The Expendables - 2 smiles

If you take “The Expendables” for what it is, a throwback to the action films of the 80s, you might find yourself enjoying it. Sure the plot is thin and the dialogue cheesy, but there are lots of fight sequences and explosions. And there’s a humorous bantering scene between Sylvester Stallone, who directed and co-wrote, and Jet Li, where Li’s character, Ying Yang, demands more money because he’s short. You see, when you’re short, you have to run harder and jump higher. And when you’re shot, the hole is bigger because….well, you’re smaller. “The Expendables” doesn’t take itself seriously and that’s a good thing. After all, when your mercenaries have names like Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Ying Yang, Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), and Toll Road (Randy Couture), how serious can it be?

Stallone and his mercenary buddies take an assignment in Latin America to remove a dictator. There they encounter former CIA operative (Eric Roberts) and his hulking bodyguard (Steve Austin) who are the true villains. Just don’t pay attention to the odds that say our heroes are outnumbered. And ignore Mickey Rourke’s hammy delivery of a soliloquy that doesn’t fit anywhere in this movie. You do get to see Bruce Willis and the governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in cameos. If you like action flicks, you’ll like this one. 8/14/10