It’s like a family reunion, except with more explosions, and steroids.
Barney (Sylvester Stallone) leads a ragtag band of hired guns charged with overthrowing a South American despot, a job no official military unit is willing to touch. But once on the ground, the team learns there’s more to the mission than they were told. Their next move determines whether they survive — or are, indeed, expendable.
Ever since I heard of this films first being talked about last year, I was instantly already pumped for this to actually come out. I was a big fan of the action films, that took over the 80’s and early 90’s, and seeing all my favorites on the big screen, is like my fantasy (no homo).
The film’s plot is how should I say, just terrible. There is plenty of plot holes that doesn’t quite explain a whole lot about the story, and it does not make any sense as it goes on even longer. Also, the screenplay isn’t terribly written but at times it does feel a bit lazy. The jokes are some what funny, but the film tries to be dramatic at times, and it doesn’t work, and is just pretty weak.
But that’s not what this film is all about, it’s all about guns, killing people, explosions, knives, shootings, more explosions, and by the end of it all, laughing it all off, and having a good time. For the most part, the action was awesome. There was defiantly plenty of action to satisfy all action lovers needs, but I just wish there was more than what I was given. The beginning, and the final 35 minutes deliver on the action very well, but I can’t quite say the same for the middle parts. Overall, the action was great to watch, and for once I could actually see what was going on, instead of having to be totally confused, because of the constant swerving of the camera.
The ensemble cast had me first interested because it has all of my favorites from the era of those action films, as well as some other ones. However, it doesn’t use all of them to their full potential, instead the film is more focused on Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li, while everybody else is sort of just side characters for the story. However, all three are good and bring a lot to the screen, and when their not killing people, they have great times on screen together. Others in the cast that are good when their on screen is, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The main villain here is portrayed by Eric Roberts, who I think knows that he shouldn’t be taken seriously, cause I really couldn’t with this film as a bad guy, but if that was the type of performance he was channeling, than he does a great job with it. There are also two good cameos from Bruce Willis, and the guy that hasn’t been around forever, that’s right bitches, the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It isn’t the greatest cameo ever in the world of cinema, but it’s always good to see a long lost action hero, back on screen.
Consensus: The Expendables, may have a bad plot, and problems with its script, but it does provide plenty of the action it promised, and the cast still does provide plenty of fun for everybody.
7/10=Rental!!!
Dan the Man's Movie Reviews 
This was the mindless, violent, badly written generic 80’s throwback action film I wanted! Stallone basically gives us more action than a double feature of Transformers/Bad Boys 2. The cast brings what they can to the table but I wanted more Mickey Rourke who is incapable to give a bad performance (ok, Double Team). I couldn’t get enough of Stallone’s tricks and explosions that just left me speechless and cheering like I did with Rambo and Schwarzenegger’s Commando. I wanted a escapee blockbuster and finally I got it.
Indeed my friend! Very well said there!
How DARE you besmirch Double Team!
I completely disagree. The action was the most disappointing element of the film. It tried to take the ridiculous, kickass tone of ’80s action flicks and cram it into modern aesthetics of hand-held cameras and rapid editing that make scenes that should be cool incoherent. Everything else is just about as bad. There’s a couple of cool character moments, but most of it is just not all that entertaining, making it one of the most disappointing films of the summer.
Oh James, I felt like it was cheesy on purpose. From my point of view that was the intent and therefore part of the fun. The tragic one liners kept me hysterical throughout. Aside from that the film had it’s faults, as Dan points out, and won’t make my best list of the year, but was a damn fun summer flick that I’ll more than likely end up buying on DVD.
I see what your saying about the action, but I still liked what i got overall. I was expecting better, but not something off the roof incredible. I had a good time watching this, and seeing all my heroes together on one screen.
I thought this was quite terrible and the few good moments weren’t enough to overcome the terrible dialogue (made mostly of a string of one-liners), poor editing, and stupefyingly ridiculous romance between Statham and Carpenter.
A 5.5/10 (C+) for me
I know what your saying, I didn’t care much about that, I just wanted to see things and people blowing up, and that’s what I got.
[…] crap, cause he doesn’t need it honestly, he should just come back and do little roles like The Expendables. I know that won’t hurt anyone. I didn’t really like Rebecca De Mornay in this, because […]
best movie from stallone. loved that scen of him with schwarzenegger and willis in the church.
best movie from stallone. loved that scene of him with schwarzenegger and willis in the church.