Film Review: The Expendables

The Expendables, not so expendable

By Taressa Ishimi

4/5 stars.

With visions of Rambo, Rocky, Die Hard and the Terminator series in mind, I walked into the theater thinking one of two things would happen. A: I would walk out thinking this was hands down the best action film ever made, or B: this would be a film which tried desperately to succeed on the star power of its cast.

Drawing upon the recent popularity of Ultimate Fighting and Mixed Martial Arts, it was easy to see how the writers and directors were inspired by the public’s current love affair with brawling.

Adding to this attraction, the actors themselves shared an obvious on-screen chemistry. It was almost like watching old friends getting together - but with rapid gunfire and incredible stunting. Thanks to the constant action I found myself on the edge of my seat through the movie and surprised at how quickly it all went by.

This film is not without its downfalls. There were moments I found difficult to decipher the accents of various characters amidst the numerous explosions. Then there were scenes so immersed in darkness that it was difficult to follow the action.

Anyone looking for a story with deeper meaning... this is not the movie for you.

Lucky for me, beyond the cookie cutter action film, the film helped me to get in touch with my inner 13 year-old boy – rendering the lack of depth another casualty of Hollywood.

Oh and if you’re looking to see a motorcycle riding Jason Statham, equipped with a knife in hand and looking oh so sexy... Expendables is a must see. I can’t wait for the dvd and the behind the scenes clips.

In the end – the Expendables kicked ass! Action packed around a simple plot, with only a mere sprinkling of sappy moments...something action junkies like me can definitely appreciate.