Director: Simon West

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Dolphin Lungren

Thank God someone gets it! For all the great set pieces of the first Expendables film, it really felt like the old gang were taking themselves a bit too seriously, getting bogged down in irrelevancies like "story", "plot" and "character arcs". It's a credit to Sly that he has willingly handed over the reins to Con Air director Simon West who, largely, understands what this is all about. Here's a trailer...

There are still some misguided attempts at creating meaning and emotional impact, but fortunately these are kept to a minimum. Expendables is all about witnessing Rambo, The Terminator and John McClane standing side-by-side shooting big guns. It's about Chuck Norris knowingly making a 'Chuck Norris' joke. It's about Willis insisting to Arnie that, this time, HE will be back. It's about Sly ferociously body slamming Van Damme to the floor. This is what we love. This is what we paid to see. This is what makes The Expendables great! 

4/5

Words by Ali Bianchi. Catch Ali and Adam's regular Film Clash podcast here.

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