THE EXPENDABLES 2 is an accelerating rush of dumb fun, honestly making it one of best purely action films of the year. I would even make the claim that it is way better the internet-famed THE RAID: REDEMPTION. This film may not have THE RAID's magnificent martial art choreography but for this newly started franchise with some old fogies, this second installment is certainly redemption after the fiasco of the first one. It gladly sneers at seriousness, parlaying a plot where men and one woman can let bullets rip in a menagerie of violence, bringing it to such an extreme that it becomes laughable. There so much winking involved that I'm surprised you didn't see bloody tears coming from the actor's eyes after every lame TERMINATOR quip.
Seemingly, Sylvester Stallone learned his lesson and took notes from the critics and the questionable fanbase. After creating a turgid, dark blue lit mess with horrendous CG effects and a camera stuck in close-up, Stallone has walked away from the director's chair. Enter Simon West, a former glorious wunderkind of action who needs a few better days and a film crew that can handle it. Thankfully, most from the original film were not retained, replaced with capable hands, such as cinematographer Shelly Johnson. Fist-fights are done in long shot. Body position and continuity is upheld. The battle set pieces are easily introduced before featuring memorable gory fights. This back to basics approach should have been a given but it becomes a major positive edit after what was so-called achieved in the first film.
Look no further than the script when it comes to the term basic. The film is supposed to be a perfect hang-out, where friends can share some good times and rock or shoot out to that old time rock-n-roll. Why kill the buzz with something deep? The story features walking deus ex machinas, a Chekhov's gun, and a MacGuffin that leads to more MacGuffins. It's such a deconstruction of 80's actionsploitation that it leads to two big ideas: First and foremost is Jean-Claude Van Damme, who is the villain literally named Vilain. He is suavely evil and camps the hell up to make a true big baddie we want to see the Expendables track, find, and kill. The second example is a firefight within a city. It is not a real city per se but a former Russian training area specifically designed to look like New York City. You can't go more 80's than re-tread some Cold War propaganda.
The film does try to solve one of the most glaring errors of the first, that all of the Expendables, even lowly Terry Crews and Randy Couture, had god mode activated and weren't in fact expendable. A member does in fact die here but it isn't a true hallelujah. Without spoiling, let's just say that it is someone you really, really do not know much about. Of course, a case can be made that the person is just another addition to the meta-filled plot. However, sometimes the meta becomes sickening and annoying, especially when it comes to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Up on the screen is Schwarzenegger the toy doll, not the actor; All he does is pull his string and bark off awful variations of his signature "I'll be back", nearly to the point that the other characters have to tell him to shut up. Schwarzenegger looks visibly worn out compared to the others and is a walking display of desperation. Chuck Norris is fine with his few scenes but the inclusion of the Chuck Norris meme is baffling and surely a mistimed effort nowadays. Also, Jet Li fans will be vastly gob-smacked as he leaves the picture after the first mission. At least Dolph Lundgren continues his run as the most over and likable character.
It is not perfect but THE EXPENDABLES 2 is some really good popcorn fuel. It doesn't fool the viewer twice, nor does it fool itself in being completely solemn. The film is a nice throwback and counter-example to the recent comic-book and spy fares that dominate the movie landscape. It also is raw in its absurdity, to the point of including a reaction shot of Sly Stallone openly breaking character and laughing at an Addams Family joke. When the inevitable third entry comes out, will it be as good as this or clearly be the middle child? I can't fathom to guess but hopefully they will keep Stallone away from the camera.
FINAL REVIEW: 4 / 5
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