Movie Review – The Expendables 2

In terms of entertainment value, the 2012 summer movie season has packed a helluva punch. Wrapping it all up with a huge exclamation point is The Expendables 2, an action extravaganza, on steroids.
Barney (Sylvester Stallone) and his band of expendable mercenaries are called into action to recapture a computer diagram detailing the whereabouts of a large cache of disposed weapons-grade plutonium. This highly sensitive material falls into the hands of The Sangs, a deadly merc group led by Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Heavily outgunned, the Expendable team enlists the help of franchise newcomers, Maggie (Nan Yu), Billy (Liam Hemsworth), and the lone wolf, Booker (Chuck Norris). The team must recover the stolen plutonium before Vilain can offload it to terrorists.
The Expendables 2 takes the successful elements of the first, and elevates them to new heights. In production, there were fears the film would downgrade its rating to PG-13 with the introduction of Norris into the mix. I can safely say, this film is a hard R. There is enough blood and violence to satisfy even the staunchest action critic. The sequel ups the ante on humor as well. The one-liners and 80’s action-film pokes are aplenty and very well placed, without over doing it. The absolute best being the Norris-legend exchange between Booker and the team (if unfamiliar, check out this site).
If you’re looking for a smart, action-thriller, you’d be terribly disappointed. Expendables 2 plays to the fans of lowbrow over-the-top action films of the 80’s and 90’s. I am one of those fans. Many movie-goers won’t find the ticket value in a film that is 90% guns and explosives, 10% dialogue.
The Expendables 2 elevates the action, features the best past and present action-stars, and really brings the funny.