The Expendables 2
2012103 minutes
rated R
by Scott Mendelson
The good news is that The Expendables 2 is that it gives you more of what you wanted the first time around. There is a greater volume of action and the film has even more A-list action stars offering their services this time around. The picture is rarely dull and often amusing, but at what cost? The film barely tries to pretend that it exists as an actual motion picture, with the various onscreen tough guys openly referencing their iconic roles or real-life biographies in a manner that takes you out of the movie each time. The first picture may have been light on the A-level firepower, but it attempted to be a real film with an actual story and token attempts at depth. The original Expendables (barely) worked as a metaphor for a modern America that could still do the right thing for the right reasons in a manner honoring its alleged superior morality. This new film has 'more of what you came to see' but is paper thin without a hint of substance or even dramatic credibility. Comparing the two films is a classic example of 'trying and (perhaps) failing' versus 'failing to try'.
