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| Still from The Expendables 2 |
Although it is v. tempting to be a cynic about The Expendables 2, it is almost impossible to deny how ridiculously fun it is. How can one deny the combined legacies of so many legendary talents? Church (Bruce Willis) returns here with an assignment for The Expendables after their Leader Barney (Sylvester Stallone) runs off with some of his money - all $5 million of it. Believe me, Church isn't going to eat the loss on this one.
Joining The Expendables this time around is the likable Maggie (Nan Yu), who with her intellect and poise help the team out after new addition ex-Soldier Billy (Liam Hemsworth) is captured and killed by opposition Leader Jean-Claude Van Damme (Jean Vilain). The Expendables face their toughest assignment yet helping free a village of Plutonium Miners help captive by Jean and his ruthless Men. Along the way, they might even get the help of a few famous old Friends.
In addition to the obvious heart-racing, no-guns-needed action sequences delivered courtesy of Lee (Jason Statham) vs. Hector (Scott Adkins) and also Barney vs. Jean, the One-Liners, Punchlines and Jokes are actually pretty darn clever - kudos to Richard Wenk and Stallone who crafted the Screenplay. Particularly there is one scene where even with little text, the whole theatre can be brought to laughter by the subtext alone beneath something as mundane as a talk about memorable meals. In-on-the-fun Cameos by Chuck Norris and Arnold Schwarzenegger heighten the excitement to a new level; a Fanboy's wildest dream on screen. The fun Motown/Classic Soul Soundtrack although an odd-fit, is a nice touch.
The Expendables 2 builds on the trend of successful Action Films led by its Predecessor and also Red, which cater to a more mature audience, proving that you don't necessarily need a Cast of young, fresh faces to draw-in a crowd at the Box Office. Count me among the legion of The Expendables Fans rather excited for a third installment. Alliance Films releases The Expendables 3 wide on August 17, 2012.