1980s action movies have become a genre all their own, thanks to their super-macho,
rough and tumble attitude that just oozes testosterone all over the screen. Bruce
Willis in Die Hard, Sylvester Stallone in Rambo, Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando,
these were larger than life action stars in larger than life action movies where
getting shot in the gut is just a flesh wound to be shrugged off while they
continued their knife fight with the dirty rotten bad guy. After
successfully reviving Rambo in a lean, mean--yet smart--adventure just a few years ago, Sylvester Stallone has returned with an original film that’s an ode to the glory days of the 80’s He-Man action films.
Stallone plays the leader of The Expendables, a group of gnarly, tough-guy mercenaries who hire out their lethal skills to the highest bidder. After effectively completing a mission where they deal with Somali pirates (a scene which mirrors Rambo’s use of modern day hotspots to establish relevance in the story with present day audiences), the boys are called in to a new gig on a fictitious island-nation in the Gulf of Mexico. Their shady employer, who meets with Stallone in a church, wants the general in charge of the island assassinated. But, as to be expected in a film like this, there are always complications.
Co-written and directed by Stallone, The Expendables is an enjoyable lark for what it is: a throwback to the hard-core 80s action films, where men were men, and women were hot babes who needed to be rescued. But Stallone has further sweetened the pot here by casting his film with the very best action film stars of both today and twenty five years ago. Both Bruce and Arnold make welcome cameos in the church scene with Stallone, where they discuss whether or not to accept the new gig. This scene alone may well make the film worth seeing for some action film fans. But Stallone didn’t stop at the holy trinity of action stars.
No less than Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, among others, round out the more than capable cast. Stallone directs the action scenes with his usual aplomb, giving them a gritty, realistic feeling, even when they’re showing a dozen guys being taken down by just one dude. All the old action film clichés are on hand here, and Stallone mainly just runs with them. Hell, The Expendables ain’t Shakespeare, and Stallone knows it. If you’re looking for a deep, dramatic drama with three dimensional characters, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a slam bang action film with lots of explosions, then The Expendables is for you. --SF
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