THE EXPENDABLES 2 [2012] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
The Best Action Movie Of The Year! An Action Spectacular!
THE EXPANDABLES ARE BACK AND THIS TIME IT’S WAR! The team signs on for a mission that looks like an easy pay check. But things quickly go wrong for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries when one of their own is killed by a psychotic terrorist-for-hire. Hell-bent on payback, they cut a swathe of destruction through enemy territory and wreak havoc upon their opponents. In the midst of the mayhem, they must also shut down an unexpected threat in the nick of time and preventing five tonnes of weapons-grade plutonium from falling in the wrong hands.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 2012 IGN Summer Movie Awards: Nominated: Best Action Movie. 2013 BMI Film & TV Awards: Win: BMI Film Music Award for Film Music for Brian Tyler. 2013 Rembrandt Awards: Nominated: Best International Film (Beste Buitenlandse Film). 2013 World Stunt Awards: Nominated: Taurus Award for Best Fight for Stanimir Stamatov and Trayan Milenov-Troy. 2013 Yoga Awards: Win: Special Award for The Walking Dead Award for the whole cast.
FILM FACT No.2: Principal photography took place over 14 weeks and beginning in September 2011 on an estimated $100 million budget. Film locations included Bulgaria, Hong Kong and New Orleans. Controversy arose over the accidental death of a stuntman and environmental damage caused during filming in Bulgaria. On November 16, 2011, the production received a fine between $343 – $3,440 from the Bulgarian environmental protection agency for unlawfully removing shrubs and small trees from the entrance of Devetashka Cave. Although permits had been obtained allowing sets to be built in the area including a bridge to the cave, environmentalists complained that filming could damage the cave and home to about 40 endangered species. To avoid further problems, the producers agreed not to film explosions, car chases and fires near the cave.
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Scott Adkins, Nan Yu, Amanda Ooms, Charisma Carpenter, Nikolette Noel, George Zlatarev, Alexander Moskov, Nikola Dodov, Wenbo Li, Borislav Zahariev, Penka Kodova, Arkanay Boonsong, Dimo Alexiev, Velislav Pavlov, Anton Trendafilov, Mariy Rosen, Julian Stanishkov, Velimir Velev, Irina Sophia Krichely, Lyudmila Slaneva, Silvia Petkova, Alexandra Spasova, Juliana Saiska, Sanya Borisova, Biliana Petrinska, Diana Dobreva, Liubomir Simeonov, Aleksandar Belovski (uncredited), Novak Djokovic (uncredited), Niki Stanchev (uncredited) and Antoaneta Yordanova (uncredited)
Director: Simon West
Producers: Avi Lerner, Basil Iwanyk, Boaz Davidson, Danny Dimbort, Danny Lerner, David Varod, Eda Kowan, Guymon Casady, Jason Constantine, J. Celeste Salzer, John Thompson, Jon Feltheimer, Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Lonnie Ramati, Matthew O'Toole, Robert Earl, Trevor Short and Zygi Kamasa
Screenplay: Richard Wenk (screenplay), Sylvester Stallone (screenplay), David Agosto (story), Ken Kaufman (story), Richard Wenk (story) and Dave Callaham (characters)
Composer: Brian Tyler
Cinematography: Shelly Johnson (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio for Neo: X playback English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio optimised for late night listening
English: 2.0 Dolby Stereo Audio Description
Subtitles: English and English SDH
Running Time: 102 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: LIONSGATE
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: Sylvester Stallone admits that he didn't quite nail the tone of ‘THE EXPENDABLES’ [2012] and that the first ‘THE EXPENDABLES’ is love letter to 1980s action flicks and the stars that kicked ass in them felt a bit slipshod despite some enthusiastic directing by Sylvester Stallone and eager help from recent star Jason Statham. Sylvester Stallone hands the directing reins over to Simon West this go-round, but is still heavily involved in ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2,’ which is a superior film in almost every way. Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Jet Li return, as do Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in expanded roles. ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ adds a dash of Jean-Claude Van Damme, as the villainous Jean Vilain, and two pinches of Billy the Kid [Liam Hemsworth] and Booker [Chuck Norris] to create a cinematic museum of immortal action legends. ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ hasn't suddenly gained Oscar aspirations, but bigger action sequences and more believable character interaction results in the film viewers wanted from the start.
Barney Ross [Sylvester Stallone] and fellow Expendables Lee Christmas [Jason Statham], Yin Yang [Jet Li], Gunner Jensen [Dolph Lundgren], Hale Caesar [Terry Crews], and Toll Road [Randy Couture] travel to Albania with new recruit Billy the Kid [Liam Hemsworth] and CIA agent Maggie Chan [Yu Nan] to recover a computer hidden in a downed airplane. The group runs into Jean Villain [Jean-Claude Van Damme] and his henchman, who want the computer so they can locate a giant stash of abandoned plutonium. Jean Villain plans to sell the plutonium to the highest bidder, and CIA handler Mr. Church [Bruce Willis] strong-arms Barney Ross into tracking Jean Villain after he steals the computer and leaves the Expendables in shambles.
In the weeks before ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ hit the cinemas, the Internet was abuzz about the possibility of it landing a PG rating. Something about Chuck Norris demanding it. What Chuck Norris wants, Chuck Norris gets, right? Whoever started that rumour was wrong – either that or the filmmakers backtracked at the last minute, because the film has plenty blood and gore. Most of the carnage is the CGI-splatter Sylvester Stallone used in Rambo, but an exploding head is an exploding head. The film kicks off with an extended action sequence in Nepal, where the Expendables unknowingly rescue Trench Mauser [Arnold Schwarzenegger], Barney Ross' arch enemy, and things don't stop going boom until the end credits.
The whole concept just works better in part two. The film retains its hard-hitting action beats, and inserts an appropriate amount of self-depreciating humour and nifty "see what we did there" references to remain buoyant. At its core, ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ is a generic, ripped-from-the-1980s tale of a standard-issue terrorist and the patriotic ass-kickers who fight him for country and cause, but that's the beauty of it. Jean-Claude Van Damme appears in the best shape of all the veteran actors, and his Villain serves up a mean roundhouse kick to the chest. Jean-Claude Van Damme provides just enough menace to be taken seriously, but the seasoned actor is clearly in on the joke.
The film ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ also has them putting the key actors in many scenes together. In the first film, it was obvious that Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone were not often in the same room, resulting in more than a few continuity errors and a general aura of half-assedness. ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ solves that problem by lining up the talent for display. To avoid the "are they/aren't they" scepticism Michael Mann ran into with ‘HEAT,’ Simon West lets his big guns interact in tight spaces and during action sequences too complex to cheat. That's not to say all the actors were together in every sequence; early shots aboard a China-bound airplane were shot in different soundstages.
Fans of the material know this series is about celebrating action stars, and, while Sylvester Stallone and Simon West let the core Expendables carry the film, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris all get their close up. Bruce Willis is written into an action sequence this time, as is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who speaks only in lines recycled from his biggest blockbusters. Sylvester Stallone apparently allowed the former governor to write his character's dialogue, which was a questionable decision, but I laughed out loud when the Terminator ripped the door completely off of a Smart Car. Director Simon West of ‘CON AIR’ fame keeps the action coming. West is not as articulate a director as Stallone, but he has a keen eye for carnage and explosions.
Things wrap up nicely after an extended final showdown, and ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ I felt much more excited about the prospect of future films than I did in 2010. Sylvester Stallone has friends in high places, and of course we see all the original actors, plus a few new band of recruits for a whole new action packed legends for the next outing of ‘THE EXPENDABLES 3.’ But of this film particularly, it’s definitely loud, violent and over-the-top, ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ is served exactly as ordered and something I really enjoyed, as this franchise is totally magic and has all the actors I have loved in action packed films of this genre.
THE EXPENDABLES 2 MUSIC TRACK LIST
DON’T WANT TO FIGHT WITH ME (Written by Frank Stallone) [Performed by Frank Stallone]
I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE (Written by Dino Fekaris and Nick Zesses) [Performed by Rare Earth]
THE WANDERER (Written by Ernie Maresca) [Performed by Dion]
BURNING IN THE SKIES (uncredited) [Performed by Linkin Park]
GANGSTA WALK (uncredited) (Written by Sergio Fertitta) [Performed by Coolio featuring Snoop Dogg]
MUSTANG SALLY (Written by Bonnie Rice) [Performed by Mack Rice]
CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION (Written by Tommy James, Mike Vale and Ed Gray) [Performed by Tommy James]
TOCHNO SEGA (Written by Ustata) [Performed by Ustata]
LIP SMACKIN’ (Written by Harmonica Blues Band) [Performed by Harmonica Blues Band]
BEAUTIFUL MORNING (Written by Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati) [Performed by Felix Cavaliere]
RIP IT UP (Written by Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell and John Marascalco) [Performed by Little Richard]
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY (Written by Ennio Morricone)
GROOVIN (Written by Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati) [Performed by Felix Cavaliere]
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ arrives on Blu-ray with a solid aspect ratio of 2.40:1 in a stunning 1080p image transfer. Shot with Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 cameras, the film has a bold, gritty appearance throughout. I want to first hypothesise a bit about the final look of the film, as it appears some visual tweaks were done in post. I think the filmmakers did a bit of smoothing, perhaps to soften the worn mugs of the veteran actors, before upping the grain digitally. This results in some mismatched grain patterns that overlay slightly waxy faces, but all signs point to this being intentional and not some transfer-specific flaw. Otherwise, detail is frequently exceptional. Close-up shots reveal intimate facial features, and wide shots are deep and textured. West shoots with a softer focus in some scenes, but this doesn't diminish the clarity of the image. Black levels are solid, and the browns, greens and reds of the colour scheme are bold and well saturated. The film retains a pleasing layer of grain, and action sequences retain clarity. I noticed only minor aliasing, and compression artefacts are not an issue. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Audiophiles rejoice, ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ is the first ever Blu-ray to offer a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that is optimised for 11.1 DTS Neo:X playback! Your humble reviewer has not yet upgraded to such impressive technology, but I can appreciate the awesome power of the 7.1 mix. Those of you with 11.1 setups will surely enjoy the added clarity and separation of the extended mix. The main mix is consistently impressive. This is an immersive, aggressive surround mix that makes you realize the value of a home-theatre surround-sound setup. Dialogue is absolutely clear throughout, and there is a fair amount of directional dialogue that pans the sound field. Viewers are placed amid the action, as ambient and action effects make great use of the surround speakers. The hum of airplane propellers buzzes in the rear speakers, the pop-pop of gunfire explodes from the left side of the room, and giant explosions kidnap the subwoofer and force it to shake the floor. Clarity is exceptional, and quieter scenes of dialogue are as pleasing as louder action scenes, which test the mix's excellent range. This is one of the best mixes I've had the pleasure to experience at home, and Lionsgate really delivers on this Blu-ray, which also includes an 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo “optimised for late night listening” and 2.0 Dolby Stereo Audio Description. Plus English and English SDH subtitles.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director Simon West: Simon West is the commentator here. Even though I was grateful to be done with Sylvester Stallone's shaky-cam ways, I missed his presence on the director's commentary. The audio commentary on the first movie was extremely insightful. Full of Sylvester Stallone's vision as a director, his methods for doing things, and his true love for making movies. Here Simon West provides a rather anecdotal audio commentary that is neither engaging nor perceptive as Sylvester Stallone's audio commentary was and to be honest this was a complete waste of time and would have been better to leave it on the cutting room floor.
Special Feature: GODS OF WAR: Assembling Earth's Mightiest Antiheroes [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [21:00] A behind-the-scenes commentary with cast and crew that addressed the writing process with franchise potential in mind, the transition from ‘THE EXPENDABLES’ to the sequel, expanding the cast and creative team, giving the audience their money’s worth and giving each character sufficient screen time. They also talk briefly about ‘THE EXPENDABLES 3’ and tease that they’re bringing in a new wave of action hero apprentices to train. The most interesting part here was learning how Sylvester Stallone and Simon West divided their workload. Contributors include: Sylvester Stallone, Les Weldon, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kevin King-Templeton, Dolph Lundgren, Simon West, Avi Lerner, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris (archive footage), Arnold Schwarzenegger (archive footage), Jason Statham (archive footage) and Bruce Willis (archive footage).
Special Feature: ON THE ASSAULT: The Real-Life Weaponry of ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [14:00] A look at the real-life weaponry that is used in the film. Definitely a feature for any gun enthusiasts out there. But for me it was a very excruciating uncomfortable experience viewing this feature, where people seem to be so laid back in their approach to such dangerous weapons in how they were looking at all the horrendous horrible weapons for sale and a good advert to see why guns should be banned, which America does not seem to understand or learn from their mistakes. Contributors include: Randy Couture [Actor] and Tony Dee [Crew].
Special Feature: DELETED SCENES [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:00] Here we get a selection of five deleted scenes that were mostly just alternate or extended takes on conversational scenes in the film. One of the deleted scenes was a cool bit of fighting on Nan Yu’s part in which she beats on baddies with a hockey stick; another fight scene featuring Terry Crews and Randy Couture was also unfortunately cut. More Bruce Willis is always appreciated!
Special Feature: GAG REEL [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:00] A few minutes of the stars laughing and messing up their lines. This better-than-average gag reel shows the stars cutting up on set. I suspect thick accents had a lot to do with the flubs. There is even a random “fight scene” with Novak Djokovic wielding his tennis racket. The best part might be the zany alternative performances turned in by Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Finally, Sylvester Stallone again leads a troupe of veteran and current action stars into war in ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2.’ Sylvester Stallone passes directing duties to Simon West, who crafts a leaner, more exciting film that strikes a good balance between serious action and self-referential humour. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis get beefed-up roles, and Liam Hemsworth and Jean-Claude Van Damme join returning stars Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Jet Li. ‘THE EXPENDABLES 2’ is a rip roaring rollercoaster fun film and greatly improves on the mediocre first film. LIONSGATE's Blu-ray places solid picture and 10 out of 10 optimized 11.1 audio alongside a slew of interesting extra features. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
