Expendables 2 : Unité spéciale

While on a mission one of the "Expendables" gets himself killed, this leads the crew to go on a mission of revenge. But is it too much to handle?

I was severely disappointed in the first Expendable film, the mediocre action, the use of CGI blood and the unimpressive villain ruined the experience. So I was hoping that the second time around they would correct these issues. I can safely say, they did and they did it in spades. The big change is Stallone is no longer behind the camera, so he is more focused on his role of Barney and his mind isn't split between two separate places. The biggest change though is the tone, The Expendables 2 does not take itself seriously at all and neither did I, so I had a blast watching what is ultimately a parody of the action genre.

I can look past the acting, lack of story and plot because the film doesn't try to give you one. It's a simple film with a simple purpose. Get as many of these big guys into one film, make it a guys flick with lots of action and killing and they succeeded. The biggest misstep this film has is the motivation behind the revenge. The wrong person dies. A character is killed off that we have almost zero emotional connection with, it would have made more sense if it were another character that disappears early on in the film. It seems this character's sole purpose was to have these characters get their revenge on, which makes it less engaging for the viewer.

I was surprised at how underwhelmed I was by the action in the first film, here it is more stylized and fun. The film steps on the gas from the very beginning and almost never lets up. We are thrown into this action sequence at the start, which is better than anything the original had to offer. A more competent action director is behind the lens this time, Simon West who gave us Con Air and the more recent Mechanic. He understands what is needed and delivers some wild action sequences.

As I mentioned before, the film does not take itself seriously and it has a very tongue and cheek demeanour about it. It's not afraid to wink at the camera, specifically when Chuck Norris enters the screen and steals the show with the funniest line in the entire film. The film is full of one liners you would expect from an action film. During a fight, one characters exclaims, "Let's wrap this up" he then proceeds to take a chain and wrap it around another character's neck to choke him out. Another scene we have a bad guy get shot a dozen times by everyone and Stallone retorts, "Rest in pieces". Finally, my favourite, Stallone says "heads up" then proceeds to throw a head to some people. Yes, this movie is violent, so no fear about the PG-13 rating.

So what about the guys? Well, they all come back, some have a lot more to do than others. Lundgren is basically the comedic relief. Crews and Courture again get short shifted and feel like background characters. Schwarzenegger, Willis and Norris all have more in depth cameos and finally Van Damme shines as the villain. Van Damme really deserved more screen time. We are introduced to him, then we cut back every so often as he tries to steal his plutonium, then we have him fight at the end. He deserved more screen time, so did his right hand man, Scott Adkins. Both are more martial arts type fighters than big gun shooters and since this is a Stallone film, this is a big gun shooting movie. They get their fight sequences, but both of them I thought could have been a bit longer. Especially the Van Damme/Stallone fight.

So in the end, The Expendables did exactly what the first film should have done. It's a hilarious parody of the action genre and has non-stop excitement from start to finish. This is finally the film from these guys that I've been waiting for.

This film was a real blast from the past. Having watched these actors in the 80s -90s I enjoyed the one liners and the over the top action they have been associated with in the past.If you are after an action film with a good story then this is not the film for you.If you want to immerse yourself in larger than life characters, with lots of guns and impossible situations then you will get on just fine. I'm not sure if the younger audiences will fully appreciate this film with out understanding what these actors did in the past.I have given this film 8 out of 10 because if I rated it any lower *Chuck Norris* said he would kick my ass.

I must admit, the hype for the first film was too much and in the end, we all got some intense 80s style action but with a poor story. This sequel however actually has a story, a story of revenge. The first film introduces the gang so we get to know them. The second however, we already know the gang so now we actually see how they truly are and how they work. This film is better since the rest of the team (other than Stallone) get more screen time and they have their humor moments. Van Dammne played a very very very very very AWESOME villain, and towards the end of the film, he shows even at the age of 50, he is stronger than ever. Arnie and Bruce Willis had a great screen time too with perfect humor, seriously the chemistry between those 2 and the rest is great. Speaking of chemistry, Dolph Lundgren's role is MUCH better now and very enjoyable. Chuck Norris, you'd be surprise how he is. The cast was great, the story is better, the action is MORE intense, there is great humor. In conclusion, Expendables 2 brings back the 1980s action style with it's teaspoon of humor. Enjoy the film!

I disagree with some people feeling that this film was no better than the first. It is easily better than the first, which is a very hard thing to do (normally). I thought the first movie wasn't brill but it was OK, it was kind of what I expected but I did expect a bit more in the fight scenes and I felt that Jet Lei just like the story wasn't up to much. Everything Stallone is doing here is a great idea and it has a great feel to it. Expendables 2 has finally got to where the first one should've been. This one is far more enjoyable, the action / fight scenes are better, which is mainly why we watch these sorts of films, but also the characters and their relationships with each other are better. Some of the scenes are pure genius. Some of the scenes are not but hey ho. I am really looking forward to a 3rd instalment but I do feel that they will take it too far and end up with some of the most annoying and worst ones appearing like Steven Seagal and Vin Deisel... I hope not! If they do then they might as well go the whole hog and get the Heather Small bird from M People on there to just totally annoy us all!!

Expendables 2... Anyone who is between the age of 30 and 60 that remembers the best 80's action flicks with the likes of Arnie, Stallone, Bruce Willis, van damme in will know that these films didn't ever really have great acting in, it was all about the action and the fight scenes. Expendables 2 has got it going on! Really enjoyable film.

It takes a certain mindset to appreciate a movie like "The Expendables 2". One has to be a fan of the action genre of the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as enjoying those action heroes' persona and screen presence whenever they appear on-screen. They did not necessarily have to act well, but they had to be tough, heroic, stoic, larger than life. Realism need not really apply here - it's all about the fun factor. People paid to see these guys blow away the scum of the earth as they only know how.

"The Expendables 2" is the first sequel (and it most certainly would not be the last) to Stallone's 2010 surprise blockbuster which was intended as a glorious throwback to the films of that era. This one is no exception. However, it is a rare sequel which is better than the first. The story may not be important in these types of movies, but in this one the screenplay had a much clearer and stronger narrative than the first film, making it clear that the stakes are raised, thus enabling the story, however shallow, to be more engaging for the audience.

Director Simon West ("Con Air") did wonders with the action sequences as he usually does with his movies. The majority of the action sequences are well shot with wide angles and much better stunt choreography (with CGI touches added here and there, but not as pervasive as the first film's CGI blood; good ol' squibs are used here mostly) which gets annoying with the film's rapid editing at times. Brian Tyler's music score was fairly engaging but didn't really stand out. Overall, the technical aspects of the film really shows off the big budget for the film, and it pays off ultimately.

But what about the characters? If you've seen the director's cut for the first film, that's about as close as you can get for character development. Like the first, this is all-out action, but it has some dramatic moments too. There is a line about coping with death that Barney Ross mutters that feels kind of sad knowing Stallone's own real- life predicament. Van Damme's having a blast as the Villain, and a menacing one at that. The biggest disappointment was that of Jet Li's very minimal screen presence, like a cameo. Hopefully an extended version will fix that problem.

The film's biggest entertainment value comes in the constant one-liners from and between the action icons of the eras, as well as their presence and their dispatching of the bad guys. The banter here is certainly more hilarious and less bland than the first film - there is much more chemistry between the characters. Their screen presence needs no explanation: Sylvester Stallone. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bruce Willis. Jean-Claude Van Damme. Chuck Norris. Dolph Lundgren. Jason Statham. Jet Li. Need I say more? Cult or mainstream, these guys each has hordes of fans - and they have good reason to.

I grew up on these types of movies and ultimately "The Expendables 2" satisfies my craving for good old-fashioned movie bloodlust in wake of the ever-rising wave of PG-13, CGI-laden action films ("Total Recall" remake, anyone? Oh Arnie, where art thou?). That being said, I expect an extended director's cut as I feel that some parts were awkwardly put together, and hopefully these removed scenes will make the film better as a whole. For now, "The Expendables 2" is very good entertainment, as shallow as it is technically well-made and ends the 2012 summer movie season with a big bang.

Now bring on "The Expendables 3" with Steven Seagal and Wesley Snipes (to basically complete the cycle of 80's/'90s action heroes). Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Harrison Ford, Nicolas Cage and Clint Eastwood (my #1 action hero) are also most welcome indeed.

Overall rating: 65%

Action movie rating: 75%