Main menu The Expendables 2 review Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham lead their army of action heroes into battle for The Expendables 2. Here's Duncan's review... Saying I love the first Expendables movie is like saying that its body count is a little high. Yet despite my enthusiasm for both its execution and concept, even I couldn't admit that it was perfect. Sure, it contained all the right elements, including the long-awaited moment when Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger finally appeared on screen together, but it struggled a little under the weight of expectation. If you've seen The Expendables documentary, Inferno, on its Blu-ray, you'll appreciate that Stallone almost killed himself trying to get it made, while both starring and directing. My hopes were high, then, that by handing over directorial responsibilities to Simon West ( Con Air ), The Expendables 2 would surpass the original. What I could never have predicted was how superior Expendables 2 would be in every single way. It's bigger, better and bloodier, even nailing the humour this time. From start to finish it's a joy to behold, especially as the much-needed sense of the ridiculous that permeated West's Con Air is present throughout. I'm used to action movies starting with bombastic openings - after all, anyone who's grown up with James Bond simply expects such things - but the opening scene for The Expendables 2 is excellent. If ever there were doubts that the level of violence would drop with the addition of Chuck Norris,