Extraction 2 Review: Chris Hemsworth's Brutal Action Sequel Is a Nonstop Cacophony of Violence

We turn to cinema to experience a shared, waking dream. To understand aspects of the human condition foreign from our own, thanks to a methodology that Roger Ebert famously called "a machine for empathy." In some ways, filmmaking — the quixotic desire to mimic real life, but to our own purposes — is the most noble of all art forms. 

And then there are experiences like Extraction 2. 

The phrase "if you care for this sort of thing…" was born for movies like Extraction 2. There is no story, no stakes, and no humanity in Sam Hargrave's sequel to his 2020 film. But as pure, brutal action, it is undeniably impressive. I can't being to imagine the logistics. It is a film designed to be half-watched, preferably with friends, definitely while making comments, hopefully with some drinks involved. During the few instances when no one is having their spine shattered or carotid artery severed, you can feel free to make a bathroom run. No need to hit pause.

Chris Hemsworth, the Australian slab of cement who also doubles as an actor, reprises his role as (checks notes) Tyler Rake, a mercenary who specializes in extractions. In the first movie, he rescues a boy from baddies. In this one, he rescues a woman and her two children. (By my math, he's going to have five people next time, so he'd better get a van.)

The movie begins where the last one left off — with our ol' pal Tyler shot full of bullets and floating in a river. But these are only temporary hardships for Tyler Rake! He is nursed back to health with his boss/fixer/older sister figure, Nik (the delightful Golshifteh Farahani), by his side. And by her side is Yaz (Adam Bessa), who, if memory serves, was more of a computer hacker type in the first picture, but is now just another bruiser with a machine gun. People can change!

Anyway, Rake retreats to his snowy cabin in Austria but is drawn back in for another job. Turns out his ex-wife's sister (got that?) is married to an imprisoned Georgian drug and arms dealer. Sometimes people make unwise choices. The dealer is keeping her (and their two kids) in the clink with him, and she wants out. Rake, Nik, and Yaz suit up and head to the heavily secured jail.

6.0

Extraction 2

at Netflix

Like

• High-octane action sequences are a cut above most streaming fare
• Golshifteh Farahani is an always welcome presence

Dislike

• The nonstop violent action drowns out everything else
• It doesn't end on its most impressive sequence

At 117 minutes, I'd say about 100 of those minutes are pure ass-whoopin'. But there's a 21-minute stretch of Extraction 2 that really outdoes itself. The prison break doesn't go according to plan — well, scratch that. There is no plan. Chris Hemsworth merely busts in like the Kool-Aid Man, knowing he has the brawn to overcome any obstacles. But the obstacles are extreme. This 21-minute section includes a vicious free-for-all in a prison yard that is an absolute orgy of preposterous bloodshed.

The athleticism of the performers and meticulousness of the camera choreography is extraordinary. The level of ear-splitting violence is nauseating. If you are one who can chalk this sort of thing up to "WWE playfulness," you are going to be in heaven. If you question the values of a society so eager to fantasize what it would be like to shoot 100 guys in the face with a machine gun, well, you might find yourself having a different experience. It's not my place to judge!

What I will say is that this prison yard sequence and its elegantly captured anti-human depravity quickly moves to a jeep chase, and then a fast-moving train with multiple attack helicopters in pursuit. It simply does not let up.

When this does eventually end, the remainder of the film is essentially two more big action sequences: a battle atop a Vienna skyscraper and a more hand-to-hand showdown inside a church. Unfortunately, neither really compares with the bombast of the first one. I feel like maybe they should have saved the truly impressive stuff for the end.

The other issue is that, alas, there is some kind of plot thrown in. (Real short: Tyler Rake, who kills hundreds of people without blinking an eye, has a broken heart.) I can't really tell you much more because I don't remember it.

I'm not being glib. I am, in a way, praising the craftsmanship of the action. During the few moments of "acting" that are slipped in between the explosions, your brain (or, at least, my brain) needs time to get its bearings. Imagine going to see the speed metal band Slayer in concert and, after an intense 21-minute thrashing, a guy comes out to play a short Chopin étude on an unamplified harpsichord. It's not likely to make much on an impression, especially when the crunching guitars and throttling drums come back in. 

Extraction 2's high octane action is definitely superior to that of most direct-to-streaming garbage. To that end, the fact that this concludes by teeing up Extraction 3 is probably a good thing. I also hope Golshifteh Farahani, who is so wonderful in the Persian film About Ellyand in Jim Jarmusch's Paterson, is getting a huge check and just bought a new house. She seems really nice. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need two Advil.

Premieres: Friday, June 16 on Netflix
Who's in it: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa
Who's behind it: Sam Hargrave (director), Joe Russo (screenwriter)
For fans of: Unrelenting action