Blistering action flick

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2012)

Wow! THE EXPENDABLES 2 is exactly what it sets out to be: a genuinely exciting, fast-paced action movie packed with all manner of violent shoot-outs, show-downs and stuff blowing up. It's a definite improvement on the first film, doing away with the poor CGI blood and dodgy shaky-cam in favour of plentiful set-pieces that are well-shot and easy to follow. Okay, so there's a certain repetitiveness in watching nameless bad guys being blown away by massive guns and the plot is hardly anything to write home about, but nevertheless I had a ball with this film.
One reason I particularly like it is for the cast. As a fan of action cinema, especially that of the '80s, how could I fail to love the calibre of the ensemble squad they've assembled here? The good news is that roles for Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger have been beefed up and the less interesting members of the crew (Terry Crews and Randy Couture) have been put into the background, as is right. Add in some hilarious moments for Chuck Norris and a hateful villain in no less than Jean-Claude Van Damme, and you have action movie heaven. Watching these guys trading quips is my idea of fun, and Schwarzenegger in particular seems to be having a ball. You realise just how much you've missed his trademark humour when you see him in action here.
Others in the cast fare less well, but are still worth seeing. Jet Li contributes some blistering hand-to-hand combat at the outset but then disappears for no good reason, while Jason Statham feels slightly wooden for the first time, his hard-man schtick grating on the nerves a little. Dolph Lundgren gets very little screen time too, although we do get Scott Adkins lending skillful support as a henchman. Director Simon West brings the same level of anything-goes OTT mayhem to this film as he did to CON AIR, banishing memories of WHEN A STRANGER CALLS at the same time. At this rate, I say bring on THE EXPENDABLES 3!