Review of The Expendables 2 (2012) by Anthony G — 15 May 2018

This one works! The Expendables movie we were promised with the first is finally here and this is a whole lot of fun! The one liners are cringe worthy, yes but if you did not get them you would be worse off!

Most of this film works really well and the the surprise highlight is JCVD as the villain. He puts in a really good and menacing cameo, it was a shame he did not get more screen time with the cast.

The film feels a little bit like a Bond movie this time in the way of it having the same formula. It starts with an action scene with an over the top stunt to introduce us, Then we get a little down time before Sly meets his boss and gets his brief for the mission. Then when said mission goes wrong the gang will stop at nothing to get the villain...who is stealing plutonium. It all ends with big guns turning up to back up The Expendables in a very big shoot out at an airport.

The film mostly works as it is very tongue in cheek and is clearly just trying to be fun and entertaining. Schwarzenegger and Willis actually join in this time and we get silly one liners along with very silly action shoot outs but all done in the right way.

Simon West who directed Con Air came in to direct this one and it breathes new life into the cast and film. From the moment it started it just felt better and the music was better. He improves on everything.

The film has flaws, writing wise, the introduction of a new member to kill him off is cheap. Sly once again having a love interest less than half his age is ego stroking and some of the CGI blood splatter is ropey at best.

I believe this was filmed as a PG-13 with the blood being added later for an R rated film and It shows at times which is a shame. These films are for the 25-65 age group they should not be trying to plug into a younger market with a PG-13 certificate, its embarrassing then!

Chuck Norris also has a terrible cameo that is beyond belief bad but my biggest problem is a fundamental problem with the franchise.

They are the expendables but no one ever dies or looks in any real trouble. They do introduce a young member to kill him this time but it adds no weight.

Even a few of them getting beaten to a bloodied pulp would help and add some real danger. The films feel really staged and not one of them ever looks in any trouble.

Rocky is great because he always got beaten to within an inch of his life and then came back! Much like John McClane who always got put through the wringer. These films could benefit from a couple of them being killed off or even getting shot! during the action scenes it would help bolster the name 'Expendables" and give them some heroic send offs and help give the cast a reason for turnover...Other than Stallone the cast is interchangeable to next group of big name action stars.

That said this is a fun filled action movie that will please the older fans more than newer fans.