Average And Predictable Action Fare But With A Must-See Cast

Rating: 4/10 (1 January 2013)

The Expendables are a band of mercenaries hired to topple a South American dictator who is running drugs in league with a rogue CIA agent. Things get complicated when a brave young woman leading the fight against the dictator turns out to be his daughter ...
I love action movies and I don't like being negative, but I have to say I think this movie is a bit of a wasted opportunity. It has a dream cast, great locations (the fictional island of Vilena was shot in Rio De Janeiro state), tons of fights, chases, stunts and explosions but for me it makes two classic blunders - the characters are all clods and the action is poorly choreographed. For a big budget film with such a prestigious international cast it looks and feels remarkably like any old Chuck Norris / Jean-Claude Van Damme / Steven Seagal action knock off. The fights, car chase in the middle and especially the big set piece storm-the-castle-and-blow-everything-up ending are all cut so fast, with little or no suspense, that it becomes just a fireworks show. None of the characters are developed and only Statham manages to add any kind of pathos or context to the action. It isn't a good sign when I find myself identifying most with backstabbing psychotic drug lord Roberts, because at least he's intelligent and has an ideology he sticks to. Criticism aside though, the movie does redeem itself with that cast; Stallone and Statham make a good double act, Li injects some much needed deadpan humour, Lundgren is agreeably over-the-top, and there are four champ wrestling/sports/martial-arts B-movie stars in Couture, Crews, Austin and Daniels. It moves along fast enough, and although there are no surprises as a park-your-brain blood-and-thunder actioner it's good fun. For bonus points, there's also an early scene in a church featuring Stallone with an unbilled Willis and Schwarzenegger which must surely be officially the most on-screen testosterone in the history of cinema. Followed in 2012 by a direct sequel.