Have you ever felt so mad

Rating: 6/10 (8 September 2012)

You threw a motorcycle into a helicopter? Have you ever felt so evil you had your henchman hold up a knife, just so you could fly-kick it into another man's chest? Have you ever felt so reckless you left Dolph Lundgren in charge of a room of explosive chemicals? Well, the cast of The Expendables 2 feels all of these things and more in a sequel that is bigger, bloodier and ultimately more entertaining than its predecessor, but one that also suffers from many of the same faults.
Sylvester Stallone returns as Barney Ross, whose unpaid debt to Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) leads his team deep into enemy territory and the impending death-traps set by Jean-Claude Van Damme's Jean Villain (that's not a joke- that's actually his character's name).
In what is essentially an ensemble film, Stallone and Statham remain the two leads. Their high schoolish, give-and-take interplay is packed with clichés but grows as the film progresses, becoming inexplicably endearing by film's end. Speaking of pure cheese that just somehow works, Chuck Norris' introduction is about as uproarious as it gets- heads up: Chuck Norris tells a Chuck Norris joke- while The Governator makes the most of his screen time as well.
As the director of the first Expendables film, Stallone showed a solid grasp on the art of directing action, and although he is relegated simply to co-writer for the sequel, his filmic influence is perennially visible under the reigns of new contributor Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider). Engaging and free-flowing visuals compliment the top-shelf combat choreography beautifully. Among the highlights are Jet Li's frying pan assault and Stallone's final face-off with Van Dammewho's still got it, by the way.
So thrilling, in fact, are the action set pieces that the thought that even one key member may go down doesn't even cross the mind. Everyone worth noting is fixed in two hour's worth of 'God Mode'. Simply put: nobody hits them, and they never miss.
Does that put a bit more strain on the suspension of disbelief? Sure. But it is all part of the action-comedy setting, and the one area in which the sequel excels. Aside from a couple of hideous attempts to develop fringe characters or exert hubris, the film never gets too preachy. It delivers on audience expectations, and the self-deprecating one-liners fired off like Arnie's endless supply of ammunition draw more than a few laughs. Hell, most of the unintentionally funny dialogue falls into the 'so-bad-it's-good' category, resulting in an abundance of quotable material. Still not convinced? Wait for Stallone's musings on the frailty of human life.
The Expendables 2 is still directionless. It still has a plot filled with MacGuffins and characters with a mountain of convenient outs in their backstory so obvious that what happens to each one should be a foregone conclusion by the fifteenth minute. Its villains are caked in black coats, bad sunglasses and even worse accents. It's likely to be forgotten halfway through a plate of post-film nachos, but the sheer enjoyment of the ride lingers like the playful curiosity of a half-remembered dream.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*