A mediocre attempt at bridging two eras of action movies

Rating: 6/10 (18 August 2010)

Disappointing: a lot of potential was squandered here. Jet Li's part was that of the unfortunate whipping boy. Some of the CG looks poorly done. There are a few genuine thrills in the big fights, but some of that, too, degenerates into a white noise of violence. CG and shaky cameras, the hallmarks of modern action movies, rear their head to get in the way of these real men and their real talent for screen combat.
The dialogue, too, is lacking. Obviously a stellar script was not going to be the main draw here, but most of the great action movies have some snappy banter and at least one memorable one-liner, where this has neither. It does try a few times (with the "cauliflower ears", "I'm smaller", and "she's not your type" bits), but these efforts fall flat. Indeed, with the notable exception of Mickey Rourke's monologue about his redemption, most of the non-combat scenes tend to drag. Also, both female leads have fairly small roles, unlike many great action movies, where their interaction with the hero is a main theme.
It strikes me as tragic that this film has grossed so many more dollars than its opening weekend competition, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. While it obviously has a much larger target demographic, Expendables tries to get by solely on the reputation of its cast and a few testosterone-soaked fight scenes. It tries, largely without success, to merge over-the-top '80s action movie heroes with the modern action style. If you want creative battle sequences, good dialogue, intriguing characters, and a more appreciative date, go see Scott Pilgrim. Or, if that's not your style, do yourself a favor and just sit back and watch Stallone in his prime with First Blood and Rocky IV.