If you've seen any of the 80s-style action flicks, you won't be far off from this long-time-no-see version. It stars Sylvester Stallone as Ross, the leader of a group of mercenaries, along with Jet Li (Yin Yang), Mickey Rourke (Tool), Terry Crews (Caesar), Dolph Lundgren (Gunnar), and Jason Statham (Christmas). They are hired by Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to fulfill a contract to overthrow a dictator on an island in South America called Vilena.
The point of this film is to pay homage to the action stars in the movies that made them famous. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger also made brief appearances. The movie didn't have any surprise twists, and it wasn't terribly creative--but I think that was the point. There were no high-tech gadgets or smart thinking tricks--just brute force and destruction. It WASN'T modernized, and that's what made it so unique. Yeah sure, I could go my whole life without seeing it again, and it wasn't terribly in-depth, but it was entertaining. I'm usually not one to get gung-ho over action-packed films, but I just like the idea of this film. It didn't take itself too seriously.
At the same time, however, I do like a little bit more depth to the story line. I mean, you knew what the Expendables were doing, but not really sure WHY they were doing it. There wasn't a whole lot of background story. My favorite scene was one that didn't have action in it at all. It was when Mickey Rourke was reminiscing about the "day he passed up on saving what was left of his soul." It was sad, but motivating to not make the same mistake that he did (this doesn't give anything away). It's no Wanted, but it served the purpose it was set out to serve.
Overall Grade: B
-Ethan Brehm
No comments:
Post a Comment