• Certainly wasn’t expecting Extraction to be the first archiveable film from 2020
  • I won’t wait to get into the main reason the film is in the archives– to the stunning 11 minute tracking shot. It happens around the 35 minute mark. It’s a simulated oner—like Birdman or 1917, but it’s still dazzling- The complicated blocking and moving in and out of the car reminded me of Cuaron’s Children of Men. The camera follows Hemsworth in a car (have to think of The French Connection a little), on foot, up and down stairs, hand to hand stunt choreography, car accidents and then another car chase. It is John Woo’s Hard Boiled, Oldboy— a bit from The Revenant and Bourne. Helicopters in the shot. Anyone who argues it is just filmmaking gag or trick is denying the impact of the intensity the shot choice style creates not to mention turning a blind eye to the craftsmanship involved.
  • Largely shot on location in Dhaka
  • A nice frame early on of the young boy playing the piano
  • The hand to hand gunplay is John Wick– but it’s not surprising to see that first-time director Sam Hargrave’s background is stunts and choreography (worked on many Marvel films and films like Atomic Blonde as well)
  • Hemsworth’s character is named Tyler Rake- haha. Stallone’s Lincoln Hawk (Over the Top) or John Rambo (First Blood) would be proud
  • The bridge standoff set piece makes for a fine finale but the film never quite lives up to the brilliance of that exhilarating 11 minute tracking shot sequence
  • Recommend but won’t be in the top 20 or so of 2020