The Expendables 2
Release Date:
August 17, 2012
On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 71/169 |
Max Braden |
This is unfortunately really paint-by-numbers (Hemsworth might as well have worn a red shirt) but how can I dis the 80s action dream team? |
In 2010, Hollywood learned that action heroes never stay away forever. Instead, they bide their time after their celebrity fades. Eventually, the world remembers them anew. While no one publicly stated a fond reminiscence for the steroid-enhanced 1980s catalog of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, audiences still returned in droves to watch the attempted reboot of their careers.
The Expendables shocked most industry observers when the action hero amalgam opened to $34.8 million on its way to a final domestic performance of $103.1 million. Stallone and Schwarzenegger, two of the most famous actors internationally, also proved once more that they are equally popular overseas. The Expendables grossed $171.4 million overseas, giving the $80 million production global revenue of $275 million. Obviously, a sequel would be made.
The Expendables 2 promises more of the same. What is the same, you may wonder. The answer is an action movie response to the concept of Ocean’s 11. A bunch of famous actors are merged together in a larger than life production, a kind of We Are the World of action movies. All of the performers who survived the events of the first film return for the sequel. This list includes Jet Li, Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren and Bruce Willis.
Since Eric Roberts and Steve Austin died horribly in the first movie, new bad guys are needed. The perfect choice was Jean-Claude Van Damme, who had originally been offered a role in the original. Van Damme will portray a character with the last name of Vilain, and this tells you everything you need to know about the subtlety of The Expendables. Also added to the cast is Chuck Norris as a member of the older guard along with The Hunger Games’ Liam Hemsworth as the face of the next generation of The Expendables.
The Expendables 2 is assured to be a box office juggernaut. The expectation is also that its foreign revenue will be even higher than the first title as the market continues to expand. Whether the movie proves to be another Ocean’s 12 in terms of quality remains to be seen. Independent of quality, however, the casting department decision making is full of #Win. (David Mumpower/BOP)
Vital statistics for The Expendables 2 |
| Main Cast |
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham |
| Supporting Cast |
Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Nan Yu, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Director |
Simon West |
| Screenwriter |
Sylvester Stallone |
| Distributor |
Lionsgate |
| Rating |
R |
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Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture |
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