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: 6/10
Thoughts by TSR: Prior to its release, I was kind of looking forward to The Expendables. I figured it would have to be a good time considering it had a cast that was a who’s who of action stars past and present. Instead, it was a CGI blood-filled bore. Nevertheless, it was successful enough to warrant a sequel, and thanks to a few additions to the cast I’m falling into the same trap I did in 2010. With a cast like this, how can it not be fun?
The most notable newcomers on display are Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris, two guys whose inclusion makes perfect sense. The other good news is that we’ll be getting more Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Their cameos in the first film were another source of disappointment, so it should be fun to watch them in beefed up roles. Fittingly, two of the best shots from the teaser feature Willis and Arnie doing what they do best: wielding machine guns.
The teaser mostly avoids plot, instead focusing on the lineup of action movie mainstays who are the real selling point anyway. The majority of the original cast is returning – Stallone, Statham, Li, Crews, Lundgren, Couture – and even though they weren’t enough to live up to expectations last time, I’m hopeful that The Expendables 2 will see them put good use.