IT’S action film glory days revisited when director and star Sylvester Stallone teams up with a rollcall of action heroes of the last three decades in The Expendables.
Sly play Barney Ross, leader of mercenary group The Expendables, comprising Lee Christmas (Jason Statham, Snatch, The Transporter), Ying Yang (martial arts film star Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren, Rocky IV), Tool (comeback king Mickey Rourke), Toll Road (mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (former NFL star Terry Crews).
The Expendables are hired for a covert mission to overthrow Gulf island dictator General Gaza (David Zayas from television’s Dexter), but pulling the General’s strings are American villains James Monroe (Eric Roberts, B-grade brother of Julia) and hulking henchman Paine (wrestler Steve Austin).
Big names Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear in a memorable scene with Stallone early in the film when the three swap sly in-jokes that let the audience know that The Expendables doesn’t take itself too seriously.
This tongue-in-cheek approach means well-worn action film elements can be reheated and enjoyed without feeling like the film has descended into cliché.
Like recent extravaganza The A-Team, The Expendables takes action scenes to new levels, but with more of a focus on weaponry, firefights and dynamic, violent hand-to-hand combat, where the former film specialised in cartoonish but exhilarating set-pieces.
The Expendables has a huge body count and plenty of heads and limbs detaching from torsos, which is – let’s face it – a lot of fun to watch.
It’s not all dumb fun. In the background lurks a post-modern self-awareness, with some characters taking time to reflect on the state of their souls considering how many people they have killed, though not to the point where the film becomes an action genre The Unforgiven.
There is, however, a stunning scene from standout performer Rourke when he expresses deep regrets about his life to Sly’s Ross. It’s an amazing effort despite feeling a touch out of place.
Action fans rejoice, because the genre is back with all guns blazing.
The Expendables (MA)
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li
Rating: Three and a half stars
Screening: Now
Reviewed by: Christian Wilkinson