Extraction is bombastic and vibrant – but Chris Hemsworth keeps his shirt on

NETFLIX is settling into quite a groove with its slate of original films.

The recipe is simple. Take a huge Hollywood star, throw the kitchen sink at them and watch the views roll in.

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We have had Michael Bay directing Ryan Reynolds in 6 Underground and Peter Berg directing Mark Wahlberg in Spenser Confidential already this year.

Now the Russo Brothers, directors of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, have written this . . . and put their old buddy Thor centre-frame.

None of these Netflix productions are trying to break new ground.

But as the data appears to show, millions of subscribers are lapping them up.

Chris Hemsworth is Tyler Rake, a hard-as-nails mercenary with a terrible name who doesn’t care about anyone or anything.

He is hired to rescue the son of a kidnapped crime boss, which of course goes sideways.

This isn’t one for younger Marvel fans.

It is violent and sweary, with a distinct lack of Hulk-type smashing.

The film hurries along at a decent enough pace, though, with a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

It is bombastic and vibrant (filmed in Thailand and Bangladesh) and gives Hemsworth the chance to use a rifle rather than a magic hammer.

Alas, the script falls short of the production values.

And many will be sad to learn that Hemsworth keeps his shirt on.

EXTRACTION (15) 117mins

★★★☆☆

MOFFIE

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SET in 1981, this is a brutal and unforgiving look at the homophobia rife in a South African army boot camp.

Moffie is an Afrikaans insult for anyone gay and is bandied around with wild abandon during the film, which is spoken in Afrikaans, with subtitles.

Being a Moffie is just about the worst thing you could be – a problem for a fair few of the recruits.

This is an era when homosexuality was seen as an illness and an irritant.

The long time spent at camp rather than on the battlefield allows plenty of time for illicit relationships to blossom.

The film, released via Curzon Home Cinema, centres on the growing affection between Nick, 18, who uses straight porn as a deflecting disguise – and Stassen, the soldier assigned to help him dig a trench.

This is no romantic stay in the barracks, it is intense fare.
Director Olivier Hermanus has done an incredible job of adapting the book by Andre Carl van der Merwe.

It will be a tough watch for many, but a worthwhile one for all.

MOFFIE (18) 104mins

★★★★☆

ASTRONAUT

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YOU may have wondered why Richard Dreyfuss recently popped up on Celebrity Bake Off.

Well, it wasn’t because he happened to be passing the tent at the time.

It was all tied in with this film’s cinematic release, due to have been on March 20.

But with the lockdown, cinemas closed and the film was hastily pulled.

Now, thanks to a heap of streaming platforms (this is out on Sky, iTunes, Amazon, Raku etc) we can enjoy this charming, if whimsical, tale.

Angus (Dreyfuss,) is a widower whose ambition to go to space is re-ignited when a competition offers a trip to the stars as the prize.

He is too old to enter so he alters his date of birth.

He is not in great health and needs all the help he can get.

This feels very Eighties but lacks the production budget to do the tale justice.

It is a cute if incredulous plot.

At one point Angus discovers a danger so unlikely to have been overseen I almost switched off.

Dreyfuss pulls it back from the brink but more oomph is sorely needed.

ASTRONAUT (PG) 96mins

★★★☆☆

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