film review: The Expendables 2 (2012)
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After the drubbing Donald Clarke gave it on Cinerama the other week, I obviously ran straight out to the cinema to see The Expendables 2. I’d really enjoyed the first one and I had to know if they’d caused a car crash by trying the same joke twice.
Nope.
Had a great laugh at the first one and had a great laugh at this one too.
Granted, there are times you’re laughing at it rather than with it. I know it’s not meant to be taken that seriously but when Stallone is mumbling macho battle cries like a late night TV caricature of himself from an ’80s action flick #257, it’s hard to know whether the scene was meant as a joke, a homage or a serious turning point in the plot.
No matter, it was still funny.
With even less of a plot that the first and even more explosions, this is rollicking fun for all ages… of people who are interested in seeing the action heroes of their childhood resurrected. If you’ve no interest in seeing Stallone, Willis, Van Damme and Schwarzenegger firing automatic weapons at each other then you probably won’t find this as much rollicking fun as I did.
In fact, you should probably stop reading now.
Still with me? OK!
In their latest adventure, our band of merry mercenaries are joined by convert Dolph Lundgren on a mission to… find something, save something, pick up something? It’s not important really. The main thing is that they have to go places… Fast. In a plane. Or on a jeep. Or with a motorbike. And they’ve gotta have guns. Lots of guns.
Ok, I’m giving the impression that The Expendables 2 is just an orgy of guns, explosions and people running around. And to a certain degree it is. But that’s not what makes it enjoyable. No, really. Well ok, that’s not all that makes it enjoyable.
I had fun because the film had just the right amount of humour about it. It knows what it’s up to, but it’s not too joke-y, it’s not an out and out spoof of those action films from days gone by, it actually takes what was good about those film and builds on it. Yes, there are some clangers in the dialogue but sure, we always forgave them when the action was good enough.
And speaking of the action. Finally. The action is great. It’s loud, crushing and fast paced, despite the lumbering giants who are perpetrating it. Seriously, there’s enough “young” blood in there in the form of Jason Statham, and Randy Couture to keep the fight scenes moving.
If you’re looking for some brainless, loud, explosive fun I highly recommend this.
Oh, and Chuck Norris is hilarious.
7/10
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