Review- The Expendables 2

At the Theater - The Expendables 2 - Much like it's predecessor, this sequel is good old-fashioned, bombastic, dumb fun- I liked the *Director's cut of the original a bit more, but this outing actually fulfills it's promise of getting the action Legends together in extended action sequences.  It was super-cool and quite the crowd-pleaser to finally see Sly, Bruno and Arnie, side by side by side, mowing down countless bad guys in a climactic airport gun battle- it definitely put a smile on my face.

Sylvester Stallone can still command presence and chew scenery with the best of them- even if he is a bit more stiff-necked than usual.  Schwarzenegger is appropriately weathered and still as willing as ever to poke fun at himself- it feels right to have him back in movies again. Willis is as game as ever- I wish he'd get back to more straightforward action fare as far as his individual career is concerned.  It's easy to see that all three of these guys are good friends- it translates well onscreen.

Jean-Claude Van Damme does his damnedest to steal the movie playing the film's main villain (aptly named "Vilain")- he appears to be having a ball in a rare theatrical release. Perhaps he thought that he better make the most of the opportunity...

Jason Statham takes more of backseat in this entry, though he has his adequate share of little moments sprinkled about. Dolph Lundgren is still weird here, but somehow more likable. Terry Crews and Randy Couture return, providing ample comic relief.  Liam Hemsworth is the newest Expendable, a baby-faced sniper, while Scott Adkins is Van Damme's right hand henchman.  Jet Li has little more than an extended cameo, leaving the film fairly early in the first act.  Mickey Rourke's "Tool" isn't featured in this sequel, nor is his character even mentioned. 

Nan Yu is treated as a token female here, she doesn't really get to flex her stuff. Charisma Carpenter returns in a quick cameo as Statham's super-sexy hoochie mama- I would have paid another ticket price to have seen her in a bikini...

Chuck Norris pops up out of nowhere a couple of times to help save the day, even going so far as to provide one of those funny "Chuck Norris facts" that have proven so popular across the net.  I'm glad he joined in and it's cool to see him again.

Complaints; there's a few too many gaudy CG-assisted blood splatters (a problem that marred the first installment) for my taste, and a couple of highly improbable sequences should have been rewritten with more attention given to detail and logic.  Why would a v-plow be mounted to the rear of a assault vehicle, necessitating it to be driven in reverse to get any kind of usage out of it?  Furthermore, I'm not so sure that a world-class sniper can get 6 accurate, long-distance shots off with a Barrett rifle in under 1.5 seconds.  The musical selections are a little off here, some seem awkward and out of place given the onscreen proceedings...

Fans of the legitimate action stars (and their films) of the mid 1980's through the mid 1990's should find this to be one heckuva treat- even if it's not quite as polished as one might have hoped.  It's filled with high-octane action and a host of one liners- some sequences work, others don't.  That said, I'd rather watch 10 more of these films before I'd watch another Christopher Nolan Batman movie...

8.0 out of 10

FWIW-

The Expendables 7.5 out of 10
*The Expendables:  Extended Director's Cut - 8.0