The Expendables 2 Directed by: Simon West Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: August 17, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 7/10
Thoughts by TSR: I know I said the same thing after watching the first film's trailer, but The Expendables 2 looks like a lot of fun. While Stallone and company didn’t deliver back in 2010, this trailer makes me optimistic that the second time will be the charm. Any movie that has Jason Statham saying “I now pronounce you man and knife” while dressed as a monk is a movie that has earned my attention.
That particular bit of dialogue is dangerously close to being cringe-worthy, but Statham delivers it like a champ. Another short look at that scene a while later solidifies it as the one I’m most interested to see play out in context. The other sequence this trailer does a good job of selling is the very first one shown. Director Simon West shoots the action clearly, and it gives Liam Hemsworth a nice moment to prove his worth right off the bat.
The rest of the trailer is mostly just explosions, old guys growling at one another, and Stallone flying planes into tunnels. So you know, exactly the type of stuff you’d expect from The Expendables 2. We might have to endure some silly moments like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in a tiny vehicle – “My shoe is bigger than this car!” – but this looks like it could be a marked improvement over its predecessor. And remember: Jason Statham. In a monk's robe. Throwing knives at people.