An explosion packed sequel that leaves you wanting more

Rating: 7/10 (1 October 2014)

If you're a fan of big booms and complete unrealistic gun battles then read no more and get over to your nearest Movie Theater or Netflix capable device because this is the movie for you. If you prefer to have some actual plot then while you will not be absolutely disgusted with this movie you could probably do without. If your one of those people who likes for movies to be realistic and have a deep and meaningful plot line then you are better off passing on this one. While there is definitely a storyline and a few deep moments throughout the movie they are simply overshadowed by the number of explosions and gun battles. Personally I love to see the pyrotechnics go a little nuts with the explosives. Not to mention that the cast for this movie includes just about every main character from every major classic action movie. Msia91 could not have said it better his/herself when they said "Their screen presence needs no explanation: Sylvester Stallone. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bruce Willis. Jean-Claude Van Damme. Chuck Norris. Dolph Lundgren. Jason Statham. Jet Li. Need I say more? Cult or mainstream, these guys each has hordes of fans – and they have good reason to."(IMDb). Going into this movie you have to expect and understand that the priority was not plot line drama it was coolness plain and simple.
This is perfectly demonstrated throughout the movie by the jokes between the characters referencing the past movies they have starred in. As Neil Pond wrote on the website Rotten Tomatoes on behalf of American Profile "there's a vein of humor running throughout the script and almost as many quips zipping around as bullets."(RottenTomatoes.com, 1). With so many famous movie lines coming from characters in this movie it is almost impossible not to expect to see them in a movie like this. One of the elements of this movie that makes it so ridiculous is that the jokes and movie references will come at the most dramatic points in the movie. For example in the final shootout when Schwarzenegger runs out of ammo he tells Bruce Willis "I'll be back."(The Expendables 2). To which Willis responds "You've been back enough. I'll be back" (The Expendables 2) and walks off. Schwarzenegger cleverly replies "Yippie-ki-yay" (The Expendables 2) and is promptly joined by Chuck Norris. At this point Schwarzenegger has just about had enough and jokingly remarks "who is next? Rambo?" (The Expendables 2). It is this kind of banter that makes this movie so laughable yet enjoyable at the same time. The best part is that most of the time you can see the joke coming before it is even said on screen so you know it is going to be bad before it even happens.
The other important feature about this movie is that it had to live up to the precedent set be the first movie. In fact numerous critics even said that the explosions and violence of this movie did not exceed that of the first Expendables. For the most part the critics who supported this movie were those that were big fans of explosives rather than dialogue, or those that recognized that this was not intended to be an Academy Award winning film unless there is a new category for biggest boom.
I think that Adam Ross said it best when in his review of the movie he said "if seeing a man's head explode like a watermelon is your thing, book a ticket, because The Expendables 2 frequently makes fruit salad." (RottenTomatoes.com, 2). I believe that what Ross is getting at is that this movie knows its target audience, it knows what they want to see, and it knows how to make a big fire ball. I think that that is the main reason for the wide range of critic reviews. As a family movie, horrible definitely not. However for a group of high school guys on a rainy afternoon definitely a good way to pass the time. That being said this movie definitely isn't for everyone especially the faint of heart. The key to understanding and enjoying this movie is to know what you're getting into before you dig into the popcorn. Don't set your expectations to high as almost all the actors are better at pumping iron then delivering a punch line. Personally I tip my hat to Sylvester Stallone for directing and starring in a movie that will appeal to the little kid in you while still making you feel old for knowing who Rambo is.