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Author Topic: The Expendables (2010) Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 08-14-2010 04:00 PM                        CINEMA: 13th Avenue Warren, Wichita, KS AUDITORIUM: 2 PRESENTATION: 35mm/Dolby Digital/Mystery Meat Analog/THX PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: Sound kept switching between analog and digital (probably half the movie played in analog) RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four) THE PLOT: Well, this guy hires some mercenaries to kill the leader of a small country because...hell, I don't know. Wackiness ensues. The key players are Stallone and Statham, with cameos from nearly every member of the Fraternity of Action Heroes. Notably absent were Steven Segal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, both of whom were supposedly offered bit pieces but declined. Anyway, a weak excuse for a plot serves little purpose but to weave the action sequences together. Shit gets blown up, people get blown up, and nothing is taken too seriously. It was fun for what it was. The crowd...WAY bigger than I expected...had a ball.  |  IP: Logged Stu Jamieson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 524 From: Buccan, Qld, Australia Registered: Jan 2008 posted 08-14-2010 07:29 PM                     When your movie is comprised solely of (almost) every aging hard man in Hollywood, you probably shouldn't get them to talk too much because chances are their deliverances will be somewhat less than spellbinding. Which is why it is especially perplexing that The Expendables has so many talky bits in it and lengthy ones at that. Do we really care about Jason Statham's endless diatribes on his lucklessness in love? Um.....no. Do we care about how Randy Couture got his cauliflower ears? Hmmm......not really. Do we want more shooty bits and explosions? Oh, yes please! Sly Stallone's new flick is the epitome of WYSIWYG movie making, what you see is definitely what you get. With an all-star gym-jockey cast which includes Stallone, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Rourke, Austin, Willis, Schwarzenegger and Eric Roberts as the bad guy, what more could we want? (Well, I suppose JCVD, Segal, Rutger and Norris would be nice but, hey, let's not spoil ourselves!) The plot revolves around a group of hard-ass mercenaries who head to a small island in the Persian Gulf to do........something. It doesn't matter, the point is they get into trouble and then get to shoot lots of folk and blow shit up and that's all we care about. Slight disappointment in the lack of a Stallone/Lundgren grudge fight - it comes tantalisingly close but, alas, no cigar. The Rambo-ish, over the top cartoony violence does not disappoint, however. How do you top a movie like Rambo (the circa 2008 version)? Well, you grab a dozen odd Rambos, throw 'em into one movie and press play. The result is predictable and less than the sum of its parts but it is a satisfying slice of beef (and cheese) cake nonetheless. 7.5 out of 10.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 08-15-2010 03:57 AM                     quote: Stu Jamieson mercenaries who head to a small island in the Persian Gulf Persian Gulf? Where did you get that from, it was a made up country in South America. I enjoyed this alot, and I will buy it when it comes out on Blu-Ray for sure. I really enjoyed the scenes with Mickey Rourke in them. I thought he did good in his, Ex Expendables role. I really would like to see a sequel and I'm pretty sure we will get one. It missed in a couple spots but overall it was what you thought it would be. A bunch of the biggest bad ass' in the business doing what they do. Kicking ass! 4/5 For the next installment I would like to see; Dwayne Johnson and Rutger Hauer (playing the bad guy) I really don't want to see JCVD or Seagal. Neither of them can accept what they are and think that they are more then Action stars.  |  IP: Logged Stu Jamieson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 524 From: Buccan, Qld, Australia Registered: Jan 2008 posted 08-15-2010 10:38 AM                     They referred to it as "The Gulf" so I presumed they meant Persian. In hindsight, South America makes more sense but, meh, whatever. It's not like it makes much difference.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 08-15-2010 11:16 AM                     "The Gulf" in question is referring to the Gulf of Mexico.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-15-2010 01:38 PM                        Yes, I am almost sure there will be a sequel. I will also not be surprised if the next one includes Arnold Schwarzeneggar in the cast. His term of office as governor of California ends in early January and I am hoping he will resume his movie career and this movie will be perfect for him. I think his brief cameo role in THE EXPENDABLES was a introduction of his character and as he said in another one of his films "I'll be Back". I also saw the movie yesterday in the largest auditorium at the Regal Pearlhighland 12 at Pearl City, Hawaii and it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it very much. The picture quality was not as good as Blu-Ray but the sound was fantastic. -Claude  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-15-2010 08:48 PM                        Today at Regal 15 in Eugene, #14 in 35mm. Looked and sounded good. It is what it is. Some of the dialog is stilted, some of the acting is lousy but that's partly due to the script (Stallone has a writing credit). The plot doesn't matter, is just a framework on which to showcase some bad guys and action heroes and stitch together some nicely-done action sequences and blow people and stuff up one way or another. Mickey Rourke was possibly the best character. I kind of liked this even if the screenplay seems to have been written by amateurs sometimes. Spoiler Alert - Click to Toggle Best line in the movie: "He wants to be president" in reference to Ahnuld's cameo appearance. 3.5 out of 5 stars from me.  |  IP: Logged Dennis M Dow Jr Expert Film Handler Posts: 141 From: Bloomfield NJ USA Registered: Oct 2003 posted 08-16-2010 09:15 AM                       I enjoyed this movie a lot. Yes the story was weak but I actually laughed at a lot of the lines. The action was a little over the top esp with Terry Crews (token black guy) weapons. When movie was over the audience applauded which has been something I havent heard in a long time. 4 outta 5 stars  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-16-2010 09:25 AM                        I just read Sam Graham's review. I swear I didn't read it before, yet I seem to be channeling part of Sam's remarks in my review. What this movie has going for it is it's not pretentious or too clever for its own good. It's straightforward action, doesn't need to make much sense on a plot level.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 08-16-2010 10:11 AM                    This movie was exactly what I thought it would be... a plot just strong enough to keep the blowing-stuff-up going. It was also a great vehicle to see all of the action stars play off of each other. Very enjoyable, and quite funny at times. I'll be seeing this one again.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-16-2010 11:37 AM                        quote: Claude S. Ayakawa I am almost sure there will be a sequel. Not if there is a merciful God.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 08-16-2010 05:52 PM                     The Action Gods will allow for one Frank and Stallone has the stories already for two of them. Edit- to fix my horrible spelling pointed out by Stu  |  IP: Logged Stu Jamieson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 524 From: Buccan, Qld, Australia Registered: Jan 2008 posted 08-16-2010 05:57 PM                     Stories? There are stories?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 08-16-2010 07:58 PM                        At least everyone can be thankful that this beat out the gross for Eat Pray Love in which we learn that having everything is simply not enough. I haven't seen this yet, but I know I'd rather see a Expendables 2 than an Eat Pray Love 2.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 08-17-2010 08:48 AM                     I got the feeling they just let these guys ad-lib some of their lines, which, if true, was a horrible choice. Also, I think they got to pick their own character names. Was that supposed to be funny? Notable lines that left me confused because they had nothing to do with anything: "It's not easy being green" - Randy Couture as Toll Road "Remember me at Christmas!" - Terry Crews as Hale Ceaser The entire spider tattoo idea - Mickey Rourke as Tool Everything referring to needing more money for his family - Jet Li as Ying Yang I'm sure I'm forgetting some. My brain went numb as I watched. There's a reason these guys don't talk much in their own movies, with the exception of Statham.  |  IP: Logged

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