Extraction Excites, but Falls into Cliché
Extraction, Netflix’s latest attempt at an in-home blockbuster, stands on its own two feet as an action film but often falters under the weight of too much frivolous violence. While the supporting cast is extraordinary, the ponderous themes of fatherhood and masculinity are hampered by a shaky white savior narrative that threatens to undermine an otherwise entertaining, albeit brutal, polished action movie.
Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a troubled mercenary who drinks and self-medicates to dull the pain of a lost son, is hired by an imprisoned crime boss (Pankaj Tripathi) to retrieve his son Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal) from a rival syndicate led by Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli). The extraction gets complicated once Saju (Randeep Hooda), an employee of Ovi’s father, arrives on the scene and alters Rake’s plans. The ensuing gunfight embroils the Bangladesh capital city of Dhaka as Asif’s army of police and child soldiers attempt to capture Rake and Ovi at all costs.
Longtime Marvel stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave, in his directorial debut, teams up with frequent collaborator Joe Russo to bring the later’s graphic novel “Ciudad” to action-packed life. Hargrave’s skills as a stunt showman are on full display in Extraction. Often extremely violent and filmed with a lustrous veneer, Extraction features action sequences that have the potential to rival other titans of the genre (the John Wick series for example). However, the lackluster editing and gimmicky camerawork often undercut the action and bring unnecessary attention to the filmmaking itself.
One sequence features a pseudo-long take of roughly twelve-minutes that finds Rake and Ovi barreling through crowded streets in a vehicle, fighting cops in claustrophobic apartments, and jumping around dusty rooftops. On the surface, the use of this type of cinematography is exciting and welcomed, seeing as how the audience has endured run-of-the-mill action sequences up to around the thirty-four-minute mark. Soon, the gimmick wears off as it becomes apparent that the action that’s being depicted is not conducive to this type of trickery; it feels too choreographed, too pristine. The camera makes wild, unnatural movements as the audience is thrown around to see each actor and stuntman hit his mark perfectly. The saving grace of this shot is that it, in itself, is something of interest in a film that in many ways is too violent and tedious to offer anything of substance.
Substance feels like it might exist under the violent surface of Extraction. There are themes of fatherhood and ruminations of masculinity, but these themes are often subverted by the aimless violence that occupies the majority of the film. Rake is seeking redemption for his failures as a father through the saving of Ovi, but that redemption is half-hearted because the audience has already witnessed atrocities committed by Rake. In an especially difficult scene, Rake is seen fending off children in an extremely violent manner. This scene alters our perception of Rake and does nothing but erode his character. Once his misery is revealed, it feels weak and unearned. The audience is meant to pity and identify with Rake, which seemingly is hung only on Hemsworth’s star power and nothing more.
Fatherhood not only affects Rake but also most of the men in Extraction. Ovi’s father yearns for his son’s safety, but only at a lower price. Rake seeks unearned redemption for abandoning his son for his own self-serving needs. Asif sees himself as a guiding light of crime for the confused youths he cobbles into an army. All these men seem insincere in their tasks as fathers. Saju, on the other hand, has a family and son to fight for, and is doing all he can to see to the survival of his loved ones. Ovi acts as a stand-in son for both Rake and Saju, but Saju’s needs seem more realized than that of Rake. To a certain extent, Saju should be the star of the film. His character is flawed but deserving of the redemption he seeks. The film itself would have been elevated if Saju’s character took the lead, but the film falls back on cliché, even as a great supporting cast is pushed to the margins.
Rake’s role as protagonist just reinforces the cliché of the white savior. The film sets up a dichotomy of male lead characters, one weak and one strong; yet the weak one is elevated to the role of savior, due to the star power of Hemsworth. Bollywood star Randeep Hooda ignites the screen as Saju, which just leaves the audience wanting more, but we are constantly denied this request in favor of Rake’s role as a white hero. Granted Hooda is not Hemsworth, who has dominated the screen as Marvel’s Thor, but Saju’s character is consistently overshadowed by a clichéd white doppelganger. The film features two strong leads, both with the same goals, both with similar demons, and both packing a powerful punch, yet the one that is coveted as the hero is the problematic white man. In the world of Extraction, set in Mumbai and Dhaka, calling in a white outsider feels absurd, especially when another person of equal talent already exists. It would have been interesting to see what this film could have been if Rake’s character was dissolved and Saju was allowed to command the film. The film would have felt more cohesive and well-rounded and less like it was shoehorning an overused stereotype into a film that doesn’t need it. Extraction contains superb performances from its Indian actors, yet their presence often feels like a backdrop to Hemsworth’s role as the white savior, which in the end feels like a complete waste of talent.
Overall, Extraction ticks all the boxes of an action blockbuster. A handsome leading man, beautiful locations, violent sequences, and well-executed fight choreography all fit well in this heart-pounding slugfest. However, the problematic clichés, marginalization of actors of color, and underdeveloped themes make the violence feel aimless and gaudy. If you are looking for a big theatrical release from the comfort of your home, look no further than Extraction. Just know that it has its issues and seems quite eager to flaunt them. Extraction is now streaming on Netflix.
