THE EXPENDABLES 2

If the formula worked the first time, then it has to work a second time…right? Hell-to-the-No! The plot of ‘Sly and the Boys Part Deux,’ is as pedestrian as a Kardashian! The Expendables are strong-armed into undertaking a mission. During this mission they encounter a roundhouse kicking villain. Villain makes The Expendies angry. The Expendies foil the villain’s plan and in the end the balance is restored. I’ve scene better plots in newspaper comic strips of Marmaduke. The one-liners are hilariously senile but reminiscent of the good ol’ 80’s Action Flick. The acting is a smorgasbord of wooden performances. Stallone and Statham try to give the film some heart but Arnie and Willis are just a ludicrous odd couple. Norris is proof that even after acting for forty four years, the guy is still unable to act. With the box office success of the first film you’d think that the sequel would have better action scenes and special effects, but sadly those aspects of filmmaking appear to be expendable. Director Simon West does what he was hired to do, which is bring script to screen but it is a forgettable effort. Van Damme is certainly the stand-out of this film. With his “big legs and karate” and also his acting abilities (compared to his peers), JCVD is back…at least for a little while.

Rating: 2/10

S. V. Fernando