The Expendables definitely doesn't live up to the possibility of reuniting the greatest action stars of a generation in a single movie, mainly because it divides the screen time in bafflingly misjudged fashion; however, it's a ridiculously enjoyable action movie that brings the carnage.
Overall, this cast is surprisingly lacking in star power. Stallone, Statham, Li and Lundgren are undeniable movie stars but the people they share the screen with do not match them and are not given the screen time to earn it. The most frustrating aspect is Willis and Schwarzenegger being relegated to a cameo.
That being said, the majority of the film is actually a two-hander between Stallone and Statham (probably should've been more of an ensemble) and they are more than capable of commanding the screen together with their endearing charisma and an enjoyable rapport.
The villains are a big disappointment here. David Zayas as a generic dictator is just straight up boring and whilst Eric Roberts' corrupt former CIA agent does fare a lot better, he's still not as fun or entertaining as a film like this deserves.
Behind the camera Sylvester Stallone returns to the intense handheld camera work of Rambo to mixed results. Some of the action gets lost in the mix but it's still capable of delivering the hysterically violent delights. He also keeps it practical for the most part and only uses CG for smaller things (blood spurts and fire) but it still distracts.
Brian Tyler confirms he's one of the best in the business for crafting generic action movie scores with this one. There's nothing particularly memorable here but it's suspenseful and heroic stuff that's even better when combined with this explosive action packed third act.
Overall, this cast is surprisingly lacking in star power. Stallone, Statham, Li and Lundgren are undeniable movie stars but the people they share the screen with do not match them and are not given the screen time to earn it. The most frustrating aspect is Willis and Schwarzenegger being relegated to a cameo.
That being said, the majority of the film is actually a two-hander between Stallone and Statham (probably should've been more of an ensemble) and they are more than capable of commanding the screen together with their endearing charisma and an enjoyable rapport.
The villains are a big disappointment here. David Zayas as a generic dictator is just straight up boring and whilst Eric Roberts' corrupt former CIA agent does fare a lot better, he's still not as fun or entertaining as a film like this deserves.
Behind the camera Sylvester Stallone returns to the intense handheld camera work of Rambo to mixed results. Some of the action gets lost in the mix but it's still capable of delivering the hysterically violent delights. He also keeps it practical for the most part and only uses CG for smaller things (blood spurts and fire) but it still distracts.
Brian Tyler confirms he's one of the best in the business for crafting generic action movie scores with this one. There's nothing particularly memorable here but it's suspenseful and heroic stuff that's even better when combined with this explosive action packed third act.