The Expendables (2010) ***1/2

Let's journey back 25 years ago. It's an era where every action movie had a (insert geographic location here) dictator was ruthlessly dictating people who couldn't defend themselves. So it came down to big, muscular good guys to swoop down there and kick the living hell out of the dictator and his cronies. What would follow is an orgy of violence and mayhem for about an hour and forty minutes the likes you had never seen before. Aah, those were the days.

Now we'll return to today and a film called The Expendables that returns to those glorious days of yesteryear in which small, forgotten countries who have become overrun with political failures and ruthless governing are once again getting their ass kicked. The main difference is that instead of one guy, as was the case in the 1980's, you have a team of bad asses. The Expendables are led by Barney Ross (played by '80's one man army Sylvester Stallone). They're mercenaries that pull off jobs for the bread, if the bread is right. The remainder of the team is filled out with an action film who's who: Jason Stratham, Jet Li, Steve Austin, the legendary Dolph Lundgdren, and who can forget the cameos by Bruce Willis and a certain governator we know from back in those days. They're main objective is to take out a third world dictator (David Zayas) and the agency man that controls this puppet (Eric Roberts). Explosions ensue.

The Expendables is not going to be up for any Oscars or Golden Globes or anything like that. It's an action piece- an old school action piece that has very little in the way of plot, yet is entertaining as hell. It's nice to get an action film in this day that doesn't involve either a gimmick or some kind of plot twist during the film. Every '80's action movie film cliche is in this movie so you won't be surprised if you have ever spent any time wading through that decade. This is a movie that doesn't make you think, it's a movie that will mesmerize you like an infant with its loud noises and numerous colors and explosions. It is an orgy of violence. I've used that term to describe A Clockwork Orange, so let me elaborate. Clockwork uses violence like a surgeon uses a scalpel, perfectly placed where needed. This film uses it like making a margarita in a blender- just hit the button and let it be. 

So while it's not the greatest film out there The Expendables is a nice piece of entertainment that succeeds in what it promises to deliver. No more and no less.