Lighter Tone = Better Overall Experience

Rating: 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.