With the opening sequence to the movie EXTRACTION out on DVD
this week I had high hopes. Could it be that Bruce Willis would once again
reign supreme in an action outing? I mean in his last 10 movies released only 3
have done decent box office, 2 of which he was the lead actor and both sequels
that did less than their original films. The rest have all been straight to DVD
films that were mediocre at best. Unfortunately the opening sequence here was
the best thing about the film.
The movie opens with Willis as CIA field operative Leonard
Turner who has been caught and whose family is threatened. Taking out the bad
guys he calls home in time to prevent his son from being killed as well but not
his wife. From there we launch into an animated title sequence that is by far
the best thing in this film. It’s reminiscent to the classic opening title
sequences from the best of the Bond films, perhaps even surpassing some of
those. Unfortunately that’s where the best of this picture ends.
Fast forward ten years later as Turner’s son Harry (Kellan
Lutz) is now a new CIA agent. Stationed in Prague and training under the
watchful eye of Leonard’s best friend Ken (D.B. Sweeney), Harry is repetitively
turned down for field agent status. A new project he is assigned to involves a
top secret piece of electronic equipment called CONDOR. With it whoever
controls it has control of it can take down anything from power grids to phone
systems. While Harry thinks he’s found a lead to taking out a terrorist about
to take possession of CONDOR, Ken tells him it’s too slim a lead and to stand
down.
But then Leonard is captured while in the middle of trying
to purchase CONDOR. Harry is informed and kept out because he’s too close to
the situation. He listens in and inserts himself into the discussion of what is
going on, passing on the information as to who could be behind this, the same
info ken told him wasn’t strong enough. As the only lead the CIA uses it but
instructs Harry to sit tight and sends him home under armed escort to insure he
follows orders. Of course he escapes and sets out for Newark, NJ, where his
information has led all.
Assigned to the case by the CIA is Victoria Phipps (Gina
Carano), their best field agent and a former lover of Harry. She finds him in
the middle of things and rather than turn him in gives him time to help her
track down CONDOR before it goes live, take down the bad buys and save his
father in the process. The two race against the clock trying to save the world
but before it ends several twists and turns will force all to wonder just who
the bad guys are and who the good are.
Sounds like a decent action film right? Well in some ways it
is and others it isn’t. As for the action sequences in the film they are
plentiful enough and some are handled well. Others are shot so haphazardly and
with far too many jump cuts that you aren’t quite sure of what you’re looking
at, in particular most of the car chases. Carano, an up and coming action film
star and former MMA fighter, is used sparingly and that’s a shame as other
films have used her to their advantage.
What really does the most harm in this film is a combination
of the directing and the sound crew. Vocals here are not well recorded and
suffer when performed poorly. Having seen both Kellan and Carano in other films
I can say that they may not have achieved Oscar status just yet but are both
quite capable of handling roles similar to these in past films. But here it’s
as if this is their first time before a camera with some badly done line
readings that come off amateurish at best. They can do better and have so I
have to assume it was the direction that made them come off this bad.
Being a straight to DVD release I didn’t have high hopes for
this movie and my expectations were met. The opening sequence, as I said
earlier, made me begin to rethink that position until the actual movie got
about 15 minutes in. That’s sad. Then again whoever was responsible for that
opening title sequence should get high praise and more work based on what is
seen here alone. If there were awards for that whoever should be among the top
in the business. Let’s hope that person gets connected to a better project and
used often.
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