between the action, there is the usual attempt to portray our fearless Rambo like hero (in this case the name is Rake) as a kind hearted sentimental pussycat in reality with an unconvincing bonding between him and the young boy he is "extracting". And not forgetting the familiar tragic past involving a family member that is repeatedly projected in a blurry flashback that will make your eyes roll rather than tear up.

At the end of the day Extraction is the sort of movie that will appeal to those viewers who like their films with a lot of gun power, fights and chase scenes and mounting body counts, with an invincible hero who can take on hordes of attackers single handedly. And also to Chris Hemsworth die hard fans. It offers little beyond the action and the story resides purely in a heavily exaggerated Hollywood version of "reality". For me, it felt like a waste of time ...