Biojex
Super Freak
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I loved the "rest in pieces" bit 
The Expendables 2 - August 17, 2012
- Thread starter Kross
- Start date
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Deckard
Super Freak
Biojex
Super Freak
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SnakeDoctor
Super Freak
That was a good review. Still not the as good as the one that called it "an hour-and-a-half of untrammeled macho bulls**t" ... but close.
SnakeDoc
it's hard not to think of something Dolph said in the film when I see your username.
plasmid303
Super Freak
THIS MOVIE WAS FUN. DUMB FUN.
I went in with the lowest of expectations after being bored by the first film. The original was such a disappointment to me largely due to being surprised by how poorly the action was shot (looking back, I should've expected that because of Stallone's direction). Most of the fire fights were filmed at the hip up, and the camera in general just felt too close up to the actors. This also affected the fight scenes, which I thought were choppy and poorly staged.
Didn't help matters that the bad guys from the first were pretty lightweight. Sorry, Eric Roberts and that detective from Dexter, you guys were pretty ineffectual villains. Not even Stone Cold could save you.
The only thing that worked for me in the original was the comraderie among Stallone's group, but even then, most of the jokes fell flat.
The Expendables 2 by comparison feels more confident, more laid back, and definitely more fun. The action is shot better, the villains are more intimidating, the gang act more like a group of old friends, and most of the jokes got a laugh from the crowd. I wasn't expecting a sophisticated plot, so what was here turned out to be serviceable enough. You could see one character's death coming from a mile away, but it helped with the crew's motivation. The whole thing is almost an all-around improvement from the first film.
Best things:
+ JCVD looked like he was enjoying being the bad guy. There was something about his gesticulations that was really fun to watch.
+ Jet Li's all-too brief appearance. Makes the most of the time he's got on screen, at least.
+ Chuck Norris's intro
+ Coherent action direction
+ Better jokes and banter (especially those involving Lundgren)
+ Stallone + Schwarzennegger + Willis all in one shot with a bunch of guns = perfect.
Didn't like/Wished for more:
- Not enough scenes of JCVD and his main crony. The final fight scenes involving both of these two baddies felt a bit brief. It's not like they were hurting for runtime. The film as a whole felt a bit short.
- Actress who played Maggie. It wasn't that her performance was poor, but I kept thinking that either Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, or Maggie Q would've been better fits here.
- Some of the nods to nostalgia didn't work for me, most of them involving Arnold.
- The CGI was distractingly bad.
- I've been hearing people raving about the opening action sequence, but it felt rather routine to me. Only Jet Li's fight scene stood out. This unfortunately brings me to...
- The lack of Jet Li. He's only in the first 15 minutes of the film.
- Thought a bit more development for Statham, Crews, and Couture would've been good.
Overall I really enjoyed this for what it was. I went out of the first movie not wanting a sequel. E2 changed that.
I went in with the lowest of expectations after being bored by the first film. The original was such a disappointment to me largely due to being surprised by how poorly the action was shot (looking back, I should've expected that because of Stallone's direction). Most of the fire fights were filmed at the hip up, and the camera in general just felt too close up to the actors. This also affected the fight scenes, which I thought were choppy and poorly staged.
Didn't help matters that the bad guys from the first were pretty lightweight. Sorry, Eric Roberts and that detective from Dexter, you guys were pretty ineffectual villains. Not even Stone Cold could save you.
The only thing that worked for me in the original was the comraderie among Stallone's group, but even then, most of the jokes fell flat.
The Expendables 2 by comparison feels more confident, more laid back, and definitely more fun. The action is shot better, the villains are more intimidating, the gang act more like a group of old friends, and most of the jokes got a laugh from the crowd. I wasn't expecting a sophisticated plot, so what was here turned out to be serviceable enough. You could see one character's death coming from a mile away, but it helped with the crew's motivation. The whole thing is almost an all-around improvement from the first film.
Best things:
+ JCVD looked like he was enjoying being the bad guy. There was something about his gesticulations that was really fun to watch.
+ Jet Li's all-too brief appearance. Makes the most of the time he's got on screen, at least.
+ Chuck Norris's intro
+ Coherent action direction
+ Better jokes and banter (especially those involving Lundgren)
+ Stallone + Schwarzennegger + Willis all in one shot with a bunch of guns = perfect.
Didn't like/Wished for more:
- Not enough scenes of JCVD and his main crony. The final fight scenes involving both of these two baddies felt a bit brief. It's not like they were hurting for runtime. The film as a whole felt a bit short.
- Actress who played Maggie. It wasn't that her performance was poor, but I kept thinking that either Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, or Maggie Q would've been better fits here.
- Some of the nods to nostalgia didn't work for me, most of them involving Arnold.
- The CGI was distractingly bad.
- I've been hearing people raving about the opening action sequence, but it felt rather routine to me. Only Jet Li's fight scene stood out. This unfortunately brings me to...
- The lack of Jet Li. He's only in the first 15 minutes of the film.
- Thought a bit more development for Statham, Crews, and Couture would've been good.
Overall I really enjoyed this for what it was. I went out of the first movie not wanting a sequel. E2 changed that.
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
The cast was great. Nice mindless action where none of the heroes got his and never missed a shot. And the jokes were funny.
The rest of the movie was garbage. The ending fight was weak.
I lol'd at "You need to learn to fight." and "You are going to starve to death."
The rest of the movie was garbage.
The ending fight was weak.I lol'd at "You need to learn to fight." and "You are going to starve to death."
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The lights came on midway through the final fight. It was odd.
But that fight wasn't that great.
I liked the Stathem Vs. Scott Adkins one. I saw that ending a mile away. It felt like a Raiders fight.
But that fight wasn't that great.
I liked the Stathem Vs. Scott Adkins one. I saw that ending a mile away. It felt like a Raiders fight.
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
Norris was great too. Delivered every line with his straight no emotion expression and voice tone as usual.
I thought JCVD just looked great as the villain. It looked like he was having tons of fun.
I loved it every time he talked about men vs. sheep!!
The more I think about the movie, the more I find other things that I loved.
I loved it every time he talked about men vs. sheep!!
The more I think about the movie, the more I find other things that I loved.
DinoLast
Super Freak
JCVD was a good villain, but both he and Scott Adkins were underused, it was definitely the weakest point of the film that the bad guys did not have enough screen time.
It's pretty common for these types of movies not to elaborate on villains, they're usually just a means to get the heroes into cool action scenes. Hans Gruber in Die Hard may be one of the few really well done villains in the genre, but most can be substituted by someone else with no loss to the film.
CollectorNC
Super Freak
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And their minions were easily the most incompetent group of thugs around as they couldn't kill or injure any of the good guys. lol
CollectorNC
Super Freak
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Interesting video. I knew some scenes looked CGI, but the small effects company actually did a good job for other scenes I had no clue. Warning, if you haven't seen it, this has major SPOILERS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0khysL2PMeQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0khysL2PMeQ
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They could've done a lot of that stuff practical. With miniatures.
That helicopter crash with the motorcycle was beyond horrible.
That helicopter crash with the motorcycle was beyond horrible.
I loved this movie!!! All my favorites (that are still alive) kicking bad guy a--!!! Wish Jet Li would have been in it a little more, loved that fight with the pots and pans!!! Can't ask for anything more from Sly, he got everyone together and made another awesome action film.
Craze
Super Freak
Going again tonight, looking forward to watching the carnage all over again!
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