I went in to the screening of The Expendables expecting nothing more that an hour and a half of pure dumb fun. I wasn’t disappointed and that is not a negative criticism. Except for one surprisingly poignant scene, there really isn’t anything deep about this movie. In fact, it’s pretty much a straight line, paint-by-numbers stereotypical action film. The thing is, that is exactly what it needs to be.
The ensemble cast of this film includes Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, Gary Daniels, Gisele Itié and Charisma Carpenter with cameos by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. That alone should have you in a theater seat post-haste. The plot is nothing new; A group of mercenaries is hired to overthrow a cold-blooded dictator in South America, but unforeseen factors arise to complicate the mission. In short, The Expendables is a tribute to the blockbuster action films of the ’80s and early ’90s while blending in elements of current action films to serve up a feast of carnage and over the top acting. Again, this is just what the doctor ordered.
Two things make this an epic film, the first being the short scene between Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis. It is a meeting of action movie gods and it is indeed momentous. The second is where Mickey Rourke steals the movie. Yeah, you read that right. Rourke’s character, Tool, seems to be straightforward and one dimensional until this one small scene where he describes a past event. Rourke’s voice catches and you’re ready to hand him an Academy Award right there. He may not have the leading man prettiness anymore, but Rourke is still an acting talent to be reckoned with.
Sure, the cheesy one-liners fly almost as often as the bullets, but you will love every one of them. Plus, there is the epic fight between Stallone and Austin, the throw down between Lundgren and Li, enough explosions to level half a continent and Eric Roberts chewing the scenery like it’s his last meal. If you can’t enjoy this film then your pretensions are set way too high. This is popcorn entertainment at its finest and we’d be lucky indeed if Stallone gets this band back together for more.
