Mostly successful and action-packed

Rating: 6/10 (30 August 2010)

'The Expendables' is an old-school throwback to the 80s, we all know this was the intention from the beginning and overall I think it succeeded.
The plot is perfect action movie fodder; the Latin American dictator, the slimy villain in the suit pulling the strings, the traitor in the group, the gang of big hard-nuts carrying even bigger firepower etc. Aside from a sub-plot for Statham's character, which slows the film, 'The Expendables' walks a well-trodden path, but delivers some cracking action along the way. In terms of pacing, Stallone has ensured that the action only gets bigger as the film reaches it's climax. Unlike this summer's 'A-Team' which I enjoyed, this peaks at the right moments.
In this situation, analysing characterisation and story is pointless. Genre classics such as 'Commando', 'Cobra' and 'Predator' were about the mission in hand. The characters may not be as memorable, but they all look the part and get their chance to shine. Those films I mentioned were definitely snappier in terms of dialogue - which is my only real gripe with this film.
Like the last Rambo movie, there is a period at the beginning where the dialogue is forced and laboured. In 'Rambo', Stallone tries to make a point about humanity and redemption etc. but in this case it's more to provide a punchline on which to close the scene. The cameo with Bruce and Arnold is the best example; awkward and not very funny. Similarly, the group scenes (of which are surprisingly few) don't try hard enough to create a sense of camaraderie which we never buy into.
However, the stilted dialogue stops being such a problem once the plot kicks into gear on Stallone's first trip to Vilena. Speaking of Sly, it was nice to see the man himself back in some proper nasty brawls again.
This leads us to the action, which I think Sly has delivered on in spades. The final half-hour is obviously the talking point here, but I also enjoyed various sequences throughout. The dock explosion HAS to be seen on the big screen, it's that epic. Fight scenes were fast and brutal and while some people criticise the camera-work, I was never lost during these scenes. Only the car chases were too frantically shot in my opinion. The finale is truly some of the best action I've EVER seen with an energy that few films of this type manage to capture. Needless to say, the entire tunnel sequence (featuring some kick-ass brawling and Terry Crews' monster of a shotgun) will go down in action movie lore for years to come.
'The Expendables' never overstays it's welcome and that's a refreshing thing in this age of 150mins+ epic family movies. It's short, to the point and a great slice of brainless fun and I am certainly looking forward to the sequel!