Stunt coordinator turned movie director Sam Hargrave returns to the director’s seat for his sophomore action film “Extraction 2,” a sequel to his own “Extraction.” The action thriller sees Chris Hemsworth (“Spiderhead,” 2022) reprise his role as military-turned-mercenary Tyler Rake, who teams up with Nik Khan (Golshifteh Farahani; “Frère et Sœur;” Eng. Title: Brother and Sister,” 2022) for another extraction gig—except this time, it’s personal.

Right off the bat, the narrative of “Extraction 2” feels much better than its previous installment. Building upon the narrative crumbs left in the first film, the Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony, manage to turn Rake into an emotionally richer, multi-dimensional person. By the film’s end, we’ll have gone on this journey of catharsis with Hemsworth’s character, and for that alone, the movie’s a few notches above “Extraction.”

Hemsworth’s excellent turn as a serious action star proves how much Hollywood needs to bring back the Movie Star^TM as a concept. He embodies the larger-than-life aspect of the One-Man-Army trope and plays it through its runtime like the role was made for him and him alone. Getting to know more about his Tyler Rake via the understated moments of emotional honesty he’s able to exhibit and his relationship with others exposing his vulnerable side allows viewers to cheer and root for his success. 

Farahani is given a substantially meatier role in “Extraction 2.” She’s an actual person here; a sister, a friend, and a damn good mercenary in her own right. Both leads get to kick a lot of ass, and even though Hemsworth is still kind of the “big guns” in terms of character presence, she isn’t too far off. Hargrave and the Russos have given Rake and Nik’s arcs a certain balance and emotional weight, making them feel less like redundant cardboard cut-outs and more like compelling humans.

The action is unsurprisingly the best part of the film. Greg Baldi (“Street Level,” 2015) takes over from Newton Thomas Sigel as a cinematographer, and while Baldi’s competent—and arguably more frenetic in visual rhythm—he continues to follow the tack-sharp wide-angle look that helped viewers follow every move in each of its action set pieces. And if you thought the 10-minute one-shot action sequence in “Extraction” was impressive, its sequel goes way further.

A breathtaking 21-minute long sequence uses the collaborative minds of Baldi, film editors Álex Rodríguez (“Children of Men,” 2006) and William Hoy (“Watchmen,” 2009), and the hordes of talented VFX artists led by supervisors of the likes of Michael Viera (“Ghost in the Shell,” 2017), Björn Mayer (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” 2014), and Mark Bortolotto (“Lou,” 2022), among many others. The result is a jaw-droppingly seamless, pulse-pounding race against time that feels both urgent and balances gritty realism and chaotic terror with oodles of style.

The problem with a film packed with some of the most stunning action is that when its last few combat sequences return to a slightly more conventional and redundant stylistic choice, it feels… less impactful than what we’ve seen earlier. Thankfully, we’re already given quite a bit to chew on—Rake’s ex Mia (Olga Kurylenko; “Black Widow,” 2021) makes an entry, giving the third act a much-needed gravitas. Kurylenko delivers a knockout performance and shines in her restrained yet emotionally heartwrenching final scene.

“Extraction 2” is only Sam Hargrave’s second film as director, but it shows an impressively improved hold over his craft. Like with all action sequels, the film delivers on its usual promises of being “bigger, better, and with more explosions,” except here there’s a lot more to stick around for, like a wider berth for emotional gravitas, more reasons to empathize with Hemsworth’s and Farahani’s characters, and an overall immersive, action-packed experience, even if it falls a touch short in adrenaline by its final act. Recommended for lovers of action thrillers and especially for enthusiasts of film techniques in action filmmaking.