Movie Info
Movie Name: The Expendables
Studio: Nu Image
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): August 13, 2010
MPAA Rating: R
We’re expendable…
The Expendables are a team of mercenaries made up of Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lungren), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and Tool (Mickey Rourke). When they are contacted by a man named Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), they find themselves hired to assassinate the military leader of the country of Vilena. When they arrive and meet with Sandra (Gisele Itié), they learn that the real target is an ex-C.I.A. operative named James Munroe (Eric Roberts) who is actually controlling the country. The Expendables are forced to retreat and abandon Sandra but discover they might be drawn back into the fray when Gunner goes rogue and threatens the whole team.
I’m finally in a movie with you…for about a minute
Directed by Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables was a big budget action film which collected many of the action starts of ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s. The movie was released to mostly negative reviews but big box-office returns.
The Expendables what what you always dreamed of when you were a kid. You always wondered what would happen if Arnold Schwarzenegger met Sylvester Stallone or if Dolph Lungren faced off against Bruce Willis. The film is almost the “what if” of a twelve-year-old boy.
The dreams of a twelve-year-old aren’t necessarily the best basis for a big movie…and The Expendables can’t live up to the dreams. You get a lot of the crossovers you always wanted, but due to contracts and time constraints, the real match-up you wanted was only a cameo. Schwarzenegger and Stallone meet up with Bruce Willis…for a moment it was the dream.
What I really need is a big plane loaded with guns with a little guy on the front with little guns…
Despite the this short gleam of action heaven, most of the film is made up of ’90s and ’00 stars like Statham and Li and Austin and Dolph getting down and dirty. Unfortunately, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris couldn’t make this round, and Mickey Rourke stays out of the action.
The problem with The Expendables is the plot. The plot is a basic ’80s movie plot…with no irony. The movie needed some sort of twist to make all these awesome actors worthy of the plot…of course, it can’t be to dialogue or acting heavy since none of the actors are known for their acting ability.
So next time, yo, you want to fight, yo?
The movie is full of big explosions and gunfights. This is a necessity. I actually wish that the movie had been bigger and better. The explosions and gunfights needed to be bigger and more extreme. I would have also liked more hand-to-hand combat moments in the movie. More fistfights, kung fu, and knife fights are necessary…It needed to be so over the top that it would blow your mind…It doesn’t quite reach that level.
The Expendables is a must for action-adventure fans. It has everything (almost) that you would want…It just needed a bit more. The tone of the movie needs to also be tweaked a bit so it isn’t so heavy handed…The movie just needs to remember to have fun and energy. The Expendables is followed by The Expendables 2 in 2012.
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