The Expendables 2 (2012) User Reviews

Exactly what I wanted from the first film - The Avengers of action movies.

[Matt_Layden · 8/10 · 13 August 2012]

While on a mission one of the "Expendables" gets himself killed, this leads the crew to go on a mission of revenge. But is it too much to handle?

I was severely disappointed in the first Expendable film, the mediocre action, the use of CGI blood and the unimpressive villain ruined the experience. So I was hoping that the second time around they would correct these issues. I can safely say, they did and they did it in spades. The big change is Stallone is no longer behind the camera, so he is more focused on his role of Barney and his mind isn't split between two separate places. The biggest change though is the tone, The Expendables 2 does not take itself seriously at all and neither did I, so I had a blast watching what is ultimately a parody of the action genre.

I can look past the acting, lack of story and plot because the film doesn't try to give you one. It's a simple film with a simple purpose. Get as many of these big guys into one film, make it a guys flick with lots of action and killing and they succeeded. The biggest misstep this film has is the motivation behind the revenge. The wrong person dies. A character is killed off that we have almost zero emotional connection with, it would have made more sense if it were another character that disappears early on in the film. It seems this character's sole purpose was to have these characters get their revenge on, which makes it less engaging for the viewer.

I was surprised at how underwhelmed I was by the action in the first film, here it is more stylized and fun. The film steps on the gas from the very beginning and almost never lets up. We are thrown into this action sequence at the start, which is better than anything the original had to offer. A more competent action director is behind the lens this time, Simon West who gave us Con Air and the more recent Mechanic. He understands what is needed and delivers some wild action sequences.

As I mentioned before, the film does not take itself seriously and it has a very tongue and cheek demeanour about it. It's not afraid to wink at the camera, specifically when Chuck Norris enters the screen and steals the show with the funniest line in the entire film. The film is full of one liners you would expect from an action film. During a fight, one characters exclaims, "Let's wrap this up" he then proceeds to take a chain and wrap it around another character's neck to choke him out. Another scene we have a bad guy get shot a dozen times by everyone and Stallone retorts, "Rest in pieces". Finally, my favourite, Stallone says "heads up" then proceeds to throw a head to some people. Yes, this movie is violent, so no fear about the PG-13 rating.

So what about the guys? Well, they all come back, some have a lot more to do than others. Lundgren is basically the comedic relief. Crews and Courture again get short shifted and feel like background characters. Schwarzenegger, Willis and Norris all have more in depth cameos and finally Van Damme shines as the villain. Van Damme really deserved more screen time. We are introduced to him, then we cut back every so often as he tries to steal his plutonium, then we have him fight at the end. He deserved more screen time, so did his right hand man, Scott Adkins. Both are more martial arts type fighters than big gun shooters and since this is a Stallone film, this is a big gun shooting movie. They get their fight sequences, but both of them I thought could have been a bit longer. Especially the Van Damme/Stallone fight.

So in the end, The Expendables did exactly what the first film should have done. It's a hilarious parody of the action genre and has non-stop excitement from start to finish. This is finally the film from these guys that I've been waiting for.

Good fun

[trevperks · 8/10 · 10 July 2013]

This film was a real blast from the past. Having watched these actors in the 80s -90s I enjoyed the one liners and the over the top action they have been associated with in the past.If you are after an action film with a good story then this is not the film for you.If you want to immerse yourself in larger than life characters, with lots of guns and impossible situations then you will get on just fine. I'm not sure if the younger audiences will fully appreciate this film with out understanding what these actors did in the past.I have given this film 8 out of 10 because if I rated it any lower *Chuck Norris* said he would kick my ass.

Yes it's cheesy, Yes it's dumb but Yes it's fun!!!

[brady-vallbacka · 7/10 · 17 October 2012]

A decent fun action flick that won't disappoint you. I hated The Expendables and was disappointed about all the hype. But this one was a way better film. There actually is a story and talking and not 100 mins of action. This film has cheesy one liners and will not win an academy award but if you're looking to ease back and relax with some buddies to a no brainer-flick this is a good one. Good action and decent screenplay and bad-ass characters featuring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jason Statham and more bring a solid action flick that I hope the sequel will be like this one and not like the first one. This is one of Stallone's better action flicks.

If you didn't like, well what did you expect?

[adam_evans14 · 4 May 2013]

So with the release of the Expendables we witnessed a film that possibly can't be repeated in terms of scale. The reason lies with the over the top preoccupation with 'the action flick' in the 80's. So in bringing all these iconic figures of the action genre together the expendables evokes nostalgia among the older audiences while the ignorant can claim they want to see the new Jason Statham film.

Indeed my study of film on an academic level has led me to be called a snob somewhat. But, i'm the first to admit i enjoy a tongue in cheek film if it claims not to be anything other. When watching the film I know for a fact that it's written purely for entertainment purposes and nothing else. A popcorn movie. Any critical acclaim would be ludicrous. The films (both this and the first one) openly mock the ridiculousness of the 80's action flicks with outrageous shootouts and a collection of more testosterone than a sperm bank. If Stallone had sat down and claimed the expendables was the best script he's collaborated on one could only assume he's been taking the Spielberg tablets of Indy 4 (note; why i hate films like Indy 4 and Die Hard 4....they're supposed to be more serious whereas expendables you have to take it with a pinch of salt for what it is).

One thing that did get on my nerves though was perhaps the scenes involving Arnie. The references to Terminator with the uttering of 'i'll be back' brought a smile at best the first time; but to murder it time and time again at every opportunity got a bit annoying, and ultimately i ended up wishing he'd get shot for it. Considering Arnie was possibly the most famous of the action hero's of the 80's (along with Stallone...take your pick, it's between them two no doubt) i'd have liked to have seen him involved in the film properly and not just for comedic purposes.

Also he really looks long in the tooth compared with Stallone who's anti ageing cream could probably rake in more than the gross of Rocky. He's a tank and fair play to him, he looks amazingly good for his age.

Should they make an expendables 3? Probably not. I think people would get a bit bored of the chedderness of it, and besides the charm of nostalgia will have worn off by then. However if they did go ahead, i certainly won't protest and it would be interesting to have the full set with the inclusion of Steven Seagal. All in all, if you like dumb action flicks, this will do nicely. But don't tune in expecting an ambiguous and thought provoking film, and be disappointed when you don't get one. If you are then for shame.

Welcome back to the '80s

[dvc5159 · 6/10 · 17 August 2012]

It takes a certain mindset to appreciate a movie like "The Expendables 2". One has to be a fan of the action genre of the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as enjoying those action heroes' persona and screen presence whenever they appear on-screen. They did not necessarily have to act well, but they had to be tough, heroic, stoic, larger than life. Realism need not really apply here - it's all about the fun factor. People paid to see these guys blow away the scum of the earth as they only know how.

"The Expendables 2" is the first sequel (and it most certainly would not be the last) to Stallone's 2010 surprise blockbuster which was intended as a glorious throwback to the films of that era. This one is no exception. However, it is a rare sequel which is better than the first. The story may not be important in these types of movies, but in this one the screenplay had a much clearer and stronger narrative than the first film, making it clear that the stakes are raised, thus enabling the story, however shallow, to be more engaging for the audience.

Director Simon West ("Con Air") did wonders with the action sequences as he usually does with his movies. The majority of the action sequences are well shot with wide angles and much better stunt choreography (with CGI touches added here and there, but not as pervasive as the first film's CGI blood; good ol' squibs are used here mostly) which gets annoying with the film's rapid editing at times. Brian Tyler's music score was fairly engaging but didn't really stand out. Overall, the technical aspects of the film really shows off the big budget for the film, and it pays off ultimately.

But what about the characters? If you've seen the director's cut for the first film, that's about as close as you can get for character development. Like the first, this is all-out action, but it has some dramatic moments too. There is a line about coping with death that Barney Ross mutters that feels kind of sad knowing Stallone's own real- life predicament. Van Damme's having a blast as the Villain, and a menacing one at that. The biggest disappointment was that of Jet Li's very minimal screen presence, like a cameo. Hopefully an extended version will fix that problem.

The film's biggest entertainment value comes in the constant one-liners from and between the action icons of the eras, as well as their presence and their dispatching of the bad guys. The banter here is certainly more hilarious and less bland than the first film - there is much more chemistry between the characters. Their screen presence needs no explanation: Sylvester Stallone. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bruce Willis. Jean-Claude Van Damme. Chuck Norris. Dolph Lundgren. Jason Statham. Jet Li. Need I say more? Cult or mainstream, these guys each has hordes of fans - and they have good reason to.

I grew up on these types of movies and ultimately "The Expendables 2" satisfies my craving for good old-fashioned movie bloodlust in wake of the ever-rising wave of PG-13, CGI-laden action films ("Total Recall" remake, anyone? Oh Arnie, where art thou?). That being said, I expect an extended director's cut as I feel that some parts were awkwardly put together, and hopefully these removed scenes will make the film better as a whole. For now, "The Expendables 2" is very good entertainment, as shallow as it is technically well-made and ends the 2012 summer movie season with a big bang.

Now bring on "The Expendables 3" with Steven Seagal and Wesley Snipes (to basically complete the cycle of 80's/'90s action heroes). Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Harrison Ford, Nicolas Cage and Clint Eastwood (my #1 action hero) are also most welcome indeed.

Overall rating: 65%

Action movie rating: 75%

A reloaded *** kicker and better than the 1st one.

[omarh92 · 7/10 · 16 August 2012]

I must admit, the hype for the first film was too much and in the end, we all got some intense 80s style action but with a poor story. This sequel however actually has a story, a story of revenge. The first film introduces the gang so we get to know them. The second however, we already know the gang so now we actually see how they truly are and how they work. This film is better since the rest of the team (other than Stallone) get more screen time and they have their humor moments. Van Dammne played a very very very very very AWESOME villain, and towards the end of the film, he shows even at the age of 50, he is stronger than ever. Arnie and Bruce Willis had a great screen time too with perfect humor, seriously the chemistry between those 2 and the rest is great. Speaking of chemistry, Dolph Lundgren's role is MUCH better now and very enjoyable. Chuck Norris, you'd be surprise how he is. The cast was great, the story is better, the action is MORE intense, there is great humor. In conclusion, Expendables 2 brings back the 1980s action style with it's teaspoon of humor. Enjoy the film!

The Expendables 2 (2012)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 7/10 · 26 August 2012]

The Expendables 2 is the ultimate fan service and gives us even more than we got for the first installment. The Expendables 2 sees Barney Ross and his team having to pay back Mr. Church by going on a simple mission of retrieving an item from a downed plane. All goes well until Jean Claude Damme shows up. Van Damme is an excellent villain. He is clearly having a lot of fun and looks damn cool at the same time. The film just builds up to action set-pieces and cameos that don't always make a lot of sense, but are much appreciated. With so much going on, not everyone gets their due. Li has to leave early on to make some room, and Crews and Couture are sidelined for more A-List stars for the finale. The final action sequence what you paid your money for. Stallone, Willis, Lundgren, Norris, Schwarzenegger and Van Damme all taking part in a single action scene. It's great to finally see it but it does go too much towards comedy as the characters trade their famous catchphrases. The film has delivered on its promise even if there is a distinct lull in the second act where the dialogue is cringe worthy and it tries too hard to develop characters we don't really care about. I am now very excited for Stallone and Schwarzenegger's next projects and The Expendables 3.

Actually much better than the first + very enjoyable!

[d0wen · 8/10 · 23 October 2012]

I disagree with some people feeling that this film was no better than the first. It is easily better than the first, which is a very hard thing to do (normally). I thought the first movie wasn't brill but it was OK, it was kind of what I expected but I did expect a bit more in the fight scenes and I felt that Jet Lei just like the story wasn't up to much. Everything Stallone is doing here is a great idea and it has a great feel to it. Expendables 2 has finally got to where the first one should've been. This one is far more enjoyable, the action / fight scenes are better, which is mainly why we watch these sorts of films, but also the characters and their relationships with each other are better. Some of the scenes are pure genius. Some of the scenes are not but hey ho. I am really looking forward to a 3rd instalment but I do feel that they will take it too far and end up with some of the most annoying and worst ones appearing like Steven Seagal and Vin Deisel... I hope not! If they do then they might as well go the whole hog and get the Heather Small bird from M People on there to just totally annoy us all!!

Expendables 2... Anyone who is between the age of 30 and 60 that remembers the best 80's action flicks with the likes of Arnie, Stallone, Bruce Willis, van damme in will know that these films didn't ever really have great acting in, it was all about the action and the fight scenes. Expendables 2 has got it going on! Really enjoyable film.

At Least It Doesn't Take Itself Seriously!

[msprouse-7-431049 · 6/10 · 30 June 2013]

Due to nostalgia this film is greater than the sum of its parts. If you are looking for a realistic action flick, this isn't it. Expendables 2 is even less realistic than the original Expendables. This movie doesn't even take itself seriously, which is a good thing. Part of the effort and energy of the film, particularly the writing, seemed to be to get all the great actors into the film including their "signature" lines. For example, you'll hear Arnold say "I'll be bock". That's really the main enjoyment is the nostalgia of those action stars and my there are so many! So this is a recommendation if you are a real fan of these action stars and their of the last thirty plus years.

Better than the first one

[Maleplatypus · 7/10 · 12 October 2012]

So, if "acting" does not count (and in this kind of movie it really shouldn't - some deserve a free pass :), everything else is much better than the first movie. Especially the story. Don't get me wrong: it has been obviously designed for a classic black/white presentation, where good guys are always good, and bad are even worse. The are also some quotes on movie classics (you know: terrorized village graving for help, some stranger(s) come(s) and blah, blah, blah) and it is altogether fun. Nice 100 minutes (with credits). Mindless but fun nevertheless. Arnie is finally "back" (after so many promises), nobody beats Chuck Norris (I guess jokes about him are true; most of them) and it all looks like a nice geriatric party (only shooting, no singing). Like Space Cowboys (God forgive for comparing this two movies!) but with no space.

Want fun? Go for it. It delivers. Much, much more than, for example, Mission Impossible. I'm looking forward for 3rd part (if most of the cast does not die of age, since bullets don't want them).

Translating Bulgarian to English.

[daka_az · 7/10 · 26 December 2012]

The scenes with Bulgarians speaking ware not translated correctly. To be clear, they ware translated completely wrong. The sentences ware completely different. For example at one scene the man was saying: "Stay. at least we are together." and the translation was: "Be brave, we'll be home soon.". Another example can be found here: "And who are you? Go light candles!" was translated like: "Where the hell are they, Priest ? Stay out of the way. "

Other than that, it was a good movie. It is a good movie to kill some time, but far from a masterpiece. If you like guns, guns and guns, go watch it.

Better than the first film.

[lonnielongino · 7/10 · 16 May 2020]

This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is better than the original. The first film didn't develop a storyline until the middle of the film. It was just pretty much high name action stars performing huge action sequences with no plot. But this second film starts out with an interesting story and also doesn't disappoint on the action. All of these big name actors yet Jason Stathams character stands out as witty and wisecracking. He & Stallone work well together.

Cheesy Action movies of the last century makes a Hollywood comeback

[thornsthorns · 7/10 · 13 November 2012]

Bollywood action movies of the last century make a Hollywood comeback.

Seriously ridiculous movies both expendables. Expendables 2 seems more like a deliberate spoof than expendables 1, and wasn't meant to be taken seriously.

But its still loud, brass, obnoxious, crude, ridiculous, and corny. The fight scenes remind me of something out of a Bollywood Rajnikunth movie, where an old man beats up a hundred people with machine guns with nothing but his hands and fist, without getting shot or scratched at all. Whilst doing ridiculously corny cool poses and tough guy lines.

If this was a movie done by anyone other than big Hollywood names, it would be laughed out of the box office as a pile of tripe.

But the big names, make it a big movie.

Entertaining enough, but nothing special. A 7 at best when history will look back on it.

Better than the first by a mile

[tonystalloney · 8/10 · 6 August 2012]

First off, yes, much better than the first.... thank god, more locations, funnier and better put together.

No time from opening credits, its straight into the action, which is more epic imo, and is what should have been seen in the first film but maybe due to a low budget we were subjected to a lesser affair The team work well, all of them and Hemsworth does really well as the new boy on the block and second time round and you kind of know these guys. Arnie, bruce are seen more but are not seen as much as the usual gang, and li is seen the least.

Norris is great, seen here and there, great entrance and more of a cameo, and van damme makes good his role as the villain.

The story pretty much straight forward, better than the first, but nothing special, some dialogue was hard to hear, and sly does try to be serious in some scenes which got a laugh and I don't think its how it was intended but its not that much of a big deal really as there are funny moments in the film, more so than the first film.

Fight scenes were better this time round, not too prolonged, timed well, and the one on ones didn't drag on too long. Sly & van damme's fight could have been a bit longer but I guess after all the chaos leading up to that point it was sufficient enough without getting too silly, reminded me of a Rocky fight here and there....he he One liners were good, dolph was great, the girl is good also, be good to see her in exp3, locations and sets fab, cgi was not obvious and edited well.

One thing I will say is sly does have issues coming across as funny and I don't know why. He's funny in real life and was funny in rocky but its hit and miss and it shows here in some scenes.

Its not 10/10 in my book. Maybe when i see it again it may be better in my mind, but like i say a better story would of helped If there is a 3rd, I would like to see more of a story if that is at all possible, see what you think guys when its out, but it's a big improvement on the first and that's a good sign

Great to see they're still here!

[caseyx · 9/10 · 12 August 2012]

I saw The Expendables II this morning at a pré screening. What can I tell you about this movie. Firstly, it's really action packed. You're blasted off in the first few minutes leading up to the actual story. Obviously, this is not a film with a great script or impressive acting.However, the story works well for what it's supposed to do! It is greatly entertaining if you are looking for an action packed movie loaded with iconic action stars like Stallone,Willis and many more. The addition of Chuck Norris and van Damme to the cast worked out well. It's really good to see Chuck Norris in action again and he really pulls it off! I expect that the people who will like this movie most will be the fans of the old guard like Stallone, Schwwarzennegger and Norris and the other cast members. Someone I really liked was Liam Hemsworth who did a great job and stood his own between these action giants! Nan Yu as Maggie was also a good casting choice an did what she was supposed to do.

Aside from the "overdrive" action the film also had a lot of humor, which gave some counterweight to the action.

I hope, but quite frankly expect this will do really well in cinema's globally. As a long time Sylvester Stallone fan I can only hope that he (and his family) will find the strenght to overcome the loss of his son.

To the people who are going to see this extravanganza, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Does exactly what it is meant to do

[romouele · 7/10 · 30 September 2012]

First things first, anyone expecting a great movie full of thrilling plot, complicated characters and witty intelligent conversation should NOT watch this movie, it's an action movie with some comedy to help break up the flying dead bodies, and it does this well.

The movie is an out and out action flick, the kind guys like to watch when we're young and secretly still enjoy occasionally when we get older, and it's brilliant at it, some of the lines are shoe horned in and obvious, but they're still entertaining, if you want to watch a great action movie this year this is a great choice, full of nostalgia for those in their late 30's it a fun watch just don't be expecting anything too serious.

Well

[hobgoblinlol · 6/10 · 11 October 2012]

I didn't like the first one that much despite having a kick-ass cast it kinda had a weak story-line. The main thing in Expendables were the actors. And I mean of course it is great to see our favorite action stars come together including retro ones, but the movie didn't have much. It hardly had any villains to stand up to those people besides, Austin who had a decent fight scene and did kick Barney's ass, but then got killed in a very dumb way. Like i said not much of a story line, BUT the sequel changes and improves that as far as i can see.

In expendables 2 the story-line is improved, bigger cast is assembled and it has a lot better action including retro stars like Arnold and Willis and Chuck Norris shooting the hell out of everything. In expendables 2 we all so get better villains. Jean Claude Van Damme is a perfect villain and he plays a guy called ''Jean Villain'' which is a cool name, but kinda unoriginal if you get my point. For me, he stole the show, but sadly he wasn't in it much which is a let down. Also, Scott Adkins did a great job too. I really liked Boyka looks he had playing Hector. So, yes, the Villains were pretty cool in this movie. Also, there are so much good cameos and references made in the movie that it cracks me up time to time. Like the part where Dolph calls Arnold ''Terminator'' or when Arnold says his famous line. The thing is that expendables needs work on the story-line and character development. Also, it'll be nice to see them reload more often and of course cliché of 7-8 dudes killing hundreds is in there which enjoyable of course along with rest. Cheesy, but great. And that's what i like about the movie. It's not trying to be God father or Pulp Fiction. It knows that it's just trying to be a kick-ass action film to entertain fans and it is self-aware and yes, i think it does a fine job at it despite some clichés and stuff and it is an awesome movie. But now it has 7.3 and who knows? maybe even lower in other sites sadly. The thing with expendables is that: take ALL of those actors away and replace them with some random dudes. The movie won't be great, because stand-alone story-line and stuff aren't that good. Expendables 2 is a a great, especially for all retro action fans out there. But it needs to work on story-line, suspense, less-clichés and other stuff. If they improve even better for the next Expendables ( i heard Van Damme is coming back as twin brother of Villain which is cool) and give it a much better story instead of mind less shooting it will have a score of 8.0.

Now, some cons: Jet Li disappears after the intro scene, Van Damme and Adkins aren't in it much, is little bit cliché, Willis, Norris and Arny aren't in it much too and the fight scene in the and was a let down and was egotistic for Stallone. Van Damme should have got more offense instead of getting punched 50 times by Stallone, he should of kicked Stallone's ass! same thing with Adkins vs Statham. Adkins should of beat Statham's ass. And that's also cliché, because good guys go through everything with ease. There are only few scenes when they take cover. Stallone does get kinda beat up by Van damme, but not enough. Same thing with Statham vs Adkins.

Still, a good movie. 6/10 check it out.

Actors Studio: First Blood

[chaos-rampant · 31 May 2013]

This slays the first film both in terms of action and as a movie. It is still cookie cutter in the overall rescue mission and revenge arch, but you sort of expect no better in this area. It's always been about the action and the guys themselves.

The actors first. A fun, somewhat revealing way to see them in action is observing how they (the actors) handle the reality of what happens to them. Sly as head honcho shrugs it off, mostly. He has good interplay with Statham and the girl, but he needs them to draw out a few morsels of character. Statham is his usual cocky self. Lundgren as the lumberjack with a brain is a fun sidekick, goofing on precisely this lack of self-awareness that cost him a big stardom. Couture is just not an actor, but he brings a bit of un-actorly, locker-room reality that is valuable as counterpoint to all the quipping and snark.

Arnie and Willis are too big to fit in as core players of the 'real' movie. They appear in the movie like avatars of the actors we know, especially Arnie. The joke is extended when Chuck Norris shows up, at which point we are completely 'outside' of the film—a Norris 'fact' is even brought up in discussion. Van Damme bridges the two worlds, both his character and the actor having fun.

We lose Jet Li who was the only real artist with his body, but gain the wonderful Yu Nan, a marvelous presence that should be in more films, preferably by makers who can put her to good use. What an expressive face! Mixed genuine interest with quizzical amusement, pinning both the ironic distance and emotional link. She is the best thing in this, a new discovery for me.

Second, the action itself. Now if you look at their old films, say Terminator, you'll appreciate that the action is exciting because we assume perspectives inside the action, well a mixture of perspectives in this mode and some in the older, theatric mode favored in Bronson's time. This is now the standard cinematic vernacular for shooting action, but still pretty damn effective. When a car smashes through glass, the camera is not a bystander but bolted on the side of the car. A plane crash is presented entirely from the inside, a similar crash in The Grey is still the best filmed for my taste, most viscerally visual experience but this is close behind. By contrast to all that, we have some pretty shoddy CGI which goes a long way to exemplify that real impact is not in the mass of colliding objects but what gravity you can build in the camera.

A spectacular roller-coaster of destruction opens the film, establishing at the outset that we are in a movie and only movie laws apply—a few hundred extras are disposed, an armored truck barrels up a narrow escarpment. We then stop to have Arnie revealed to us, amusingly as a prisoner that needs rescuing. We then have several more ridiculous, perfectly enjoyable action pieces. But what sets this apart from the last Rambo, Universal Soldier, or Statham movie is that we have all these actors as actors referencing the fact. Some of the quips are just lame ('I'm back'), but again sort of what you'd expect.

I think they'd do well if they loosened this up as an ongoing film universe, where familiar faces, old and new, can zing in and out kicking ass.

A rare sequel that's better than the original

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 21 November 2020]

Another entertaining action flick, I enjoyed this sequel slightly better than the first one. There's more humor and funny one-liners, Arnie and Willis got more screentime, and kick the bad guys asses. Stallone is still good as the leader, Statham gets many moments to shine, and so does the others. Ludgren is funnier than ever. Tho it's a shame Li had to be sidelined. Van Damme is menacing as the villain, and Scott Adkins definitely makes a better right-hand man than Steve Austin.

Overall, The storyline could've been better but who watches this type of movies for coherent plot? nah, if you're in for entertainment you'll surely be entertained! The cinematography is better than the last movie, 'cause you can actually see what's happening in the action sequences. The soundtrack is good, the choreography of fighting sequences was amazing, esp the one towards the climax and the performances are all good all around. 7/10.

Better than the first movie!

[troy-manatunga · 7/10 · 15 October 2012]

Barney Ross (Stallone) and his rivet crapping tough mercenaries are neck deep in gunpowder as they infiltrate a terrorist camp somewhere in Nepal. Shooting, stabbing, punching and frying pan fighting (yes frying pans!) gets the team to their target. The objective is to extract a rich Chinese billionaire for reasons unknown. Much like Liam Neeson in the A TEAM, Barney runs into Trench (Schwarzenegger) who has beaten him to the price. However the Terminator has been bested for the time being by the terrorists and is grateful to see his ex-comrade. Simon West and his team of explosive experts blows up the place in a million dollar fashion as the mercenaries take off to the skies in the trusty old Sea Plane. The first thumbs for this motion picture is its special effects.

Billionaire contractor Church (Willis) approaches Barney with a mission. To retrieve an article from a wreckage of a plane that has been shot down. Church adds in a member to Barney's team. A woman named Maggie (Nan Yu). Along with Maggie and the rest of his mercenaries, Barney extracts the article from the wreckage only to have it bargained off him by a man only referred to as by the villain (Van Damme) who holds Billy (Liam Hemsworth) one of his crew as hostage.

Amidst the fire power and knuckle bashing there isn't much room to elaborate on certain obviously visible traits of sense making (emotion) in THE EXPENDABLES 2. It would not be inappropriate to consider THE EXPENDABLES 2 as a motion picture made primarily aimed at fans of the veteran stars. It has been too long since Schwarzenegger and Norris were on the wide screen. As memory serves it would be T3 and WALKER Texas RANGER; hence the excitement about the movie THE EXPENDABLES 2 apart from the already killer cast. This is the motion pictures second thumbs up.

Whilst this critic has forgotten entirely what the first installment of THE EXPENDABLES was like it is without a doubt that it will not be the same for the 2 installment. CON AIR director Simon West who takes over from Stallone and is craftily working his behind the camera wizardry. One cannot but see a few similarities in the direction approach to the art of war of THE EXPENDABLES 2 and CON AIR. The seaplane involved stunts, the gunfights, the bear fisted bashing with knuckle dusters along with precise camera placement are evidence of well planned and executed direction and cinematography. It would be wrong if it isn't highlighted that this picture will be most entertaining to the fan boys of action movies who simply like nothing more than explosions, gun fire and boisterous slapstick comedy. The third thumbs up come in a two-folded manner. First being that this movie is much better than the first one and the second being the cinematography is powerful and consistently rapid firing just like the 50 caliber machine guns in the movie.

Statham and Stallone keep the testosterone flowing while Terry Crews is as always the funny big guy. Jet Li is short lived in this installment and is truly missed by his fans while Arnie, Norris and Bruce slap out some dialogue that are humorously connected with those great movies of the yester-year. Having been a fan of Van Damme since the growing years this critic is certainly amazed how the 52 year old martial arts expert still pulled out his round house kicks. If one may compare his kicks with that of the all time favorite Van Damme movie HARD TARGET from 1993, the kick just looks the same. If he had support or not is an entirely different factor, as for the audience, the star still is very able of kicking butt.

After the close encounter with disappointment in the first movie many still have doubts about this as well. To be said in the simplest form of summary; THE EXPENDABLES 2 does not have time for starting credits. It explodes in your face with action and rarely takes a breather during in 103 minutes of runtime. Decently balanced with humor and compressed with Hollywood royalty the only miss is the shallow story. With this kind of "oooomph" pressurized into 103 minutes it makes sense why Simon West let the reins lose on the story value. Personally with this kind of action one does not need a storyline to be entertained.

A movie for the fan boys strictly. THE EXPENDABLES 2 still stands in the top 10 at the US box office for total gross for 2012.

TITLE: THE EXPENDABLES 2 DIRECTED BY: SIMON WEST STARRING: SYLVESTER STALLONE, BRUCE WILLIS, CHUCK NORRIS,JASON STATHAM,JET LI, JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME, TERRY CREWS, LIAM HEMSWORTH, RANDY COUTURE, DOLPH LUNDGREN, NAN YU & ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER. RATED: R RATING: 07/10 RUNTIME: 103 minutes

Lighter Tone = Better Overall Experience

[zkonedog · 6/10 · 8 March 2017]

The first "Expendables" film was a "tale of two halves": The first half is a jovial get-together of some of the greatest on-screen action heroes of all-time. However, after a rather strange speech by Mickey Rourke, the film turns really serious and loses much of its built-up energy. In the case of "Expendables 2", however, the wise-cracking "buddy" formula is in place all the way through and it makes it much easier to enjoy from start to finish.

For a basic plot summary, "Expendables 2" brings the old gang of Stallone, Statham, Li, Crews, Lundgren, & Couture back into a caper involving stolen plutonium. This time, however, the group is joined by Liam Hemsworth and Nan Yu. Along the way, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger stop in to beef up their roles from the original, while legendary action icons such as Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme also have important roles. A lot of bullets are expended, a lot of things explode, and a lot of biceps are strained.

Noticed how I didn't mention any actual character names above? That is exactly by design, as in this film franchise all the actors are essentially playing caricatures of themselves (or at least of their former on-screen personas). That is actually what makes the formula work so well, as back in the 80s all these guys were "competing" with each other, and now they are all on screen together! The one-liners and male camaraderie are almost worth the price of admission alone.

Why "just" three stars as a rating, then? Well, depending on your taste in movies, you may like this one a lot more or a lot less. I'm not a huge fan of pure-action flicks, but at the same time I loved seeing "the old gang" get together, so I could enjoy this one (if not at 4 or 5-star levels). If explosions and gunfire are your cup of tea, however, then this one will jump a star or perhaps even two.

Overall, "Expendables 2" is a step up from the original that uses a looser, more comedic tone to keep audience interest. Though not personally a huge fan of "action extravaganzas", I will come back for "EX 3" if it is made.

ATTENTION, can somebody please claim the body of the pg-13 action movie, its dead, thank you.

[janus-20 · 10/10 · 18 August 2012]

What we have here is an almost contemptuous lack of respect for property and human life. But, when that human life is vile, murderous, plutonium pilfering dirtballs, then its time chop, break, snap, blast, liquify, incinerate and decapitate (repeat).

There's very little point in going into a great deal of explanation of what makes this so worth a trip down to your local cinema. Suffice to say Sylvester Stallone has once again saved action movies and put the meat back on the bone.

Here he is aided and abetted by messrs Schwarzenegger, Willis, Norris, Van Damme, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Crews, Couture, who all dive into the proceedings with an enthusiastic amount of esprit de corps, taking the carnage to a hitherto undiscovered level.

This is an action movie with both feet planted firmly in the 80's and there nothing wrong with that one iota. The guys banter, crack jokes, shoot and cause things to blow up, the bad guys are hissable, murderous wretches to a man and are blown up.

Everybody is clearly having a blast, so in translation, so do you, of particular note, Jean Claude Van Damme provides a standout performance as sneery and arrogant Jean Villain.

If you like proper action movies i would be bewildered if you didn't enjoy this. Sly, you did it again, you are without a shadow of doubt "the man".

If they can deliver Eastwood, Ford, Cage, Snipes, Russell, Biehn, Weathers and T for the next one, then my money is already spent.

So Cheesy It's Good. Redeemed the Expendables after Disastrous Debut.

[sinan-dira · 6/10 · 10 September 2020]

Instead of spending three quarters of the movie selling us a bland story and 2D character stereotypes, the movie jumps from one action sequence to another and almost mocks itself in the process. The effects are way more well made this time and include a bit of vehicular combat. The movie is so cheesy it almost feels self-aware, and that blends amazingly with its homage to 80s' over-the-top action movies. The all-star ensemble cast is not only a great union of the era's top actors, but is also greatly complemented by Jason Statham, another actor whose movies and roles are so over-the-top that I can't help but find his sheer presence to be unintentionally funny. His interactions with the rest definitely contributed a lot to the "so cheesy it's good" part.

A Waste of time, Boring GUN action and NO story!

[chandank13 · 1/10 · 25 August 2012]

I watched Expendables-2 today at V3S Mall(Fun Cinemas), Lakshmi Nagar, New Delhi. This time Fun Cinema sucked! There was no full screen and even it was out of focus and blurred. I felt I am watching a pirated movie!

Now come to the movie. The movie has some good but boring GUN action, but don't know why I didn't like the movie much. Story was very flat (in fact no story). Arnold, Bruce, Jet Li and Chuck have a very less screen appearance. Sly and Jason are the main leads. Even the 'villain' Van Damme has also a weak part which could have been much much better, because there was a lot scope to his character. The biggest problem with the movie is a very weak story and a very less duration as compared to the characters in the film. I was very much positive about the role of Arnold but he got very less time on the screen. He must be given chance to show some muscular action, although he is aged now but with Arnold, expectations rise automatically. Sly should have opted Rajnikant instead of Chuck Norris :p All in all, Expendebles-2 is a weak film even it has hell amount of the action heroes. With said that, I really liked "The A Team" in this genre. I watched The A Team 2 years ago. The A Team is like Expendables but the treatment of The A Team was far far superior. It had some story, twists and some very nice action. I would still recommend you watch "The A Team". It is far better than Expendables-2. (The opening scene was stolen from The A-Team, but they couldn't make it better).

I wasted my Rs 600 on this garbage!

My rating for Expendables-2 is 1/5.

A Nutshell Review: The Expendables 2

[DICK STEEL · 8/10 · 16 August 2012]

The mercenaries are back! And if the response from the box office is stellar, I suppose The Expendables can build upon a formula that's established through the two films to date, that somehow follows how James Bond would have done it, with its longevity inspiring similar treatment. There's the opening big bang action sequence, followed by Bruce Willis' shady CIA operative Mr Church coming on to provide Barney (Sylvester Stallone) and his team a challenge they cannot refuse (by way of blackmail). Technology and weapons go down to bare basics with loads of guns, knives and brass knuckles, with room for a female companion somewhere, against a mob boss played by somebody well known.

The Muscles from Brussels Jean-Claude Van Damme had agreed to step into the shoes of the villainous boss called erm, Villain, and shows he still got the moves with his signature roundhouse kicks. His plan is to make billions through mining weapons grade plutonium from a mine mapped out by the CIA, and together with lackey Hector (Scott Adkins), snarl in cocky fashion for the most parts, with Hector doing most of the dirty work of enslaving villagers to do their dirty bio-hazardous work. I guess egos got put aside when both got signed on to play villains amongst hundreds of faceless goons who are plain fodder when the Expendables come knocking, no thanks to a personal vendetta being set up early in the movie, giving Barney just cause for tracking, hunting, then killing.

Don't expect The Expendables sequel to be any brainier than the original of course, since nothing is cerebral here, and anything that exhibits a little bit of ingenuity, or brains, get mocked at. Just look at how Dolph Lundgren's Gunner Jensen got treated throughout as a mad scientist equivalent. It's really all about the bigger the guns, muscles and explosions, with the first scene establishing just how our heroes would plough through their adversaries - with ease like hot knife through butter. There's plenty of CG blood, gore, decapitations of various appendage done in a myriad of styles, they're all dumbed down to somewhat cartoony violence - where no matter what the faceless goons throw at The Expendables, nothing sticks, with vice versa accuracy the other way round. You may balk at scenes involving high caliber weapons literally ripping through a hole in someone's body or blowing up heads to smithereens, but it's the way the heroes become executioners, all without remorse.

Directing duties are given to Simon West, and in all honesty, he ensured a better way to shoot all the action, that is a leg up from how Stallone decided to do it, which was a blurry mash of clashing bodies in extreme closeups. Here we get to see who does what, with some incredible stunts filled with movie logic loopholes, you'd fare better if you leave your inhibitions at the door, and enjoy this action film for what it is. The screenplay by Richard Wenk and Stallone doesn't leave any room for character development, except for the continued buddy bromance between Barney and his right hand man Lee Christmas (Jason Statham). And their crew also got pared down with Jet Li appearing in just the first two scenes, with the team made up most of the time by Barney, Lee, Gunner, Hale (Terry Crews) and Toll (Randy Couture), with Yu Nan replacing Li as the token female and Chinese character who balances brains, guts and brawn.

What this outing now had, is plenty of jokes. It doesn't pretend to be what it's not, and junks seriousness, ever willing to trade in laughs at every opportunity. There are enough corny one liners here, and action set ups, that parody the action careers of Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger combined, the trio whom most audiences are really here to watch gracing the same screen together. And let's not forget good old Chuck Norris as Booker, with a tip of the hat going in the direction of the countless of Chuck Norris jokes that get a leg up when told by the legendary man himself, with his Booker having a reputation of being much of a lone wolf, coupled with a knack of appearing when needed, and given the abilities of all his action film roles combined.

The story centers on a vendetta to be settled between The Expendables and Villain, and being a personal one too, with a handful of emotional scenes for Stallone to flex his acting chops a little. In what would be an uncanny coincidence, Stallone himself had to battle personal loss during the promotional tour of this film with the passing of his son. Despite having his crew made up of veterans of action roles past, Stallone continues to show that he has a fun-filled, violent action franchise that's picking up traction, and has enough legs to warrant more films to come, especially when more names like Snipes and Eastwood have been bandied around as potential inclusions. Action fans, this is something that you won't want to miss, especially if you've grown up in the 80s and 90s!