With the recent success of Super-hero movies, and the rash of CGI and special effect-laden action films over the past decade, the action movie genre has changed more rapidly than almost any other genre. The Expendables is Sylvester Stallone's attempt at creating a throwback to the action films of the 80's, where the stars of the film were not the effects, but the muscle-bound heroes who did their own stunts, carried big guns, and rescued the girl in the end. If you're a kid of the 80's or enjoyed those types of films growing up, then you'll probably enjoy The Expendables too.
The Expendables is pretty ambitious in terms of the concept of bringing in so many action stars from the past (including Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke), action stars of more recent years (Jet Li, Jason Statham), and former athletes turned actors (Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Randy Couture), and making them all fit cohesively as part of one cast. Somehow, Stallone pulls it off, and you feel like every cast member has a defined role and contributes. Even the much hyped cameo featuring Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger pays off in a funny and charming scene. While it would've been nice to see them all actually play significant roles in the same film (or even better all in their prime), but it's still a very cool scene.
The plot of the film is pretty standard fare, and again is a throwback to the days when the bravado & wit of the heroes carried the movie. The good guys (Stallone & co.) need to take out the bad guys (headed Eric Roberts in a familiar role), rescue the girl and save the day. Anyone expecting any kind of deep or meaningful story will be disappointed, but if you're looking for guns, explosions, and humor thrown in, The Expendables has them in bunches. Stallone and Statham carry much of the film and get the most face time, but the other cast members aren't left out of the proceedings, especially in the last third of film when the action picks up to a break-neck pace. The action sequences are all very well done, including the last one in particular, which features some of the most exciting gun and fight sequences seen in recent years.
In the end, The Expendables ends up being what a lot of films often forget to be - which is namely a lot of fun. While I enjoy great CGI or special effects as much as anyone, it's nice to have a reprieve from them once in a while, and enjoy a good ol' fashioned tough guy movie. For anyone looking for the same, or if you're a fan of classic action films in general, The Expendables is worth a shot.
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