The Expendables

Rating: 4/10 (21 August 2010)

From star, writer and director Sylvster Stallone, this was marketed like it was going to be the action film to end all action films, so I had relatively high expectations for it, it is just a shame it didn't quite offer what I had hoped. Basically the "Expendables" are a band of high skilled mercenaries, led by strategist Barney Ross (Stallone), working alongside members including former SAS soldier and knife enthusiast Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) and martial artist Ying Yang (Jet Li). We see one of their missions go to plan, but it almost doesn't with uneasy sniper Gunner Jensen (Universal Soldier's Dolph Lundgren) in the gang, and then Barney goes to find their next assignment. After old friend Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his first role since becoming Governor of California) allows his gang to take the job, Barney is assigned by "Mr. Church" (Bruce Willis) to go to Vilena, in the Gulf of Mexico, to overthrow brutal dictator General Garza (David Zayas). There they meet Sandra (Giselle Itié) who lets them in on why someone would want them to get rid of Garza, ex-CIA agent James Munroe (The Dark Knight's Eric Roberts) is backing his plans. Barney and Lee try to escape the situation, and they tell Church that the job is off, but they can't leave the country without leaving Sandra who wasn't eager to escape herself and almost allowed herself to get captured. After almost being killed by the betraying Jensen, Barney gets the whole team together, including weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Norbit's Terry Crews) and demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture), to go and rescue Sandra. Once they start the dangerous and suicidal operation, they discover during that Sandra is the daughter of Garza, but they still kill him and Munroe in the end and save the day. Also starring Mickey Rourke as Tool the tattooist, Steve Austin as Paine and Charisma Carpenter as Lacy. The Schwarzenegger in-joke about wanting to be president is funny, and a few other one-liners are amusing, and obviously the explosions, action and guns blazing is quite good, but that's about it. It is good to see the big action stars of the 80's, 90's and today brought together (also remember that Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger started up Planet Hollywood together), but the story is too simple and predictable to care about much, a slightly disappointing but not rubbish action adventure. Okay!