Expendables
There once was a time back in the day (the 80s) where an action movie would guarantee good gruesome violence and carnage, a wonderfully cathartic release for young people because it made them feel better that there were such legit badasses in the world helping to keep the world safe so that we could have the freedoms that we all enjoy. Then, with the 90s and into the new century, with the poisoning of our culture done by the Clinton era of political correctness, the liberal media and their brainwashing people into being anti-Bush drones, and the asskissing of our enemies currently being done by the present administration, action movies turned more and more into PG-13 family friendly garbage where Mom and Dad and the kids could see watered down interpretations of the classics we once enjoyed. That is until Sylvester Stallone (one of the icons of that almost-forgotten decade) decided that he wanted to change all that, first with the kinetic recent Rambo sequel, and now this, an all-star tribute and resurrection of the genre that really has always been waiting in the wings. Stallone plays the leader of a band of mercenaries (introduced in an unforgettable opening action sequence) hired possibly by the CIA to take out an island dictator who has been cultivating himself in the illegal drug trade. While not the most original premise, whatâs refreshing is the unashamed, non-ironic way Stallone allows his characters to be MEN, not overwritten cardboard clichĂ©s searching for their motivation while engaging in by the numbers gunfights and chase scenes, which is not to say that the dialogue is not fantastic, with plenty of one-liners and shit talking as they try to one-up each other in the sense of humor department as well. As for the actors themselves, Sly looks closer to being in his early forties instead of his actual age of 64, and gives himself the emotional center of the film also; Jason Statham as the knife-throwing second in command gets easily the movieâs best scene when he confronts some shit-talking punks on a basketball court (one of whom has started dating and has abused his old girlfriend) and is obviously being courted by Stallone as the one he wishes to pass the torch to; Jet Li brings some fine martial arts skills to the table as the member who thinks he deserves more money since he is insecure about his height; Dolph Lundgren steals the movie acting-wise as the loose cannon member let go from the team for being a junkie before plotting his revenge; Eric Roberts as the wealthy financier for the drug operation pulls off one of the best suit and tie villains ever in an action flick, playing it to the hilt and getting off some great observations about the state of the world today; MMA Legend Randy Couture is a bit underdeveloped but still good as the slightly crazy member of the team who gets one of the biggest honors of the story; Steve Austin as Robertsâ bodyguard and henchman doesnât get many lines, but easily earns the prize of being the MEANEST son of a bitch in the whole enterprise based on his treatment of a female prisoner midway through the film; Terry Crews as what some would call the token black guy of the team nonetheless got the loudest cheers from the audience in the theater I saw it in when he pulls out a special gun with explosive-tipped bullets; Mickey Rourke as the retired member of the group still gets to deliver an emotional monologue that sums up the Stallone characterâs motivation and show everyone why he is one of the best actors in the world; David Zayas as the dictator would appear to be the odd man out star-wise, but is given a late scene with his daughter that actually brings his character full-circle and packs a resonant punch; Giselle Itie as the female contact for the job brings both beauty and nobility to the film; Charisma Carpenter (of Angel and Buffy The Vampire Slayer fame) looks hot and plays off Statham well as his woman; and b-movie action star Gary Daniels is fine as the second string henchman that goes down fighting like a man; plus we get the now famous scene featuring cameos by both Bruce Willis (as the CIA guy that hires the team) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Stalloneâs rival who apparently has HIS own team of mercenaries). With all these various big names playing different good and bad guys, Stallone effortlessly keeps the story moving so that it never slows down even once and leaves the viewer breathless and in need of some air (though a Directorâs Cut DVD with more character development would be a welcome thing). Plus, with all the violence and other badassery, Stallone manages to work a potent theme into the film, that being when even you think that youâre the âgood guyâ, how much does it take when someone in this violent line of work starts to lose their humanity, and maybe even their soul? The fact that Sly is intelligent enough to include this, shows that this is NOT necessarily a âmindlessâ action film but rather one of the more complete pieces of entertainment in the last several years. Overall, a film that EVERYONE should view in order to remind us of the things that once made us great, as opposed to dreck like the new Julia Roberts fluff piece or something like Scott Pussy Vs. The WorldâŠ
10/10