Don't Expect Much, But You'll Probably Still Be Disappointed

Rating: 5/10 (27 August 2012)

I don't know whether it was because the last film I saw before ExpII was The Dark Knight Rises, but I have to say this movie was a let-down. Actually, I'd go a step further and say I couldn't take it seriously and wanted to leave the theater on a number of occasions. I don't have particularly high standards for films in general and I'm usually quite good at enjoying them for what they are, but this one fell flat on all fronts for me.
It really didn't have much going for it from the start. The lack of plot development was astonishingly stark, even for the guns-blazing action flick this is. I haven't seen the first Expendables film, and maybe that's why I left this one with basically no recollection of the main characters' names, histories or motives. The film runs through without actually revealing much about any of the protagonists. It makes it difficult to really care about what they're doing.
The acting was also sub-par, but I wouldn't place blame on the actors, rather the cliché-ridden script that didn't give them much to work with. A lot of the comedy is tired, and I have to say the racial stereotypes were overplayed. The female lead was dry and uninteresting, and the film practically builds up a romance that ends before it even begins.
Listen, I get the template for these kinds of films: the good guys are doing their thing when somebody wrongs them. Bring out the guns and the pace picks up. Then it's time for something sad to happen, leading to a point of emotional revelation in the film. Cue the epic soundtrack that's a little too reminiscent of that last summer blockbuster you saw, but whose name you just can't seem to recall at the time. Finally, we get some more ass-kicking and a final showdown with the big baddie. Sprinkle a multitude of one-liners and puns throughout the script, and there you have it, an action flick. The problem is that ExpII followed this little template to the dot, just not as well as that other flick playing in the next theater over.
Only watch if you're a big fan of the leads. Otherwise, wait for DVD.