The Expendables 2 - 3 smiles

You have to be of a certain age to appreciate The Expendables movies and though “The Expendables 2” is corny and violent, its humor and self-deprecating macho appeal makes this ‘oldies-but-goodies’ flick very enjoyable. Where the first Expendables, directed by Sylvester Stallone, took itself too seriously, the sequel, directed by Simon West, is more entertainingly cartoonish. Our heroes from the first movie include Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Bruce Willis and a brief appearance by Jet Li. They are joined by Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Hemsworth and Jean-Claude van Damme. They use every weapon available, from brass knuckles to army tanks to airplane propellers that double as instruments of decapitation, resulting in an incredibly high body count. Plus there’s an especially loud sound track, but the one-liners, written by Stallone and Richard Wenk, are quite funny. Stallone and his group of aging action stars celebrate mindless machismo, oiling their gun barrels, grunting one-liners, and blowing away bad guys. What fun.

The picture opens with a ludicrous action prologue, an insane rescue mission set in a hostile generic Asian hellhole full of sadistic maniacs. But the bullet-riddled heart of the story concerns simple brute force revenge, as the team seeks payback for the death of one of their own, killed on the orders of van Damme’s evil bad guy. There’s also the matter of retrieving stolen plutonium that might blow up the world. For the first time, the action dudes are joined by a kick-ass Asian female, Maggie (Nan Yu), a computer expert, who can hold her own in a fight. “The Expendables 2” is excellent B movie fodder and a great way to spend an afternoon. 8/17/12