Infinity Warfare.
117 Mins. Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, Priyanshu Painyuli, Golshifteh Farahani, Pankaj Tripathi & David Harbour. Director: Sam Hargrave.
Endgame: 'Extraction'. A motorbike chases down Chris Hemsworth's convoy of trucks driving through the streets of Bangladesh. The man is looking at the road as much as you do anything but your phone as your busy trying to get to sleep. His focus is on the leading light that is the avenging, mighty Thor in the backseat. The rider is holding up a photo in an attempt to get the God of Thunder's attention who is filming the whole thing for his social media platforms. "Yes mate. Not in the middle of the traffic though", he says through the window. "Watch out for the..." he gasps as we all almost swallow our hearts. "Oh God". The motorcyclist disappears. "Oh God". But then after a near miss he's back with a friend on the back. And another motorbike flanking them as they pass the photo between each other. "Did you see the hand-off" a laughing Hemsworth says. "I KNOW MATE! PLEASE YOU'RE GONNA CRASH!" They keep shouting at him through the glass. "Yes, alright, once we stop there. I'm not even driving. I can't control this". Then the truck gets to a stop, Chris with all the guys surrounding them gives up what they want ("it's quite an effort. He deserves this") and a thumbs up group selfie, as Hemsworth posts on his Twitter and Instagram,"persistence pays off. Not only did this guy get an autograph, he also does all my motorbike stunts from now on" in what may just be one of the most epic events that happened whilst filming his latest film 'Extraction'.
Help, wanted. It's a good job, because in Hemsworth's latest Hollywood picture, the ruling Aussie goes all Mad Max in Punisher military grade. Stunting as a mercenary who needs to go behind enemy lines like Owen Wilson (WOW...dated reference) and rescue a drug lords son before dawn. Using all the 'John Wick' chapter and verse violence he can think of in Netflix's new film 'Extraction' (not to be confused with Bruce Willis 2015 straight to DVD action fare. Or the 2013 Danny Glover fil...yeah movie names are getting too old for this s###). No pencil? No f###### problem! This soldier Sideshow Bobs people with rakes. Oh and his name? Tyler Rake! NUEUEREUEUREUGGH! That's going to be most everyone's reaction to Hemsworth going H.A.M. on so many bad guys for his escape plan, Schwarzenegger could never tell him he hits like a vegetarian as he kicks some guy into tripping over a brick wall...with his forehead. Like Arnie this Aussie goes like a last action hero on the call of duty of his black op's for his modern warfare like a Jack Ryan, the late, great Tom Clancy would be proud of. This lone survivor with rocket launched black hawks coming down all around him like Josh Hartnett is familiar to action, aside from being an Avenger. From the machine gunning 'Red Dawn', to Michael Man's cyber attack 'Black Hat' (no one did the 'Heat' of gunfight like Mann, until some kid from Boston, Ben Affleck went back to 'The Town'), and of course the true war story of '12 Strong', Chris Hemsworth is no stranger to lights, camera, action. But when you knuckle up, ashes to dust in this hand-to-hand combat, no one boxes as clever as this gun-fu that will even have Keanu Reeves looking for the red pill for his next movie 'Matrix'. Dodge this. Because Hemsworth's Rake does with everything they throw at him here...including the garden implements. Arming up with enough on your set-piece plate to tide you over until the 'Love and Thunder' of one of your favourite, hottest superheroes takes on Batman, Christian Bale living long enough to see him become the villain in the next Thor movie. The only film being brought forward with everything else being pushed back like the chamber right now in corona quarantine.
Marvel at this one as 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' directors the Russo Brothers executive producer credit co-sign and write this energetic war game, directorial debut from Marvel stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave (in a new 'The Matrix' to 'John Wick' trend of stuntmen making the best action movie directors. You should see the harms way, behind the scenes places Hargrave will go to get one perfect shot) starring Thor, Chris Hemsworth, going for the head this time with "BRING ME THANOS" anger. Just like they did the New York cop crime classic of Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman's '21 Bridges'. It all culminates in an epic one shot in a screen '1917' time for them even better than how Netflix's Marvel, street-level hero 'Dardevil' one-upped himself in that department every season, from the hallway to the prison break. And this outstanding one is so good it's ten minutes felt like it lasted forever (that's what HE said). I used to talk to my friend on the phone so much (well he did all the talking), that I could put the phone to one side, make a sandwich, come back, pick-up the phone and he'd still be chatting away. With this, I could have made a three course dinner, come back and they'd still be shooting, driving around when they should have turned left ("F###S Sake!" belongs in the Hemsworth quotable Hall of Fame as does, "PISS OFF YOU LITTLE S###S!" as he slaps) and rolling off rooftops before getting into street-level knife fights that will really run you down. The action in 'Extraction' is executed (with intended pun) perfectly. But even if you extracted the hero for hire Chris from this, you'd still have a great movie based on the Ciudad comic from the Russo's team. A breakout Rudhraksh Jaiswal is the star of the future as he comes of age and stage in his feature debut. Whilst the special force of henchman Randeep Hooda ('Once Upon A Time In Mumbai'), matching Hemsworth, punch for punch, round for round and clip for clip, steals every scene and frame he action acts in. Model actor Priyanshu Painyuli and 'Gangs Of Wasseypur' film series legend, Pankaj Tripathi give even more credence to this class cast. But it's 'Body Of Lies', 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' and perfect 'Paterson' star Golshifteh Farahani who really holds her stage in a bloodbath of action that still has its grace notes of endearing emotion. The spent shell casings of these bullets have butterfly wings. And what would Netflix be without a Hopper cameo from 'Stranger Things' star David Harbour himself? The should have been now, forthcoming, who knows when 'Black Widow', Russian superhero star whose also back in that red state for Season Four, bringing this movie its mid jolt of energy it needs like your morning does coffee and contemplation. Right now with cinemas locked down and Netflix extracting everything, there's so many movies to stream right now on this site. Even if they do belong on the biggest of screens, like the future of cinemas closed. From other special forces this time last year, going for broke on a 'Triple Frontier', to other Ben Affleck movies last month like 'The Last Thing He Wanted' with Anne Hathaway, that critics are treating name literally. Some you don't know whether to continue watching or Tinder, swipe left scroll past as you just continue to choose before you end up in the YouTube rabbit hole for your "and chill" date. Are you still there? Because 'Extraction' is worth extracting in this infinity quarantine before coronas endgame. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: '12 Strong', '21 Bridges', 'Triple Frontier'.
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