Exactly what I hoped for.

Rating: 8/10 (15 September 2010)

I haven't seen a really good, hardcore, shoot 'em bang 'em up action flick in a long time. When I went to see this movie with a couple of buddies, that's what I was hoping for. My wish came true.
As a kid, I have grown up watching the big action heroes portrayed by Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, Statham, Li, and many more. Seeing close to a dozen action stars together in one movie is a real treat. All of the actors do not just deliver classic one-liners, brutal action sequences, and plenty of testosterone and macho attitudes, but they also immerse themselves into their characters. It's easy to love the tough good guys and hate the cruel bad guys. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger and Willis only receive mere cameos, but at least they were present in the film. I will note that Schwarzenegger, however, gets the best intro and exit of any character in the movie.
The action sequences is another thing worth noting; they're not only great, but the immerse CGI adds a somewhat stylized/cartoonish look to them. There's a somewhat 300 style to the violence in the excessive blood splatter, yet no slow motion is used. Instead, all of the action is very quick and crisply edited—this makes it hard to keep up with the body count I might add.
In regards to plot, do not expect much. I predicted it all from the beginning, but there is a nice twist that I didn't see coming at the end. I don't hold this against the movie though, because plot is not its purpose. The film's goal is to provide mindless action—the perfect escapism. That's what I like about this film. When this comes out on DVD, I'll certainly pick it up and if Stallone decides to do a sequel, I'll definitely go see it on the big screen.
The one thing that I did not like about this movie is the sound design. My buddies and I noticed that the music and effects were very loud, but the dialog was real quiet. I have nothing wrong with loud explosions and gunshots in a film, but I do not appreciate quiet dialog—which is supposed to be the most important aspect of sound in cinema. Other than this, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. If mindless, bloody, hardcore action with tough guys as the heroes is your fetish, then go see this movie!