The Expendables are back and they’re blowing every bad guy and '80s action movie cliché out of the water. Chock full of familiar faces and a few new ones, “The Expendables 2” is a high-octane thrill ride that will leave you rolling on the floor laughing in between the cheering.
Barney (Sly Stallone) and the gang are back from a routine mission, and just as they settle in, the mysterious Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) sends the Expendables back out on another mission. Unfortunately, everything doesn’t go as hoped and one of their own is murdered by the treacherous Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Barney and the group set out for vengeance.
“The Expendables 2” is the culmination of every action movie cliché known to man and even more so than the first go-round. I’m not really sure where to start because there are so many amazing moments. There isn’t much new to report for Barney and their gang because the opening sequence shows them doing what they do best — killing every single person in their path. Jet Li probably has the most impressive fight sequence of the whole group, in which he not only beats a man’s head to nothing but also takes down about 10 to 15 guys with a skillet and a pot. Those poor henchmen never stood a chance.
I’m going to warn you that a minor spoiler is coming up in this paragraph, but I’m not quite sure if I can call it that because if you know anything about action movies, then you will see what I’m going to say from about 20 miles away. The most impressive addition to the living, breathing wrecking crew is Liam Hemsworth, but his membership is sadly short-lived. As soon as Hemsworth told Sly he was giving up the group for a girl after this last mission, I knew he was a goner. He should’ve known better. You never, ever say you’re quitting a group of mercenaries after one last mission because you’ll take the long dirt nap every time.
Something else that stood out was the inclusion of Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the great Chuck Norris. These three legendary powerhouses stole every single minute of screen time that was given to them. I so badly want to tell you my favorite quip and retort between Schwarzenegger and Willis, but I just can’t ruin it. Just trust me, it will have you laughing out loud.
Now, while every explosive moment filled me with schoolgirl giddiness, there were definitely some things that bothered me. I’m very much aware that this movie is a sendup of all the action movies of yesteryear that were riddled with plot holes, but filling in a few here would’ve been nice. The two biggest disappointments had to have been van Damme’s villain. He was given very little screen time, and when Sly and van Damme finally get some one on one time, we’re only shown two signature roundhouse kicks. The lack of Charisma Carpenter was also pretty upsetting. I was hoping she would get more screen time, but it seemed like she received more of a demotion.
“The Expendables 2” is a fun way to spend an evening in front of the television. There's tons of action, sarcastic quips and the largest body count in a movie ever. All I can say is bring on part three.
The DVD release has tons of special features to keep you busy long after the movie is over, including audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes and a few other goodies.
Film: 4 Yaps Extras: 3.5 Yaps