Fun 80's throwback, but ultimately a let-down

Rating: 5/10 (15 December 2012)

Like most men, I loved the idea of all the old action heroes getting together and giving a back-to-basics, fun and explosive 80's throwback that didn't take itself too seriously. Now, in the end I did enjoy most of it and would definitely check out the sequel, but what spoilt it for me was Sly's heavy-handed direction and mechanical dialogue. The action is filmed way too frantically, extremely up close with very quick cuts so it's almost impossible to tell what's going on and to who (a problem also in the recent A-Team remake.) The finale was just a fiery and explosive blur, which ultimately takes the intensity and the audience out of the action and feeling very detached. I see this as important because the film is a love letter to old action flicks. What made the action in The Dark Knight so tense was that it was approached methodically, very few quick cuts used to make it seem more realistic and little shaky cam. The Expendables camera shakes like an earthquake's hit it! There's also a problem with the odd really bad CGI effect, making the film seem cheaper than it is. However, I did enjoy the comedy aspect and the banter. The storyline was refreshingly simple and thus easy to get into, I just think it would've been a much better experience if Sly wasn't behind the camera as well as in front of it!