Review of The Expendables 2 (2012) by Hamad S — 02 Jun 2013

Remember the days of the good ol' fashion action film? You know, the films like Rambo, Die Hard, and Terminator... Well, those films (and their sequels) weren't always exactly plot driven as much as they were action driven and they made for some pretty good classics. And, much like several other films in Hollywood these days, if you combine those films, along with as many past action stars as possible, you'll get: The Expendables 2.

Most of the Expendables return in this sequel, including Sylvester Stallone (Barney Ross), Jason Statham (Lee Christmas), Terry Crews (Hale Cesar), Randy Couture (Toll Road), Jet Li (Ying Yang), and Dolph Lundgren (Gunner) - with the additions of Arnold Schwarzenegger (Trench), Bruce Willis (Church), Chuck Norris (Booker), and Liam Hemsworth (Billy).

Now that we have the credits out of the way, it should be noted that there is nearly zero plot or dramatic substance to this film, whatsoever. That's not necessarily a knock on the film, as writers (Stallone, mainly) obviously didn't care very much about advancing any kind of plot, other than Christmas is going to marry his girlfriend (Charisma Carpenter) and the villain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) likes to make bombs. Other than that, this film is filled with guns, people getting shot, and explosions - the only ingredients needed to make an action film.

The real treat in this film is the comedy-filled relief. At first, you may think that the first joke is just a random joke, but the comedy continues pretty steadily throughout the film - and the best part about it is - it works. It works well. It works incredibly well. In fact, I'm prepared to say that Dolph Lundgren should try making a comedy (that was mostly a joke - mostly). Plus, anytime Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Norris hit the screen in the film, you'll probably end-up getting a pretty good chuckle out of it - since they can't help poking fun at each other.

Overall, The Expendables is nothing special in comparison to any of the classic action films of the 80s and 90s, but it will hold your attention if you like explosions and gunfire. The comedic relief from several of the stars is a welcome addition to the film and anyone that knocks this film for its lack of substance or plot is completely missing the point of the film. Movies are meant to entertaining and this film does exactly that.

Bring on the next sequel!!!