Comedy at its most suspect

Rating: 8/10 (16 August 2010)

I have read no reviews, professional or fan, that seem to get the wink-wink of this movie. This is not intended to be a "real" 80s action movie, but rather, an over-the-top self-parody which worked very well on that level.
The one-liners were hilarious, the situations so intentionally ludicrous as to make the violence more cartoonish than horrifying. The things that are done are impossible, outlandish, and the massively destructive team emerges unscathed. The "surprise" in the end underscores the wonderful ridiculousness. The numbers of casualties alone should have been an alert to the fact that this was supposed to be wildly exaggerated.
Stallone has no illusions about himself or the genre which vaulted him to heady heights, in the day. He has a tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating sense of humor and this was so evident in the film that the cast might have been wearing t-shirts that said, "We know, we know...but ain't it grand to do this again, no holds barred?" Well, words to that effect. Most t-shirts wouldn't allow for the entire sentiment.
Anyway, I laughed heartily and enjoyed thoroughly. The so-called "target audience"--supposedly middle-aged males trying to recapture something or other-- just didn't seem to have as much fun with it as I, a woman who normally passes on gratuitous violence. This was SO gratuitous that I immediately glommed onto the realization that, yeah, they get it and they're having fun with it. Why didn't anyone else?
Expected, delivered.