The Expendables return in a sequel that needs to put the number inside the name for some reason. But let’s face it, who needs reasons when we are about to watch a B-Movie with a bunch of actors who are “expendable”? 

This time Barney (Sylvester Stallone) leads his team on a mission against the mysterious Ocelot. A person responsible for wiping out his team twenty-five years ago. Joining him is a reduced cast of regulars in Christmas (Jason Statham), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Gunner (Dolph Lundgren). Whilst the newbies include 50 Cent as Easy Day, Megan Fox as Gina and Andy Garcia as Marsh. The more interesting additions from an action movie perspective are Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais as Decha and Rahmat respectively. 

As should be expected from a B picture the effects work and action can be fairly shoddy. Green screen is rife as well as moments spent in vehicles where you need to do a lot of suspension of disbelief if you want to believe they are moving. There is also a vast amount of knife and hand to hand action in “battlefields” where everyone has guns. But none of this should really be a problem given what you have signed up to watch. 

The issue that did make things painful for me was the shoddy editing and incongruous lack of flow from scene to scene. The opening juxtaposition of the films big bad attacking a chemical plant in Libya whilst Barney and Christmas have a bar fight in New Orleans would be fine if it was not for the fact that they then tool up for a mission that places them in Libya in the middle of the attack. Whilst this use of time is odd it is not nearly as odd as the introduction of new characters in throwaway scenes that are placed immediately next to scenes where they just seemingly know everyone. And this list goes on throughout the film. 

And then there is the intrigue of whether you think the wooden acting (I am looking at you 50 cent) or the terrible script is the worst/best part of the fun. 

The main reason to watch is probably for this innate awfulness I suppose. Whilst Statham’s brief fight with Uwais is the main actual point of genuine interest from the standpoint of this ostensibly being an action movie. 

So in summary, yes it is awful. But isn’t that what you want?