Theatrical Release: 8/17/2012
Reviewer: Edwin L. Carpenter
Source: Theater
Writer: Richard Wenk & Sylvester Stallone
Producer: Basil Iwanyk
Director: Simon West
Genre: Action
Runtime: 102 min.
MPAA Rating: R
Starring: Sylvester Stallone,
Arnold Schwarzenegger;
Chuck Norris;
Jason Statham,
Liam Hemsworth,
Randy Couture
Synopsis:
Barney Ross, Lee Christmas, Yin Yang, Gunnar Jensen,Toll Road and Hale Caesar -- with newest members Billy the Kid and Maggie aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time - six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world.
Dove Worldview:
"The Expendables 2" features a lot of stars: Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Norris, Statham, Lundgren, and more. And it features some lines which viewers of their movies will recognize. For example, in one scene Schwarzenegger shows up just in time to help his friends who are in a jam and, crashing through a mine wall and, with cigar in his mouth, he says, "I'm back," a nod to his "Terminator" days. In another scene a character lends him a gun and tells him, "I want this back or you're terminated." When Chuck Norris shows up, playing a character named Booker, he is told he was always a "lone wolf" and we hear the theme from that film. Later in the movie when he helps the gang in a bind, he says, "I thought it might be fun to join the pack for a while." There are a lot of memorable one-liners in the movie as well as enough action sequences for two or three movies let alone one. Sadly, the violence is some of the strongest I have ever witnessed in a movie.
After completing one mission, the gang takes on a second mission to recover plutonium from the Russians as well as seeking revenge for the murder of their young friend, Billy (Liam Hemsworth). Almost constant shooting is the norm with blood flying out of bodies as they are hit. In fact, there are many, many scenes of blood flying in this picture in addition to blood being splattered on windshields and glass. In a couple of scenes a body is riddled with bullets and we see blood sprayed again. In one scene, a character is killed and another character says, "Rest in pieces," and that is pretty much the condition of the corpse. There are fist fights, martial arts, explosions, missiles fired and one decapitates a man (with flying blood again), stabbings, more shootings, a tank, thrown knives, and on and on. The language is strong too. Therefore, due to language and violence, this picture falls short of receiving our Dove "Family-Approved" Seal.
Sex: Kissing by a couple.
Language: J-1; G/OMG-1; S-8; A-4; H-7; H-hole-2; P-2; B-1; You suck-1
Violence: A load of violence including a decapitation with a blood spray; people shot and killed with spurting blood and blood sprayed on windshields and glass; knives thrown; stabbings; explosions; fist fights; missiles; a tank; man with a hood on his head is punched several times; a motorcycle manages to crash into a helicopter; a man is hit by a car; a character holds a bloody bag later and acknowledges that it contains a decapitated head.
Drugs: Drinking in a few scenes; bar scenes; a few scenes of a character smoking a cigar.
Nudity: Bare midriff; cleavage.
Other: It's stated that some similar tattoos a few characters have are satanic tattoos.
