THE EXPENDABLES 2
The Expendables return with a vengeance in this follow-up to the 2010 surprise hit. The Mechanic's Simon West directed from a script by Sylvester Stallone and David Agosto. Liam Hemsworth heads up the rest of the starring cast, which includes returning members Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and Terry Crews, along with fellow '80s action icons Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Simon West
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Liam Hemsworth
Release Date: Aug 17, 2012
Rated R for Strong Bloody Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
You can’t accuse the sequel to Expendables of not delivering on what it promised. Stallone’s brain child brought a litany of action stars together for the first film and with this second one he ups the ante across the board. Simon West takes over the director’s reigns this go around but it has a very similar feel to the first. The action is extreme and outlandish, very tongue in cheeks almost bordering on self parody occasionally. During the fast and loose action sequences the film finds its groove, allowing its cast to shine doing what they do best, kick ass. Pacing problems due kind of plague the film as West transitions from huge action set pieces to slower almost glacial story moments which change the films tone from fun to overly self serious. It’s most bothersome in the first part of the film which has more exposition than is actually needed for such a simple conceit. Around the midway point the, once the lone wolf shows up, film perks up again leading to a fun and enjoyable finale which features Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger doing what they do best, playing off each other extremely well. Jason Statham is the lone primary star from the first film who gets more than passing face time. As a sequel it delivers bigger bang for the buck even if it isn’t perfect.
B-
A B- is very decent!
ReplyDeleteI really want to see this one in the cinema as I only the first film on dvd.
It's a fun film and it's exactly what you'd think it'd be.
Deletelove it! it was so much fun! i'm glad you enjoyed it for what it was as well :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun!
DeleteI absolutely HATED the first part, so I have no interest in seeing the second one, although I'm a sucker for everything Arnie. Waiting for The Last Stand :)
ReplyDeleteLast Stand looks like a good old throwback, this one was just a lot of fun.
DeleteOh I'm so behind. I'll get around to it. Good review :)
ReplyDeleteWhile I admit the acting was bad and the plot clichéd, I agree it was a lot of fun. but seeing Stallone, Willis, Schwarzenegger, and Norris on screen together was great, since I love 80s action movies.
ReplyDelete-James
Yeah it wasn't high art or anything but it was enjoyable, they took themselves less seriously than the first and it made it so much fun. Like you said, seeing all those guys on screen at once was just aweseom.
DeleteP.S. Liam Hemsworth was probably the best actor in the movie, wished that he did not die so soon in the movie.
ReplyDelete