Extraction 2 (2023)

<b>Extraction 2 clearly learned some lessons from its predecessor and cranked things up to eleven, making a top-shelf action film that has me demanding more!</b> Yes! YESsssss!!! This is what 80s action movies dreamt of being decades ago. Commando walked so Extraction 2 could soar!  The action, gunplay, grittiness, and thin plotted-ness of this movie scream 80s classic but the production quality, stub work, and cinematography are at a whole other level. The prison break sequence with the 21-minute one-shot camera move is jaw-dropping and one of the most remarkable action set pieces I have ever seen. The first Extraction was a decent movie, but Extraction 2 simplified its story and maximized what made the first one successful: the brutal action. Like the later John Wick films, Extraction 2 doubles down on being a top-notch action film, not a drama with gunplay. There is hardly any story, and the scenes that do attempt to add a little character development feel generic and bland. But thankfully, those scenes are few and far between. This movie feels like The Expendables, except with one guy, fewer jokes, and even better fight choreography! If you are a fan of explosions, combat, and scattered brain matter, look no further than Extraction 2.