John Wickhas become one of the most successful modern action franchises, with 2023’sJohn Wick: Chapter 4proving to be the most financially and critically successful entry in the franchise thus far.John Wickis a unique action franchise, as it was an original concept that seemingly came out of nowhere and gave Keanu Reeves the role of his career. Each of the four films directed by Chad Stahelski has been almost equal in quality, and each of the films has stood out due to incredible stunt work and practical choreography. The work that Reeves has put into the series has helped make it stand out, but unfortunately, it seems likeJohn Wick: Chapter 4may have been his last adventure as the character.
While there will be more of the franchise in the future thanks to the spinoff feature filmBallerinastarring Ana De Armas, there’s no guarantee that a spinoff on a different character from the director of theUnderworldfranchise will be any good. So, what action franchise will fill theJohn Wick-sized void in the cinematic marketplace? Netflix has attempted to emulate the success ofJohn Wickwith theExtractionfranchise from director Sam Hargrave, which stars Chris Hemsworth as a similar assassin named Tyler Rake. While expectations are high forExtraction 2, the first film didn’t set up the same parameters for success. Here’s whyExtractionisn’t the nextJohn Wick.
John Wick Has the International Inspirations
One of the unique aspects of theJohn Wickfranchise has been the influence of different fighting styles from around the world, which gives the series a very global quality. Similar toJohn Wickdirectors Stahelski and David Leitch,Extraction’s Hargrave is also a former stuntman that worked with his signature star prior to becoming his director. However, it was Stahelski and Leitch’s reverence for the martial arts, gunplay, and kung fu of different countries that made their films so unique.
John Wickincorporates the influence of Reeves’Matrixfilms, the Asian action cinema of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the neo-noir style of films likeDriveandTaxi Driver,and evenLawrence of Arabia. Comparatively,Extractionjust seems like a really solid version of the type of action movies that were popular in the 80s and 90s. While it’s certainly more entertaining than a lot of other films that have homaged the work of Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzeneggar, it feels less exciting considering that it’s drawing from a lot of the same influences.
Related:John Wick: Chapter 4 Becomes the Highest-Grossing Movie of the Franchise
Additionally, theJohn Wickfranchisehas done a lot to bring in international performers who represent different subgenres of action.John Wick: Chapter 4featured side performances from Scott Adkins, Hiroyuki Sanada, Clancy Brown, and Donnie Yen, each of whom represent a different subgenre of action filmmaking. Adkins has appeared in the increasingly popular VOD market, which has been surprisingly innovative thanks to the genre-bendingUniversal Soldiersequels. Yen is a legend of the martial arts genre whose work in theIp Manseries has a clear influence on theJohn Wickfilms; similarly, Sanada starred in historical epicThe Last Samurai, which explores themes of nobility that are also relevant in theJohn Wickseries. Brown is a great character actor, and he’s perhaps best known for his swordplay inThe Highlander; as a result it makes sense thatJohn Wick: Chapter 4has more sword combat than any previous installment in the series.
Spectacle Isn’t Elegance
There’s a fundamental difference between being a “great action movie” and simply having memorable action sequences. Like many other Netflix action films,Extractioncertainly has a few memorable set-pieces, including a prolonged tracking shot that features Hemsworth pushing his body to the limit of its abilities. Thetrailer forExtraction 2certainly indicates that the sequel will feature even more incredible moments, even if they don’t hold a candle to some of the most amazing moments in theJohn Wickfranchise such as the mirror sequence inJohn Wick: Chapter 2or the horse-riding combat scene inJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.
Related:Extraction 2’s Director Sam Hargrave Aims to Rival Oldboy’s One-Shot Scene
However, the main difference is thatJohn Wickis a poetic tragedy, while the story ofExtractionis entirely forgettable. Reeves gives the performance of his career in the franchise, as he’s playing a wounded man that is trying to live past a lifetime of sin. The death of his wife deeply wounds him, and turns him into a shadow of the remorseless man he once was. While the notion of Wick going on a campaign of vengeance against the men who killed his dog was initially dismissed as a joke, it becomes clear that his bloodlust is about much more than that. He is still in the process of grieving, something that is even more powerful considering the actualtragedies in Reeves’ life.
By comparison,Extraction’s lead character is even named something comical; it feels like the idea of having a hero named Tyler Rake that kills someone with a rake was a joke that someone on Netflix’s marketing department came up with. While there is some time dedicated to setting up the death of his son as a motivating factor, Rake feels more like a caricature than an actual tragic hero.
Extraction Doesn’t Have Standout Villains
The main issue withExtractionis that none of the villains represent a true threat to Hemsworth; it doesn’t seem like any of the thugs that Rake faces off against are anything more than interchangeable, faceless goons that he can easily dispatch with. The only moment in the first film that adds anything distinguishing is a brief appearance by David Harbour, who is quickly killed off. Comparatively, each installment in theJohn Wickfranchise has featured an interesting villain that tests John in a different way. The performances by Alfie Allen, Common, Mark Dacascos, and Bill Skarsgård have really elevated the roles, giving Wick challenges that are both physical and mentally stimulating.
