THE EXPENDABLES (USA 2010) ***
Directed by Sylvester Stallone

THE EXPENDABLES is 5 RAMBOs with other action stars playing the other 4 Rambos.  Sylvester Stallone directs and stars again in what can best be described as a violent macho guys action flick with satisfactory action and wry humour.

The plot is simple enough with a slight variation that would not confuse audiences as much as the plot of say, INCEPTION.  This is a good thing as Stallone knows his target audience, just out for a good time – no brains required!  A group of mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Stallone) is hired by Church (Bruce Willis) to overthrow the government of the small gulf island Vilena.  Vilena is fictitious and does not exist – I checked.  The humour is that Ross has not heard of the island and is told to do more reading by his pal.  The bad government is backed by a very mean villain, an American by the name of James Monroe (Eric Roberts).  Stallone has assembled a mean cast that includes Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crewes, Dolph Rundgren, Randy Couture as the good guys and wrestler Steve Austin as a tough henchman.

The romantic interest is provided by Giselle Itie, who plays the general’s daughter, the reason Ross takes up the mission.  A small message of the need for romance is sneaked into the actioneer – and to Stallone’s credit, the romance works without any embarrassing kissing scenes.

One flaw of the plot occurs near the end after the general is killed by Monroe.  Why the soldiers who are under the general are still fighting for Monroe is a sore thumb that strands out as making no sense.  Still, who really cares and one can assume they are still paid by Monroe and thus fighting for him.
Nice cameos by Mickey Rourke as a tattoo artist and Arnold Schwarzenegger as a mercenary who does not take on the mission (as it is too risky and he might want to be President of the U.S. instead) provide needed comic relief.

The filmmakers are hoping this film will make it big at the box-office.  The recent dud THE A TEAM shows that audiences are tired of this kind of action flick.  Still, one hopes THE EXPENDABLES does well, as the film would otherwise break the bank on quite a number of respectable older stars.