The Expendables 2 Movie Review

The Expendables franchise has been around since 2010, and it’s become a cult classic. What makes these movies stand out from other action flicks?

The Expendables series features a group of mercenaries who band together to fight against various threats. They include Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.

The Expendables 2 Movie Review

The films follow a formulaic plot line, where the team fights their way through hordes of enemies. This formula allows them to create a consistent style of filmmaking.

The characters also share similar traits, such as being larger-than-life heroes. These similarities make the film series easy to watch for fans of the genre.

What Is The Main Plot To The Movie?

The Expendables are sent into action again when Barney Ross, leader of the team, learns that one of his former comrades, the rogue soldier Johnny Gat, has been kidnapped by Chinese forces.

Ross recruits his old friend, Lee Christmas, to help him find the missing man.

Together, they travel to Nepal where they meet up with the rest of the team – including the new addition, Billy the Kid.

As they make their way across the Himalayas, they encounter a young woman named Zhou, whom they believe is being held captive by her father.

However, it turns out she is actually being used by a terrorist organization to infiltrate the United States.

With the help of the team, Ross manages to free the girl and save her life. He later discovers that she is the daughter of General Chen Lin, a high-ranking member of the People’s Liberation Army.

Soon after, Yang returns to the team, having completed his mission. He informs Ross that he has left the team because he is now engaged to be married.

His fiancée, however, is still unaware of his true identity. As per tradition, he asks Ross to give him permission to marry her. Ross agrees but warns him that he must return to the team once he gets married.

After returning home, Billy reveals to Ross that he plans to retire at the end of the month and move in with his girlfriend, Sophia.

Ross reminds him that he owes him $10 million for saving his life during their last mission together. Billy declines to pay the money, saying that he doesn’t want to owe anyone anything anymore.

Later, while watching a news report about the kidnapping of a scientist, Ross receives an urgent phone call from the CIA. He is told that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of $100 million dollars.

Ross immediately realizes that the same terrorists responsible for the attack on his family are behind the abduction. He decides to take the matter into his own hands and sends the team off to rescue the scientist.

The first film was released in August 2010. It received positive reviews from critics. However, it only grossed $32 million at the box office.

In 2011, the sequel was released. It received mixed reviews from critics but did much better financially. It made over $100 million worldwide.

In 2012, another sequel was released. It, too, received mixed reviews from critics. Despite this, it still managed to do well financially.

What You Need To Know About This Movie

The Expendables 2 is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi/action violence and language throughout, including several instances of profanity.

Parents must decide whether the PG-13 rating is enough for their children.

Taut, violent, and self-deprecatingly funny, The Expendables 2 delivers every possible action movie cliché you could want from a cast of aging stars.

The Expendables 2 is the latest installment in Sylvester Stallone’s long-running franchise about a ragtag group of mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Stallone). In the film, the team must stop a rogue general from unleashing a deadly virus on the world.

While it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of Lee Christmas — the gruff, foul-mouthed leader of the Expendables — Stallone does a fine job making him his most likable character since Rambo.

While the plot is predictable, the script manages to keep things interesting thanks to some clever dialogue and a few twists.

Stallone’s trademark one-liners are still there, but he doesn’t rely on them nearly as much as he used to.

He keeps the laughs coming throughout the entire film, even though many of them feel like retreads of jokes we’ve seen before.

Still, the Expendables movies aren’t exactly known for being subtle, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the story here feels fairly broad.

There’s plenty of violence, gore, and sex, along with a fair amount of profanity.

As far as acting goes, the performances are pretty good overall. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a villainous role as usual, but he’s given enough screen time to make us believe in his motivations.

Jason Statham continues to impress as always, and Wesley Snipes makes for a fun addition as well.

But the real standout performance belongs to Liam Hemsworth, who plays the son of Bruce Willis. His portrayal of a young man struggling with mental illness is both touching and hilarious.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a fun summer blockbuster, then we recommend checking out The Expendables 2. It’s not as good as its predecessor, but it does offer plenty of laughs and thrills.

If you liked this article, you might enjoy our post on ‘Here Comes The Boom Movie Review‘.

Max Roberts
Latest posts by Max Roberts (see all)