'THE EXPENDABLES 2'

'THE EXPENDABLES 2' (R) (3 STARS)

Written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone
Directed by Simon West
Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Jean Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis, Arnold Scwarzeneggar, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jet Li

I am just like a kid when I see the action stars I grew up with in the 80's come back and make two movies that are better than a lot of the movies they made in the 80's. "The Expendables" and now "The Expendables 2" are dumb and full of wall to wall fights, explosions and snarky one liners but I love it! It really doesn't matter what the plot is here and I won't explain it. Let's just say that the wooden Van Damme, yes still wooden, is a bad french guy who wants to steal plutonium to make nuclear bombs and take over the World. I was never a Van Damme fan but hell if I didn't want to give him a hug and say "I Miss Your Wooden Acting, stiff ole lovable self!"

The plot doesn't matter and the one liners are dumb but I laughed at every one! I loved how Chuck Norris pops up and steals the movie along with the hilarious, yes hilarious, Dolph Lundgren. Stallone actually looks the most relaxed I have seen him in ages! Seeing him, Arnold and Bruce together made me laugh and feel all warm all over. The action is good and actually this sequel is better than the more cluttered, messier original now that director Simon West took over the reigns. I didn't like the fight at the end, it could have gone on longer, but this is fun. There is also a nice moment between Stallone and a young soldier played by Liam Hemsworth.

"The Expendables 2" is fast food junk but it gets the job done better than most movies with higher ambitions have this year. It doesn't take itself seriously and some say it is close to a self parody. That is of course the point here. This is also lighter than the original movie. I found the decent first movie more serious thus weaker than this more satisfying sequel and I had more fun here. Though I have a question, where does Jet Li go after the opening scenes? Oh, who cares?