Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Barney Ross leads a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas, a martial arts expert Yin Yang, heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar, demolitionist Toll Road, and a loose-cannon sniper Gunner Jensen. When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church to assassinate the dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee visit the remote locale to scout out their opposition and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city.
The Expendables is a self-aware throwback to 1980s action cinema, assembling an unprecedented roster of action stars in a single film — that novelty and nostalgic appeal is its primary selling point. However, the plot is paper-thin and formulaic, essentially a rescue mission with minimal surprise. Acting is functional at best; the ensemble chemistry is uneven and dialogue is clunky. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable, with overly choppy editing during action sequences that undermines the spectacle. The ending delivers expected bombastic carnage but no real emotional or narrative payoff.