The Expenda Bum part II

One of the first screenbum postings was based on the trailer for a movie that I was very excited about. So even though I had to wait a few days before I got the chance to go see The Expendables, I was just as excited as the day I heard about it. The only problem was that I think I built it up so much that, even though I liked it, The Expendables wasn’t as awesome as I hoped it would be. I was looking for it to be my generation’s Dirty Dozen.

As long as there was fighting, shooting, and things blowing up the movie was awesome. Then unfortunately the guys had to act, and that was just brutal. The script didn’t help much either. All I could think about while watching it was that if it wasn’t for the all star cast this movie probably would have went straight to DVD.

Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in the movie, and was smart enough to give second billing to one of today’s biggest action stars Jason Statham. Sly looked plastic, and the obvious coloring of his well groomed goatee was laughable, but Statham was charismatic as always. He is one of the things that actually holds the whole movie together.

Stallone plays the leader of a group of mercenaries that gets an offer for a big paying job to take out a corrupt general of a small South American country. Including Sly and Statham, the rest of the group is comprised of Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Randy Couture, and Terry Crews. Mickey Rourke plays their guy behind the scenes trying to get out of the game by sticking his ground as the intermediary between clients and the team. So Rourke sets up a meeting.

Sly goes to a church to talk about the job proposal, and meets with the only two action stars as big as he is. It was a really fun scene that Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t have to do, but because of their friendship with Stallone, and the realization of their roots, they were reportedly happy to be a part of this extravaganza of testosterone.

Stallone and Statham go to do some recon on the island nation and soon realize that they are not only up against a general and his army, but a rouge psychotic ex-CIA agent played by, the forever over acting, Eric Roberts, and his own mercenaries Stone Cold Steve Austin, and kick boxing star Gary Daniels.

During a recent interview Sly said that he had a sequel in mind, but the possibilities of the sequel would all be based upon the success of the first. The Expendables came in first place and made $35 million in its first weekend in the U.S., and is now up to $45 million domestically. The movies budget ran about $80 million total, & it will go past that in the states. I’m betting that the movie does a lot better abroad where they love cheesy action flicks. That being said it looks as if The Expendables will garner a serious return even before it’s release on DVD, and we all know that profits mean sequels.

I say leave your brain at home, enjoy the eye candy, and love it for what it is, but if you’re looking for more then that from The Expendables then you will be disappointed.