OldBoy

Please continue pre-release discussion here.

Movie:
"The Expendables" (Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Scott Adkins, Charisma Carpentar, Randy Couture)

Release Date:
8/17/2012

Rating:
R (for sequences of strong bloody violence, mayhem, pulse-pounding, inflated ego popping and over-the-top gut busting Solid Snake PACking action throughout)

Running Time:
102min. (1h. 42m.)

Budget:
$80 million (estimated)

IMDb Synopsis:


IMDb Info and Rating:
8.1 (3,146 votes as of 8/14/12)

Rotten Tomatoes:
Fresh:12 Rotten:07 (63% as of 8/14/12)

Metacritic:
57 metascore ('Mixed or average reviews' as of 8/14/12)

Trailer:
<object width="720" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/56287"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/56287" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" width="720" height="349"></embed></object>

Poster Art:

Supermallet

I can't edit the poll title. I'm sure no one will get confused.

Solid Snake

I'm so goddamn confused.

Supermallet

It doesn't count if you're always confused.

Solid Snake

Who's counting?

OldBoy

what...no love for the film's rating?

RocShemp

That's all well and good but it's under 2 hours.

OldBoy

it'll keep it from being The Bloatables 2.

DJariya

Have the $7.50 off coupon from buying a Lionsgate title from Best Buy. Unfortunately I'm working through the weekend. Will have to catch this on Monday.

RocShemp

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KOP-_X6N9B4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

At least it's not animated.

SuckaMC

Seeing this Sunday. Sooooo pumped!

DonnachaOne

The Expendables 2 is better than its predecessor in just about every way, and that's the most positive way I can spin it.

Everything that seems like it could be fun set me up for disappointment. You get more Schwarzenegger and Willis, but they bring nothing with them. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins make for great villains, but neither get much time to shine. It seems to leading up to another second-act action sequence, only to abruptly jump to the grand finale. That grand finale has something for all the old action men, but seems to forget about the rest of Stallone's team from the first film.

I didn't like the first film. I expected better than late-night-HBO Speakman-type trash, and it failed to live up to that. The Expendables 2, in contrast, feels like a real movie, with big, well-put-together action sequences. The standard opening number that all these action flicks have to have did a lot to convince me I was in for something better.

Then it was over, and people had dialogue scenes, and they're all awful. Bad, boring scenes filled with the kind of conversation where everyone laughs at the mildest wisp of a joke or burn. Some might like the trot through cliches, like listening to their favorite musicians cover their old songs, but I just wanted the film to get moving again. When it does, it's best not to stop and wonder why people are suddenly acting very differently, or why information imparted earlier seems to have no importance later, or why anyone thought Schwarzenegger could handle all those self-referencing lines. Are you an "I'll Be Back" fan? Well this is the film for you. At least when Chuck Norris tells his Chuck Norris joke, he looks like he knows how awful it'll come off.

Fortunately, Van Damme really surprised me. He's full-on Hank Scorpio here, enjoying every bit of villainous bluster he gets to proclaim; I half-expected him to just blurt "oh I'm so happy being evil" (such is the level of the film's subtlety). Right-hand-man Scott Adkins, on the other hand, takes it all very seriously, and makes it work. The two of them strike exactly the right notes. I wish they had more screentime. (I also wish Van Damme kept his shades on - with them off, he looks like Eddie Izzard.)

You may think me foolish for being disappointed by the script and story in something like The Expendables 2. I disagree. Ensemble action flicks can be done very well, with intriguing storylines that make use of all the pieces well. Someone said that this film is like the Avengers of action movies; if so, it's Sylvester Stallone and six or seven Hawkeyes. (And wasn't The Avengers an action movie, really?) Crews, Couture and Lundgren get the short shrift again, and although it's not as much a Stallone & Statham show like the first film, the other lads seem tossed to the side in the last third of the film. Crews doesn't get anything as good as his "Christmas" hallway bit from the first film.

All in all, better than the first one, but still leaving me cold. All of you who liked the first film, however, will definitely enjoy The Expendables 2.

RocShemp

How were the hand-t0-hand fights in this one? Are they coherent and feature proper lighting this time around?

DonnachaOne

They're certainly better edited, with more of a sense of humor, but still choppy when you have certain actors up against more athletic opponents. Jet Li's early fight scene is fun to watch, as he mashes up some guys with frying pans. As the film progresses, however, you'll have some great shots of the more athletic participant highlighting their moves, moving into a more cut-together fight sequence, probably to mask the actor's comparative lack of skill. Van Damme's still in great shape. The film's focus is less on hand-to-hand anyway, satisfied more with guys getting shot at, never getting hit, followed by incredibly accurate and effective shooting back.

Solid Snake

So what you're saying is...that we'll love it?

RocShemp

^ Only if we loved the first, it seems. I've only gradually warmed to the first despite still lamenting how much potential it squanders.

rexinnih

I definately enjoyed the first more the second time I watched it. Looking forward to seeing #2.

SuckaMC

To me, half the fun is seeing all these guys on screen together. I'm sure I'll be satisfied. Leaving wanting more isn't always a bad thing.

Solid Snake

If it's better made than EX1...than we already won half the battle. Now let's hope it's entertaining as we want it to be.

DonnachaOne

I'm hoping it was just my theatre (well, actually I'm not, because it'll suck to replace the center speaker), but the sound mix in the action scenes is a bit weird too. Whenever dialogue gets shouted, it tends to sound clipped and distorted, whereas in other parts of the film it sounds fine. Let me know if you get the same thing.

Mike86

Went to the midnight show tonight and had a blast. I liked the first one but thought it was a bit of a let down. This one was a lot more fun though if you ask me. The action seemed better and it was cool that Schwarzenegger and Willis had more to do in this one. Will definitely pick up the Blu-ray and possibly even go check it out a second time in theaters.

Rypro 525

I had a blast. Yeah the fight scenes are def better as there isn't any of the shaky cam shit like in the first one. if you know what your getting into, its alot of fun. Oh and (semi major but early spoiler)

DonnachaOne

RocShemp

Well, as long as I don't give a crap.

Mike86