Extraction 2

With the first movie, I loved the action but felt like the story left my mind completely blank afterward. The sequel promised stunning Czech landscapes and Netflix’s generous investment. Once again, the action is incredible. The car cockpit shots showing action-packed surroundings are mind-blowing, and Chris Hemsworth’s fight scenes, shot in a single take, feel like they’re pumped with double doses of adrenaline. However, the story is still a black hole. The characters are flat and emotionless, so don’t expect any miracles or deep feelings. It’s time to admit that despite Chris in the lead role, Extraction is pure B-movie fare, albeit with fantastic technical execution. It took me a while to come to terms with that. (22/06/2023)

Sam Hargrave is steadily building a strong brand in Hollywood. There aren't many stunt franchises like this in the current market, especially ones as successful (John Wick is still the best, let's not kid ourselves). I had high expectations for Extraction 2. I was hoping they'd take the action up another notch, and they succeeded. The one-shot sequence was breathtaking; the stunt performers and especially the cameramen really went all out. For me, the best part was definitely the sequence with the helicopter landing on a moving train; I was absolutely amazed (the film is full of unconventional ideas). Besides the flawless action, the setting has also shifted; we visit Georgia and Vienna. I’m not sure why, but the Indian setting in the first film interested me more. The story doesn’t offer much intrigue (India was better in this respect)... That annoying kid, Sandro, will probably haunt me in my dreams, he's a terrible character... I’m looking forward to the third film, but the first one still holds the top spot for me. I give it 7.5/10. (25/06/2023)

In a short span he suffers a gash in the arm, a screwdriver stuck in the side, here and there some shrapnel under the skin or a knife stab, multiple falls from various heights, fatalities by heavy blows to the arms and legs, and he just shakes it off and moves on. Silly me, I’ve always though the human body is made of bones, flesh and tissues, like they taught us in biology, my mistake, probably. Even Rambo suffered and blew on his wounds back in the day. Nowadays it’s different, heroes have adamantium bones like Wolverine. And here I was thinking that nothing could top stopping bullets with a jacket like in Wick, but now there's some serious competition. All right. Otherwise, nothing against Hemsworth, he's a charismatic guy and he's found himself in what he does; I wish him well, but modern action flicks are just not for me anymore. (17/06/2023)

Amazing “single-take” scenes, solid stunt choreography (pity about the blatant CGI in the explosions, crashes, etc., though), without any bollocks, dialogue outbursts or wisecracks during the action; it just rolls along at an exciting pace. And with sheer action filling well over half the running time, there is undeniably much to be genuinely excited about. But... It trips over its own feet with the opening and the ending. The first action set-piece happens in the 20th minute, and all that mandatory “let’s pretend we have a story and characters” filler would be sorted out in five minutes in a timeless action flick. Also, the climax has the problem that the final showdown (itself solid) is significantly overshadowed by all the previous action passages. (17/06/2023)

Another hellish ride full of action, violence, blood, shootings and everything that a genre film like this should have. Technically, the film is top notch, the explosions, helicopter collisions and bombing all around are of the highest standard and I'd say meticulously executed to perfection and all I need for total satisfaction is more bloodshed on the part of the "good guys", to make it more believable, and more brutal violent sequences to satisfy my craving for gore. But other than that it's a first class action film that is a feast for the eyes and second to none. (16/06/2023)