The Expendables
2010
Rating: R (for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language)
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Giselle Itié, David Zayas, Mickey Rourke
Analysis: Going into The Expendables, I can honestly say I wasn't expecting much more than some big, dumb, testosterone-filled fun. When you put some of the biggest action stars of the last thirty years (Stallone, Statham, Li), add a couple of wrestling icons (Couture, Austin), and toss in a couple of well-placed cameos (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis), and all that should sum up to a big barrel of action-filled stupidity.
To be honest, I wasn't wrong. The film met and exceeded my expectations in nearly every regard; however, this doesn't make it a world-class action film the likes of Die Hard or Terminator 2. It is big. It is dumb. But it's definitely fun. There's a few scenes that absolutely make the movie. For example, the scene with Willis and Schwarzenegger is absolutely golden, and it epitomizes the stabs each star takes at one another throughout the movie. References to past work abound. In that sense, the screenplay is actually somewhat clever, but when it comes to the actual storyline, it's a little stale and unoriginal.
The most powerful scene in the movie doesn't come through cameos or through an onslaught of action. Mickey Rourke, who is entirely underutilized in this film, delivers one of the most harrowing scenes I've seen in any movie in recent past. He tells Stallone's character about seeing a woman jump from a bridge and plunge to her death, saying that he had the opportunity to save her but chose otherwise. The delivery is absolutely perfect from the Oscar-nominee, and it offers a little bit of softness for at least one of the characters in the film.
The chemistry between the ragtag team of mercenaries also helps the film along. This is epitomized with the relationship between Stallone and Statham, the two men seen most throughout the movie. Despite the extraordinary situations they are placed into, the relationships remain down-to-earth, giving the audience more access to relate to each individual. I think this helped keep me captivated with the movie, especially during the downtime between action sequences.
All in all, it's a big, dumb, fun movie with a few scenes that make it all worthwhile. If you want a testosterone rush, this one's for you.
Rating: R (for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language)
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Giselle Itié, David Zayas, Mickey Rourke
Analysis: Going into The Expendables, I can honestly say I wasn't expecting much more than some big, dumb, testosterone-filled fun. When you put some of the biggest action stars of the last thirty years (Stallone, Statham, Li), add a couple of wrestling icons (Couture, Austin), and toss in a couple of well-placed cameos (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis), and all that should sum up to a big barrel of action-filled stupidity.
To be honest, I wasn't wrong. The film met and exceeded my expectations in nearly every regard; however, this doesn't make it a world-class action film the likes of Die Hard or Terminator 2. It is big. It is dumb. But it's definitely fun. There's a few scenes that absolutely make the movie. For example, the scene with Willis and Schwarzenegger is absolutely golden, and it epitomizes the stabs each star takes at one another throughout the movie. References to past work abound. In that sense, the screenplay is actually somewhat clever, but when it comes to the actual storyline, it's a little stale and unoriginal.
The most powerful scene in the movie doesn't come through cameos or through an onslaught of action. Mickey Rourke, who is entirely underutilized in this film, delivers one of the most harrowing scenes I've seen in any movie in recent past. He tells Stallone's character about seeing a woman jump from a bridge and plunge to her death, saying that he had the opportunity to save her but chose otherwise. The delivery is absolutely perfect from the Oscar-nominee, and it offers a little bit of softness for at least one of the characters in the film.
The chemistry between the ragtag team of mercenaries also helps the film along. This is epitomized with the relationship between Stallone and Statham, the two men seen most throughout the movie. Despite the extraordinary situations they are placed into, the relationships remain down-to-earth, giving the audience more access to relate to each individual. I think this helped keep me captivated with the movie, especially during the downtime between action sequences.
All in all, it's a big, dumb, fun movie with a few scenes that make it all worthwhile. If you want a testosterone rush, this one's for you.
Movie Review Summary:
Score: 5.6/10
Grade: C-
Should You Watch It? YES
Score: 5.6/10
Grade: C-
Should You Watch It? YES
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