The Expendables (2010)

My father took me to see my first action movie called TRUE LIES, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Directed by James Cameron, when I was five years old. Over the years, I started watching other great action classics like: DEMOLITION MAN with Sylvester Stallone, DIE HARD with Bruce Willis, BLACK MASK with Jet Li, and UNIVERSAL SOLDIER with Dolph Lundgren. At age 21, I saw a very entertaining action blockbuster, that features an ensemble cast of some of Hollywood’s greatest action stars in Director Sylvester Stallone’s THE EXPENDABLES. Released in 2010, the film tells the story of Fearless paramilitary leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his team of loyal, highly trained, dangerous mercenaries: close quarters combat expert and second in command Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial arts expert Yin Yang (Jet Li), Swedish sniper Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture), and heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), who call themselves the “EXPENDABLES”, get sent on a mission to a South American country to overthrow its brutal dictator General Garza (David Zayas). And as the mission begins, Ross discovers that the situation is not as it appears and he and his team must make the ultimate sacrifice to do what they have to do to survive. The film also stars Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) as former expendable turned Tattoo artist Tool, Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) as the cold-blooded ex-CIA officer James Monroe, former WWE wrestler Steve Austin as Monroe’s muscle Dan Paine, Gisele Itié as Ross’ contact Sandra, Charisma Carpenter (TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Christmas’ girlfriend Lacy, and a special appearance by Bruce Willis as the mysterious Mr. Church and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ross’ old rival Trench. Out of all the actors, I’d have to say that I really enjoyed Lundgren’s performance as the loose cannon Gunnar Jensen. After spending the last two in a half decades starring and directing in direct-to-DVD films, THE EXPENDABLES marks his first theatrical release film in fifteen years since the 1995 Keanu Reeves film JOHNNY MNEMONIC, and his second with Stallone in twenty five years since 1985’s ROCKY IV. The scene in the church with Stallone, Willis, and Schwarzenegger was both funny and cool to watch. And for years and years, they have been trying to work together and now they finally did. I would have to say that the best scene would have to be with The Expendables infiltrating Garza's compound, and ending it with a huge bang. One thing that disappointed me was that the song “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)” from the hard rock band Shinedown, did not appear in the film but on the theatrical trailer. It’s a great song and I listen to it on my I-pod all the time. I was really hoping for this film to beat out SCOTT PILGRIM vs. THE WORLD and EAT, PRAY, LOVE for the #1 opening spot at the box office, and I was right. If you love action movies, than you’ll love THE EXPENDABLES. It is to me one of the best movies of 2010 and I definitely recommend this great, kick-ass, and entertaining film to all movie lovers.