I honestly never expected to see a sequel to the first Extraction. It’s not like it was a bad movie or anything. The overall story wasn’t all that hot and I didn’t care a whole lot for the characters. Even so, I was rather interested in seeing a sequel because the action scenes in this Netflix Original Film was actually really well done. I also wanted to see it because it might be one of Chris Hemsworth’s final films due to his health scare and his announcement that he’ll be a bit more choosy with his roles in the future. So, was this one worth all the trouble? Well, the only way to answer that is to watch it, which I did!

By the way, I know a lot of people have already seen this film already. After all, it is noted to be Netflix’s most watched movie for the week. Still, I’m going to make this review a SPOILER FREE review for now as it’s still a very recent release.

Extraction 2 takes place just as the first film ends. Tyler Rake, Chris Hemsworth’s character, manages to survive his fall from the bridge and getting shot in the neck. He decides to take it easy for a while, retreating to a cabin in the woods in order to recuperate from his injuries. However, when he gets a mission from his ex-wife to extract her sister and her children. This is in order to rescue her from her abusive husband, who just so happens to be the brother of the biggest crime lord in the area.

Now, the best thing I can say about Extraction 2 is, like the original film, the action scenes here are done very well. In fact, they’re done a whole lot better here! That’s because the locations for the firefights and the brawls are much more diverse this time around. It’s not just Chris Hemsworth trying to save some child from just a decrepit city anymore. They play around with the scenarios so that the action can be done in a prison, a train and even a high rise skyscraper. This allows for much more creative moments and some over-the-top bloody fights.

Like with the first film, I do have to commend the filmmakers with how the filmed the continuous take action scene at the start. The editing here is done in a smart way but the seams do feel a little more visible if you’re really paying attention. I do love that it’s done from multiple points of view as we not only get to see Tyler Rake get in on the action, but his partner, Nik Khan, who was in the first film but I totally forgot she was there. However, they did go a little overboard with the continuous take scene as it runs for a horrendous 21 minutes! It just felt too long to do an action setpiece without any form of respite to break things up. Still, it’s an impressive scene.

The characters do fare a little better here because most of them aren’t so mopey and depressed like in the first film. Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake is still very serious but he gets to show a softer side as he’s now trying to rescue a family member. Golshifteh Farahani’s Nik Khan has a lot more to do here and it’s nice to see her in the action right from the start. She does get to show a toughness here but it doesn’t come off as too cartoony. Idris Elba is only in Extraction 2 for a few minutes but he does manage to stand out thanks to his charm.

Unfortunately, not everyone can be as charming as Idris Elba. In fact, some of the characters are downright annoying and cringeworthy. The main villain is as generic as they come. They do try to give him some kind of a tragic backstory so you can empathize with him. But it doesn’t work and feels tacked on. The worst character in the film is, hands down, Sandro, the teenage boy Tyler Rake has to save along with his sister-in-law. The kid is just a dummy and is much more trouble than he’s worth. I can’t say the actor did a bad job with the performance as my issues with him revolves around how he’s written. By the end, I really wanted Sandro to just die. No, scratch that. By the middle of the movie, I really wish they just left him behind. He’s that annoying.

It’s actually weird how much they botched writing for Sandro when the film is actually written and paced very well. Sure, it’s not going to win any awards or anything and it can be cheesy as all hell. You’ll also have to really suspend your disbelief at times. It can also be generic and predictable because you’ve seen these plot points in previous movies before. However, that does seem like part of the fun in Extraction 2. It doesn’t feel grounded in reality like the first movie and the makers of the film just want viewers to experience a wild ride, filled with excitement and action. What I’m essentially saying is Extraction 2 is a dumb action movie, it knows it and uses it completely to its advantage.

I was honestly surprised how much of a good time I had with Extraction 2. Maybe that’s partially the reason why I liked it a whole lot: I didn’t have high expectations for it. I just expected it to be a groan-worthy dour movie with some fantastic action scenes. It was much more charming than it has any right to be because of how earnest it was in trying to entertain me. Overall, I’m giving a solid recommendation for Extraction 2. Just don’t expect it to be some kind of transcendent action masterpiece. Rather, just remember it knows what it is: a dumb, unrealistic action movie wherein you can just turn off your brain and allow the action splendor to wash over you.

Have you seen Extraction 2? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below!