The Expendables 2

The geriatric heroes are back, toting not only limitless tons of ear-splitting explosives but also deadpan, self-deprecating laugh-lines. Under the leadership of Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), the past-their-prime mercenaries--including knife specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial arts master Yin Yang (Jet Li), volatile sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), demolition-skilled Toll Road (Randy Couture), and weapons-savvy Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), as well as newcomer sharpshooter Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth)--are deployed to Nepal, along with Ross's rival, Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), to rescue a Chinese businessman. Next, they're dispatched by covert CIA operative Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to retrieve something from the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the Balkans, taking along tech-savvy Maggie (Yu Nan). But when a team member is viciously killed, vengeance becomes the motivating force against sadistic Jean Vilian (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and his henchman Hector (Scott Adkins)--who threaten the world with deadly plutonium. Filmed primarily in Bulgaria, Simon West directs the mindless macho mayhem (which also features Chuck Norris as Lone Wolf Booker), and while the violence-laden story doesn't make much sense, old school action fans will appreciate the nostalgic fun. Recommended. (S. Granger)