EXTRACTION (2015) ***

Bruce Willis stars (and by “stars” I mean he filmed all his scenes in one day and mostly appears at the very beginning and end of the movie) as a secret agent who is kidnapped by terrorists.  If their demands aren’t met, they’ll use their MacGuffin to cripple the world’s computers or something.  Kellan Lutz is Willis’ son, a desk jockey at the CIA who can’t seem to pass his Fed Final Exam.  Once he learns his dad has been kidnapped, he teams up with his ex-girlfriend (Gina Carano), who also happens to be a field operative to rescue him and save the world.

Extraction is your typical “Let's Rescue My Dad from an Abandoned Warehouse” movie.  Lutz is a capable, if unexceptional leading man, but equips himself nicely in the action scenes.  Carano does a fine job too and they have enough chemistry together to keep you watching.  In fact, this is one of the few times where she gets to exhibit her A) Immense physical prowess B) Acting range and C) A little bit of sexuality.

Bruce may be working on limited screen time, but he still manages to leave an impression.  Although he’s been going to the DTV well quite often in recent years, he refuses to phone it in here.  He has a nice rapport with both Lutz and Carano, and you wish there was more of him to go around.  

Director Steven C. (Arsenal) Miller does a solid job overall.  He handles the car chases and shootouts capably enough and while there are a few instances of shaky-cam during the fight scenes, it’s not nearly enough to derail the film.  Miller certainly knows how to keep things moving.  Extraction runs a lean 82 minutes and moves at a lightning pace.  I can’t say it’s a classic or anything, but it’s one of Bruce’s best DTV efforts.