The dynamic response of materials is strongly dependent on the temporal evolution of microstructures. As a comprehensive experimental platform integrating dynamic loading and in-situ diagnostic capability, large-scale laser facilities provide technical support to investigate micro-mesoscopic behaviors of materials under extreme conditions of high temperature, high pressure, and high strain rate. The use of high-power pulsed lasers to explore the response of materials under the pressure of tens of GPa up to several TPa, the time duration of nanoseconds, and the strain rate of 10⁶-10¹⁰ s^-1 is revealing novel mechanisms of plastic deformation and therefore strength evolution. This unique experimental tool, aided by advanced diagnostics, analysis, and characterization, including X-ray diffraction, absorption and imaging, allows us to make real-time observation on these new regimes with high spatial and temporal resolution. In this paper, we review the progress within the last 20 years in micro-mesoscopic dynamic probing techniques, based on large-scale laser facilities, and their applications in the study of dynamic plasticity and strength. At the end, we discuss the significance of these works to promote the multiscale modeling of the dynamic response of materials.