We all know that one person, and if you don’t then it’s probably you. The person that believes action movies are the lowest form of entertainment, simply because the action on the screen is emphasized over moral quandaries and existential pontification. They can’t appreciate action filmmaking for what it is, and the way a stray punch or ill-timed explosion can throw off the entire balance of a beautifully crafted scene. Those kinds of people probably won’t go see The Expendables 2, and will miss out on some of the most talented physical actors in the world entertaining audiences with over 100 years of combined knowledge on the genre. Check out the trailer real quick:
While many action films have combined talented and popular martial artists, acrobats, and all-around tough guys before, nobody had pooled so many of the world’s top stars together before The Expendables . Of course it took one of Hollywood’s most experienced and revered veterans, Sylvester Stallone, to make it happen. The screenplay caught the attention of Stallone, who was perfect for the lead role and whose experience in movies allowed him to take control of the project and make it his own. Stallone largely financed and produced the film with his own money and received help from indie action producer, Avi Lerner. While some critics and audiences were skeptical, the movie opened to great success and had one of the biggest opening months of any independent film in history. This was due largely to an all-star, undeniably talented cast and intricate, bloody action sequences that blew audiences away.
The only negative critiques concerned the plot and dialogue, which were rectified for the sequel when Stallone graciously refrained from writing and directing. Don’t get me wrong, Sly has written and directed some of his greatest movies, but focusing on his role in this movie and leaving the technical aspects to others promises to make The Expendables 2 a much more interesting film. Plus, everyone that Stallone asked to be in the first film and wasn’t (Van Damme, Norris, Schwarzenegger, Hemsworth) rallied for this one, so it should be an even more action packed, explosive thrill ride. And if you thought having all these great action stars teaming up to fight one villain would get old, having Jean Claude Van Damme as the villain, Jean Vilain, promises an epic climatic fight scene between the kick boxer and some of the other stars. In short, the sequel appears to be much like the original, but with an even better plot, even more sensational action stars, and exponentially more butt kicking.
The Expendables 2 opens this Friday, August 17th, and is rated R for really, really violent. You can check out showtimes here or in The Reel Buzz email that’s probably sitting in your spam folder, but really shouldn’t. Check the Eventful blog next week for the latest on every hipster girl’s greatest fantasy: Joseph Gordon-Levitt riding a fixed gear.