September 7, 2012
A Byrd’s Eye View N
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ABOUT FILMS, TV, ARTS AND EVENTS IN THE VALLEY A Quote By
The Expendables 2 Recycles the Same Old Action Movies By Art Byrd When I saw the first The Expendables movie a few years back, I thought it was an above average B- movie, with some action heroes, big stunts, over-the-top violence and corny dialogue. Enough to enjoy some Goobers and popcorn. Now in 2012, The Expendables 2 gives the audience more action heroes, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris, a huge body count and even more corny dialogue that includes, “I'll be back.” Yes, I'm not kidding, they use the line from The Terminator with Schwarzenegger saying it. The Expendables 2 is like a live action video game with the bad guys being cut down in record numbers with blood splattering messiness. As the movie begins, we are thrown into the action as the Expendables are involved in a shootout while driving a strange but tricked-out armored truck. They are in search of a kidnapped Chinese billionaire in Nepal. Of course, they find the billionaire, but someone has gotten there first, been captured and hooded. After a bloody battle, Barney, the Expendables leader (played by Sylvester Stallone) lifts the hood find out it is Trench, an operative and enemy played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trench agrees to let the Expendables have the billionaire because they saved his life. The Expendables 2 did try something different. They brought in a young operative, Afghanistan veteran Billy played by Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games) as an expert sniper. Most of the Expendable team are back -- Jason Stratham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Jet Li -- for a moment.
“People say, be wary of sequels, but I was gung ho to do this as much as you possibly could be, ... The Transporter was an amazing turn in my career -my first leading role. I got to do a lot of action, which I'd always wanted to do as a very physical person, especially with my background as an athlete for years, and so to incorporate all that into a movie role was like a dream come true for me. Actor Jason Statham, (The Transporter series), who is one of the Expendables in The Expendables 2,