The Expendables:part 2

Rating: 8/10 (16 August 2012)

Originally planning to meet up with a friend later in the day,I was surprise when I suddenly got a phone call from them asking if I would like to come along to a "preview" screening of The Expendables 2!.Since finding the first movie to be a fun Action ride,and also having been left breathless from a number of the casts fantastic films over the years,I decided to come along and witness the second reunion of the Action legends.
The plot:
Enjoying a few well dissevered beers to celebrate helping a Chinese billionaire and an old friend called Trench escape from a high security prison camp,the Expenables also do a toast to "Bill The Kid",who despite being a proud member of the gang thanks to his amazing sniper skills,has decided that the work that the Expendables have to do is something which he cant fully put his heart into.Interupting the on going celebration's, CIA agent "Church" tells the Expendables that due to them all owing him a huge favour,he has decided to give them a mission of stopping a rouge group of mercenaries led by Jean-Villain from making a bomb with petroleum that Russia had left to gather dust in mines at the end of the Cold War.Following Church's orders,the Expendables quickly come face to face with Villain,but are caught off guard when Jean's mercenaries show themselves and force the gang to get on their hands and knees,and sit face down on the ground.As his helicopter starts to get set for his getaway drive,/Villain decides to strike right at the very heart of the Expendables,by getting hold of Billy and ruthlessly killing him right in front of their faces.Seeing the helicopter disappear into the distance,the Expendables vow that along with stopping Jean from carrying out his insane plan,they are going to do everything to avenge the death of their fallen brother in arms Billy.
View on the film:
Correcting the mistake he had made with turning down the offer to appear in the first film,Jean-Claude Van Damme fully takes the second opportunity which he has thankfully been given by making Jean Villain a wonderful,ice-cool characters,who along with delivering super-kick hitting action scenes (such as a tense final fight with Sylvester Stallone) also shows moments of Villain calculating the perfect moment to strike at the gang when they are at their weakest.Whist the movies plot is rather straight forward,screenwriters Stallone,Richard Wenk ,David Agosto and Ken Kaufman make the excellent ensembles camaraderie a true joy to witness,as Stallone,Jason Statham,Chuck "Facts" Norris and "The Governator" hit each other with as many smile-inducting one liners as they do hard punches.Giving the movie an explosive opening which could cause some small islands to sink underwater,director Simon West keeps the films tremendous pace lean and sharp,with the editing of the action scenes, ( which includes a huge airport shoot-em-up party) never becoming to dizzy,but instead smartly allowing the action to be fully observed,whilst also using the "character beats" to give a real sense of the loss that the Expendables are determined to avenge.