Opening 30 Aug 2012
Directed by:
Simon West
Writing credits:
Richard Wenk, Sylvester Stallone, Ken Kaufman, David Agosto, Richard Wenk
Principal actors:
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is back in The Expendables 2, an entertaining romp of action film clichés. When Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) forces Barney Ross and the gang to retrieve secret information about the location of several pounds of Plutonium, the tragic death of one of their own leads them on a mission to exact revenge and save the world.
The Expendables 2 is a perfect example of a nostalgia action film aimed at attracting the baby-boomer audience. It has a large ensemble cast of old and new action film stars, including Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and newcomer Liam Hemsworth. Reviewing The Expendables 2 is a difficult task, for while it is clichéd and the acting often forced and there is little to no artistic merit to be seen, the film still manages to be completely entertaining. The plot has all the makings of a cookie-cutter action film of the early nineties, and the film’s strength is that it revels in this formula. There are constant references to earlier action films and those were often the funniest parts of the movie. The Expendables 2 makes it clear from the beginning that is a light-hearted nostalgic action-film with plenty of computer animated violence and so one should expect nothing more than that when they go to see it.
So if you are looking for a mindless popcorn movie to watch on a rainy Saturday afternoon, then this is the film for you. However, it must be said that the plot and general acting in the film were so underwhelming that a few days after watching The Expendables 2 you may forget ever having seen it. (Rose Finlay)
