The Expendables - movie review

THE EXPENDABLES
A; Action
Dir: Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews
Rating: ''

What's it about: Mercenaries for hire, The Expendables are a bunch of guys bound by a love for guns, blades and some good ol' fashioned killing and maiming. Their latest task comes to them, courtesy a certain Mr Church (Willis) who wants a despot dead. The boys, led by Barney Ross (Stallone), are aching for action. While Ross and Lee Christmas (Statham) do a recon, it doesn't end too well. There's a certain woman involved and Ross and Christmas find themselves returning to the island run by said despot to save her and figure out her true identity.



What's hot: For the action-seeker, there's blood, gore, guts, bang-bangs and slashes galore. Bloodbaths and blow-ups are more the norm than the exception in this flick. At one point, you're so numbed by all the violence, you're more likely to cheer them on in the hope that it'll end soon.

What's not: Most of the guys look tired and old. And I've said this before and I won't hesitate saying it againu00a0-- it's high time Sly retired. Just because it's his film, he has Lundgren playing a substance-abusing giant ape with trigger-happy digits and getting his ass handed to him by a much shorter Jet Li (who has to also bear the brunt of the "How's the air down there?" jokes.) The film is overrun by so many clich ufffds and cheese-laden dialogues, it isn't even funny. There's always going to be the mission (come summer, come blockbuster) and there's always going to be an action star begging to hitch their wagon to this star-spangled brigade. What's really different? At some time, the hazaar ways to blow up people and things, is going to be old shtick. Next is what?

What's that! A certain Governator gets squeezed into this flick, already overrun by very popular have-beens. Learn of his greater ambitions and why he didn't have a fuller role in this flick.

What to do: Entertaining in the way only high-octane action flicks with threadbare plots can be, this one is pure timepass. If you have extremely low expectations, that is. Otherwise, an expendable option.