Doing what he does best, Sylvester Stallone directs and stars in this action blockbuster which looks to be one of the bloodiest of the year.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF LIONSGATE |
As the title suggests, the movie is about a team of mercenaries hired by a CIA agent to get rid of one of the organization’s own members who has defected to start a bloody tycoon business on an isolated island hidden from the rest of the world. While their task seems simple, Barney Ross (Stallone), the leader of the motley crew, soon discovers that their mission is not just about the cash reward that comes with it.
While the plot and the testosterone-pumping action is standard big-boy fare along the lines of recent releases such as The A Team, The Losers and G.I. Joe, the money-making part lies in the lineup of veteran action stars, which includes Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and wrestling star “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Stallone has to be commended for being able to pull together such a formidable cast. Inadvertent humor ensues, for example, when Lundgren and Li share a face-off midway through the movie, which vastly contrasts the difference in their builds as the hulking Lundgren attempts to squash the smaller but more agile Li.
The Expendables is big in every way imaginable—in terms of budget, cast and action. However, more character development could have taken the movie to a higher level. Additionally, the editing was rather rough around the edges, and thus certain sequences come off as disjointed, marring the non-stop flow of action. Still, if you’re a hardcore action flick fan, this one offers more than enough bang for your buck.
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