When a film’s cast includes Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s understood the movie will be loud, obnoxious and certainly won’t take itself seriously. Put simply, “The Expendables 2” is any classic action fan’s wet dream. Playing more for laughs than the original, the film is benefitted by rampant, self-referential humor among much of the cast. Schwarzenegger stands tall in his return to movies, stealing almost every scene he’s in. Unfortunately, some of the film’s action scenes are choppily edited, and the script suffers from embarrassingly bad dialogue. Though the poor-quality banter may be intentionally self-deprecating, it’s still distracting. However, in a movie that harkens back to ’80s action flicks, audiences should know exactly what they’re in for – a fun, brainless movie that’s a great return to form for many of its stars.
Grade: B-
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