The Expendables 2, a follow-up to the star-studded first in 2010, is a movie made using the "no plan" plan. Its script is an obvious proof--written by Richard Wenk (The Mechanic) and Stallone himself--an amorphous figure, if not borrowing that of a B-action in the 80's.
Now more flashy, more humorous and even more violent, Expendables 2 is a better entertainment when compared with The Expendables. It could be because Stallone has given up the director's chair to a Simon West (director to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) leaving adept acting and smoother physicality be an easy task for him. It could be because director West chose to ditch all the shaky-cam, a major issue with the first movie. Or perhaps we've got better one-liners in this one. For whatever vague reason however, The Expendables 2 rolls better.
There's no shape or figure in this overdose of testosterone, seemingly ditching narrative ingenuity. We are running on a straight road, no bents and stopping or what not, and all the prior parts of the movie seem to be build-ups to one bad-ass cinematic climax. What was adverted was nothing more than this, so the movie is far from being likely to disappoint.
Of which plot is basically about a fiendish act that needs to be stopped--exactly just that--the movie starts with "The Expendables". Barney (Sylvester Stallone) leads the crew with Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) on his right-hand, while Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) is still the chems whiz. The rest of the crew, Hale Ceasar and Toll Road (played by Terry Crews and Randy Couture respectively), are also back.
Barney and co. want to set the score even with fiendish underground entrep Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) after the assassination of their resident sniper, Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games). Vilain tracks a mine containing tons of plutonium that he plans to sell in the black market. Church (Bruce Willis) and Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) have similar goals, to stop Vilain, the latter person owes Barney one. That's it.
Mickey Rourke is nowhere to be found in this sequel and Jet Li (playing Yin Yang), while reprising his role, only appears in the beginning and scoots out until he comes back in the final battle. Nan Yu is the drop of estrogen in this gallon of testosterone.
While the movie is still effectively gripping, another routine of action sequence that pumps the heart rolls in the screen. This maintains the adrenaline, something that somewhat lacked in the first pic, due to some directing mistakes (in my opinion). Albeit it's 80's throwback plot, the pic amends through the brusqueness that it spills around the air. If ye'already know that the movie doesn't offer anything but an hour or two of kicking ass, then a good time is on its way.
One-liners, although remaining a bit on-and-off, are better in this movie, and generally given to any of the three: Statham, Stallone and Schwarzenegger. The Expendables 2 humor doesn't necessarily count as clever, but it's effective; direction doesn't either count as adept, but it works. For better and worse, The Expendables 2 gives the audience exactly what it demands.
Plain in narrative by default and painful when building characters, The Expendables 2 is proved to embark on the "mindless" action pics, ditching all the clever and glorifying what's brute, something solid action fans always enjoy.
GRADE: B+
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