Much better than the first...

Rating: 8/10 (29 August 2012)

Not gonna lie - I enjoyed it! I definitely recommend seeing it. But only if you are into cheesy 80s actioners laden with one-liners. That's everyone, right? Hehe...
Anyway, basically everything that was wrong with the first one is right in this one. Simon West's steady hand in the director's chair really captured the action sequences in all their fluid and gory glory as opposed to Sly's choppy and shaky sequences in the first one. Secondly, the action sequences are more creative this time around and not just endless shootings and stabbings. Thirdly, West seems to understand when enough is enough. OK, sure it's overkill here too - not gonna lie. But compared to the first one this looks like a lesson in moderation. Less is more sometimes. And that's always a good thing. The end battle in the first one was just one huge carnage-fest which looked like something out of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN amped up to the 100th degree and felt like it went on for an hour. I couldn't tolerate anymore of it. Here the end battle shows some creativity and tongue-in-cheek fun as each "hero" gets to shine and then the 2 final battles are also quick, sweet, and to the point - first between Jason Statham and Scott Adkins and then the grand-finale between Sly and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Great stuff!
But the greatest improvement with this film is that it actually succeeds in doing what it sets out to do - mainly to emulate the glory years of the 80s action picture. The first one failed in this department. It's like the cast didn't get the memo that they weren't doing a Chris Nolan film. Like they forgot that they're supposed to be spoofing 80s actioners. So they bring in Academy-award winner Mickey Rourke to give some sob story about some little girl and some such nonsense. Then the whole team sits around pouting with emo faces. Then the action kicks in and we feel like we're in a Bourne movie - hey why is the camera shaking, dammit??! I thought this was supposed to be good violent fun - a COMMANDO 2010 or something like that. Anyway they definitely rectified this here - no shaky-cam, no emo nonsense, no taking things too seriously. Just old-school fun and mayhem!
The best parts are the guys sitting around and cracking jokes. Gotta love Arnie and Bruce's extended cameos. JCVD is a total revelation as the "Vilain" (see what I did there?) - as hissable and vile as possible! Eric Roberts and Steve Austin can go hang their heads in shame. But the highlight has to be Chuck's cameo. Anyone surprised?? Yeah, didn't think so. When Ennio Morricone's TGTBATU score begins to play as Norris emerges from amidst the carnage the theater broke out in applause. I might have even pumped my fist. Can't remember at this stage. Gotta love Chuck not wanting to join the team, saying he's a "lone wolf", but he keeps popping up like a ghost from behind corners here and there to lend the team a hand. Then he just disappears again. Love it! Best line of the film? Sly to Chuck: "I heard you got bitten by a King Cobra". Chuck to Sly: "Yeah, I did. But after 5 days of excruciating pain... the Cobra died." The theater burst into a roar of laughter! Hey, we all knew it was coming.
Do I need to see the film again? Nah, probably not. Did I have a grand old time?? YA BETCHA!! Not much of a story but it sure was fun and the most fun I had at the movies this year. Which isn't really saying much because I've only been to the theater twice thus far. THE GREY was obviously a much better picture but obviously not as much fun. They weren't exactly aiming for "fun" with that one.
Still, EX2 was much, much better than the first. I give it a solid 8/10.