Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) does not disappoint. In The Expendables, he gathers the largest collection of Hollywood bad asses and puts them together on one screen. At Comic-Con a few months back, the majority of the cast appeared to promote the film and the impression that I was left with was that despite everything, everyone there had nothing but the greatest respect for Stallone. He got the money, he got the locations, and most importantly, he got the cast. Stallone is a true facilitator.
Most people, however don’t care about logistics. They want to know if the film is any good. And the answer is yes. It delivers action, gun play, knife throwing, explosions and some old good fashioned hand-to-hand combat. But it also gives us some excellent performances. With one small scene Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) touched me with a monologue about the spiritual damage of being a mercenary. It was amazing how he could convey so much with such a short scene.
Sylvester Stallone was also solid as a man who allows one brave act to inspire him to do something unimaginable. His team consisting of Jason Statham (The Transporter), Jet Li (Unleashed), Terry Crews (Terminator Salvation), Randy Couture (Redbelt) and Dolph Lungren (Universal Soldier) all held their own. And on the other side we had Eric Roberts (King of the Gypsies), Steve Austin (The Longest Yard) and David Zayas (Coach) playing the bad guys. The film also had appearances by Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator). What a line up!
If you like your action tough with actors that know how to play rough, then you will like this film. To pull a line from the movie, it may be bad Shakespeare, but it is entertaining. And if it does well, the boys just might be ready for a sequel.
Rating: First Run Stallone does not disappoint
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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Three generations of Wilson's saw this the other day to celebrate birthdays (82 & 22). Had a great time. Turn up the sound editing on Stallone's (who's name in the film was my mom's father's name = Barney Ross) hand guns and they sound like Howitsers. Great to see all the guy's turning out for a late summer hit.
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