Improves on the first film; exactly what to expect from an action movie

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2017)

The Expendables 2 is a welcome improvement on the first film, which is as decent as an action film can get. It has the foundations of a proper, well-developed plot, with good characterisation of most of the major characters.
However it does not properly characterise all the Expendables, leaving several merely ''there'' and nothing else. Still, it does better than the first, which managed to characterise merely protagonists Barney and Lee to a considerable extent.
While the film isn't remarkably better than the first, the action is certainly more interesting and entertaining. The final airport scene climaxes very well, and reunites all the characters from throughout the movie, including Chuck Norris' character, who just coincidentally shows up at the perfect time.
However, while it manages to capture the protagonists very well, the main antagonist isn't quite as terrifying as in the first movie. Regardless, his character is definitely not likable; his name even resembles ''villain''.
Stunts are not particularly remarkable either, in many regards recycling that of the first movie, for example their plane coming in low when shooting. Combat, however, does improve, which can be seen in the airport scene; perhaps the very fact that this scene takes place in the daytime and not the night, like the first film, improves it.
Overall, this film is a well-paced action film that is worth a watch. While some may see the plot as just a typical run-of-the-mill action story, the movie itself compensates with good characters and actors, bringing these all together to make a good movie. It may not be perfect, but it is as much as one can expect from an action movie.