EXPENDABLES 2 (THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN)

Excuse me while I run around my town a few times to allow the adrenaline rush to wear off!

The Expendables:  A group of old school aging mercenaries made up of some of the most awesome 90s action movie legends along with current up & comers explodes onto the scene!


This time we have our favorite 90s actions stars teaming up with MORE 90s action stars in the form of the legendary Jean-Claude Van Damme and the ever so epic CHUCK NORRIS (for fans of Chuck Norris Facts, be on the lookout for a classic one mentioned in the movie)!! 

A VERY honorable mention for this flick is CRAZY martial artist Scott Adkins (it's a shame more people don't know him) who plays a secondary role similar to the underrated Gary Daniels played in the first film...they both have eerily similar careers in that they are great martial artists with limited acting skills and star in mostly B level movies.

 Scott Adkins in action as the Russian, Yuri Boyka!

Gary Daniels kicking butt

Like all the action flicks of the 90s, this focuses on the action and corny one liners (Terry Crews tells Arnold he'll be "terminated").  Just remember one thing when seeing this movie: the action is for today's movie goers, but the dialogue is for the fans of the old school legends.  While there was a lot more hand to hand combat, I was a little disappointed Mr Norris didn't throw a single famous roundhouse kick, although he did get to shoot....a LOT.

I have to point this out: I LOVE Van Damme as a bad guy!  Check out the little known gem No Retreat, No Surrender to see where he got his first starring role and first role as a villain (Black Eagle was another great villain role for him)!

Van Damme beating up a kid...because that's what bad guys do!

 Sorry to disappoint you Mickey Rourke fans out there, we don't get to see our resident psycho get some action...and while Jet Li does deliver some kicks, he quickly leaves the scene.  The good part is that their characters are both alive so it leaves a chance for them to return in future sequels.

Now let's take just one quick second to talk about the new kid on the block: Liam Hemsworth. The Hunger Games star fills his role in well and the makers of the movie do a great job in not shoving him down our throats.  Let's face it, he was pretty much thrown into the movie to get the interest of the younger demographic who may not know any of the legends (which is a crying SHAME!) 

"Sorry babe, but Sly Stallone is paying me big time to be a sniper for the old dudes"

 Overall, this movie was a resounding success for what it was meant to be: an ode to the 90s action film that had virtually no story but lots and lots of bullets, knuckles, blood and explosions!

My rating:

4.6092470579 out of 5 stars

Hasta La Vista, baby

Jay