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Parents' Guide to

Extraction

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Bad writing and acting in violent action thriller.

Movie R 2015 83 minutes
Extraction Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Alcides C.
Alcides C. Adult
April 11, 2017
age 13+

Terrible, Terrible

Boring, Boring, Boring, complete waste of resources in a screenwriter point of view.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Harry Turner (Kellan Lutz) has spent his life trying to live up to his legendary father, CIA operative Leonard Turner (Bruce Willis). Working in the CIA, Harry has spent months applying to become a field operative but keeps getting turned down. But when his father is kidnapped and a terrorist group threatens to unleash a killer computer virus, Harry heads out on his own to rescue his dad and save the world. The CIA sends the skilled Victoria (Gina Carano) to bring Harry home, but it turns out that Harry and Victoria have a personal history, and she decides to help him instead. Will they be prepared when they find out what the real plot is?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Bad acting, clunky cinematography and editing, heavy violence, and a less-than-genius screenplay make this a totally disposable action movie, not even recommendable to die-hard Willis fans. Director Steven C. Miller and co-writers Max Adams and Umair Aleem leave no cliche unturned, from a flashback opening that explains all the single-minded character motivations to come, to a half-baked romance, a noisy music score, and a "twist" that's more annoying than surprising.

Lutz and Carano both seem to have been hired based on their skills in the gym rather than their acting, and Willis isn't on-screen long enough to make up for them. Supporting characters are ridiculously thin and often rather dumb. And the whole thing is wrapped up in a choppy, shaky filming style that makes all the chases, fights, and shoot-outs numbing instead of exciting. EXTRACTION's main achievement is that it makes us feel sorry for poor Willis, who surely deserves better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Extraction's violence. How did it affect you? Was it thrilling or gruesome? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Are women objectified in the movie, or is Victoria a role model? What's the difference?

  • What's interesting about characters who break the rules? Which characters break the rules in a good way, and which break the rules in a bad way? What's the difference?

  • How does this movie compare to other movies you've seen about CIA agents? Does it make the job seem appealing? What do you think it's really like to work for the CIA?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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