As Enjoyable As It Is Brainless

Rating: 7/10 (5 February 2014)

A Chinese plane carrying plutonium crashes in a Central Asian Republic and the mercenary group The Expendables are hired to recover it . A black market arms dealer called Jean Villain beats the group to the crash site and after killing one of the Expendables escapes with the plutonium
I didn't think much of the original THE EXPENDABLES which seemed like a bunch of has been action stars picking up a fairly easy pay cheque . On top of that the cinematography was dreadful and murky and for the first 15 minutes we're treated to more of the same . In many ways it's kind of like one of those nostalgic DOCTOR WHO specials where the producers throw everything including the kitchen sink in to the overblown mix . In effect this is what THE EXPENDABLES 2 is
That said it is a step or two up from the original . In the first movie Arnie and Bruce appear merely to add star power to the movie but here they're actually given something to do . They also get given all too conscious post modernist lines which does take you out of the movie but let's face it you're aware throughout the running time this is a movie and not a fly on the wall documentary and this breaking down the figurative fourth wall is keeping in step with the cheeky tone of the film . Perhaps the highlight is seeing JCVD playing a character called Jean Villain ( Oh more post modernism ) and I'm struck as to how better suited he is at playing a bad guy
THE EXPENDABLES 2 is brainless entertainment with guns , explosions , cartoonish violence and an astronomical body count , but it's as entertaining as it is violent . I doubt if I'll be buying a ticket to watch THE EXPENDABLES 3 at the cinema this Summer but as a franchise it shows signs of improving