Extraction 2 Review: An Epic, ActionPacked Sequel
© Provided by MovieWebFormer stuntman turned directors are currently making it big in the action genre. Well of course they are. How do the men and women who put their bodies and lives on the line to give audiences the ultimate action movie experience know how to film, direct and choreograph? Chad Stahelski created one of the best, if not the best, action franchises of all time with John Wick, and Jesse W. Johnson has been making great martial arts epics over the years with martial arts legend Scott Adkins, usually to the max.
Sam Hargrave, who previously worked as Chris Evans' understudy in all of his MCU appearances, has established himself as one of the best stuntmen out there, shaking up directors with his hit Netflix original action movie, The Extraction . Hargrave's directorial debut is an action film. It is full of great action, a great leading man and beautiful cinematography. The film caused a stir in Netflix and pop culture with a stunning 10-minute sequence in which Chris Hemsworth's Tyler Rec kills the serial killer as the camera pans between cars, bullets and buildings.
Now Escape 2 picks up where the previous movie left off. Tyler Rake recovers from his fatal injuries, but is soon assigned to rescue the imprisoned family of a ruthless gangster who is later revealed to have a nefarious connection to a mercenary. Hargrave manages to capture everything we love about the first movie and more. The action is bigger, bolder, and in some ways better than its predecessor, the characters are much more engaging, and Escape 2 really has a story. Well, at least there are some similarities.
With Extraction 2, Sam Hargrave has established himself as one of the greatest action film directors of our time.
Edit: The best recent action movies on Netflix, ranked
Exciting action
2023 knocked it out of the park with action movies, and Extraction 2 is definitely a contender for the best offering of the year. It certainly has a lot to do with Hargrave's impeccable eye . The movie is much more shocking than the first and many more murders. Evacuation 2 is the sequel that fans of the universe have been dying to see.
Excerpt 2 has another "main" that precedes and runs for a full 20 minutes, maybe more. The scene opens in a prison where Tyler fiercely battles an army of inmates and guards with his guns, knives, shields, and yes, dumbbells. Continuing from the first part, Hargrave immediately takes us through a thrilling car chase filled with brilliant car stunts, before putting our characters on a train for an additional five minutes of brutal action where Tyler goes solo against two helicopters. Strange things.
This sequence is definitely the highlight of the film and fills the audience with creative, brutal, well-shot and fast-paced action that we loved in the first installment. Thankfully, the action doesn't stop there, as Hargrave continues to showcase his directing and cinematographic skills. Sure, other moments of action may not be as exciting as the 20-minute episode, but every scene is just as intense and expertly shot.
Once Escape 2 opens its cage and launches its first action sequence, it doesn't let up. While the audience might get bored and some might criticize the movie for not being story-centric, we're all here for the action. The relentless and merciless action of the film makes the two hours fly by.
Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake
There are countless badass action heroes, from Rambo, John Wick, Sarah Connors, Ellen Ripley and John MacLaine to name a few. Now we can add Extraction's Tyler Reiki to this list of seemingly incompetent leading men. Wreck is an incredibly fierce and likable character that we loved in the first breakout movie. However, with more depth, more moments to show off his impressive fighting skills, and more kills, Tyler Rake has to be considered one of the best right now.
Chris Hemsworth is great as said hero. His bulk and lightning-fast reflexes give way to incredibly fast and brutal physical strength that Extraction 2 doesn't miss. During one scene, Tyler Rake breaks the arm of one of his enemies in half with his bare hands, something few action stars can pull off. Likewise, Chris Hemsworth dives into the character's tragic backstory, displaying a high degree of emotion and depth, making Tyler Rake more than just an indomitable badass.
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Brilliant supporting cast
As good as Chris Hemsworth is, the supporting cast really steals the show. Golshifteh Farahani was one of the standouts of the film, excelling in action and showing off his impressive physique. Tyler Rake better watch out, because Farahani's character Nick Kahn in Goalshift may soon become the show's main character.
Idris Elba, Daniel Bernhard, and Olga Kurylenko join the list of phenomenal Pre 2 actors who look great talking about the world and the characters in the Prey universe. Idris Elba was undoubtedly the biggest and best surprise, and as the final minutes of the film show, he will play an important role in the future of the franchise. However, martial arts legend Daniel Bernhard, like most of his Hollywood roles, was underused for criminal purposes. Bernhard never got the chance to show off his extraordinary martial arts skills.
The franchise Netflix has been waiting for
Over the years, Netflix has sought to successfully create its own franchises, such as the MCU and franchises like Harry Potter . Netflix has its fingers crossed for movies like The Shining, Death Note , and Project Power , but the streaming service hasn't been able to turn these movies into franchises. Thankfully, Netflix's wish has finally come true, as the action-packed Evac movie is the franchise the major streaming service has been waiting for.
Based on the conclusion of Extraction 2 , we definitely have a sequel or two and we can't wait. Will this franchise be as big as John Wick ? We highly doubt it, but as long as Hargrave continues to make great action movies with compelling characters, we'll be happy to see as many movies as Netflix makes.
