Month: July 2018

Today’s quick review: Extraction. When Leonard Turner (Bruce Willis), a CIA agent near the end of his career, is kidnapped, his son Harry (Kellan Lutz), an aspiring field agent, disobeys orders in an attempt to rescue him. With the help of Victoria (Gina Carano), the agent officially assigned to the mission, Harry hunts down the terrorist group he believes responsible, racing to find them before they can activate a dangerous cryptographic device.

Extraction is an action movie that follows the usual recipe of lone CIA operatives, doomsday devices, and treachery. Its basic premise is just fine by the standards of the genre. However, Extraction’s execution leaves something to be desired. Its strongest feature is its action, a blend of serviceable close-quarters fighting and unconvincing gunplay. Its acting and writing are deeply flawed, making the movie a difficult one to invest in.

Extraction suffers from a host of problems typical of budget action films. The plot has little in the way of depth, and its plot twists feel arbitrary. Several key plot points are never properly explained, making the events of the story needlessly confusing. The dialogue is consistently weak, with uninspired writing and stiff delivery. Extraction also makes very little use of Bruce Willis, giving him only two or three scenes and minimal action.

There are other areas where Extraction falls short. The movie’s soundtrack, opening credits, and treatment of its chase scenes are incongruously intense. The supposed chemistry between Harry and Victoria is close to nonexistent. Harry’s character gets caught between competing action hero archetypes; the movie can’t decide whether he should be an inexperienced rookie or a talented prodigy, and his reckless tactics belie his dream of becoming a field agent.

Overall, Extraction feels half-baked. The movie’s major elements are all ones that other action films have used to good effect, but they are stitched together haphazardly with no real vision. Although the movie has just enough action to be watchable, Extraction offers nothing else of interest. Most viewers would be better off watching The Recruit, Safehouse, or one of the many other action movies out there.

4.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for a poor plot and barely passable action.

Today’s quick review: Vexille. Ten years after Japan seals itself off from the world, SWORD, an elite unit in the US military, finds evidence that Daima Heavy Industries, Japan’s premier robotics company, has invented lifelike androids. To assess this new threat, SWORD sends a team past Japan’s shield with reconnaissance equipment. But when the mission goes south, team members Vexille and Leon must find a way to stop Daima from within.

Vexille is a Japanese animated science fiction movie set in a future where robots are ubiquitous. Vexille’s two main draws are its action and its mysterious sci-fi plot. The action pits SWORD’s exosuits against the robotic drones of Daima Heavy Industries. The plot revolves around the question of just what has happened to Japan over the last decade, as well as the endgame of Daima’s dangerous technological research.

Visually, Vexille is decent but not great. The animation uses CGI that splits the difference between a cell-shaded style reminiscent of traditional anime and a more realistic style that gives some texture to the objects and the environments. The movement feels stiff in places, and neither the visual design nor the level of detail are enough to leave a lasting impact. Still, Vexille does have a competent, consistent look that serves the needs of the story.

From a story perspective, Vexille has a few interesting ideas but fails to back them up. The sealing off of Japan makes for a good hook, but once the veil of secrecy is lifted, Vexille does little else with the concept. The movie touches on some potent themes, such as the loss of humanity in an automated world, but it spends little time developing them. Likewise, the characters receive only the minimum amount of development they need for the plot.

From an action perspective, Vexille offers just enough to get by. The exosuits are fun to watch in action, but there are few moments where they truly get to shine. The animation style keeps the action from doing anything too weighty or complicated; what’s left over is mostly guns against armor, a couple of chase scenes, and one or two more elaborate moments towards the end. As such, Vexille makes for a fine action movie, but not a remarkable one.

Watch Vexille if you are a fan of the anime side of the science fiction genre and are looking for something new to nosh on. Vexille has enough in the way of quality to be an enjoyable watch, but it lacks the follow-through to be a must-see. For a somewhat more interesting film in the same vein, check out Appleseed. For a CGI anime with fast-paced action and detailed graphics, check out Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for an interesting premise and decent execution, held back by mediocre action and thin world-building.