It was surprising to see how many ladies were in the audience for this movie. That goes for both visits. Most of them were probably dragged along by their boyfriends, possibly as a revenge sort of thing for the last time they had no choice but to come and see some romantic comedy with Matthew McConaughy. This supposing to be the ultimate bloke movie, I truly expected the room to be filled with guys. Also there was a genuine excited atmosphere. It seems as everyone was really looking forward to this film.
The movie starts with an explosive shootout aboard a ship near Somalia and it instantly shows us who these guys are. The violence immediately sets the tone for the whole movie and it also garners the first laughs from the audience. It is visceral and a bit cartoony at the same time. The first remarks about age are made by Statham and Stallone themselves, an obvious theme in this film. From here on The Expendables take us on a ride that only ends about two hours later and I’ve loved the ride. We left the cinema with a big smile on our faces, discussing which action heroes we would like to see in the sequel (Van Damme! Seagal! Norris! Russell!). And we were not the only one!
Stallone, who has been nominated for an Oscar for the first Rocky, may not have written the best script, but the man knows how to shoot action scenes. The plot isn’t the most important thing about this film. It’s basically a men-on-a-mission movie to overthrow a dictator and his evil former CIA partner with supersized violence. The effects used are a bit wobbly sometimes, which is one of the few letdowns, something that could and should have been better, considering the budget. But the interaction between the guys is great, they are obviously having fun, even with their somewhat silly names (Barney Ross? Hale Caesar? Yin Yang? Lee Christmas? Tool?). The difference between us and them is, they make even those names sound cool. What’s also obvious from their dialogue is that these guys have been together for a long time and have been through quite a lot. There is an enormous sense of loyalty towards each other. And even if we don’t really go into their psyches, except for a scene between Stallone and Rourke, that doesn’t matter that much to continue the story.
Now if this movie was made in the 80’s, it would not have been a team effort, it would simply have been Stallone invading a fictional country in South America the size of Peru and conquering it. And even if the violence is on par with films like Commando, Cobra and Rambo 2 & 3, they are not so invulnerable as they would have been 25 years ago. They get shot (although not much) and some of the Expendables get their asses kicked. But I got into the same giddy mood I used to have when I was a kid in the 80’s watching those action flicks, so there was nostalgia there too. And the scene with Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger? It’s the coffee shop scene from Heat for the action crowd. This is not a masterclass in acting, it’s supposed to be fun. And it is!
It’s basically balls-to-the-walls action and that’s exactly what I wanted to see. After the pre-premiere we immediately decided that we’d go again on the official premiere. The second time I was actually looking forward to certain action scenes, no matter how over-the-top they were. The room was packed again and it seemed like everybody had a great time. Will there be a third viewing? Probably, yes.Verdict: While it may not have the best plot or the most ingenious plot twists you’re going to see this year, it delivers on its promise of fun and balls-to-the-walls action. Most fun I had in the cinema this year, a true ‘mangasm’.
