214, The Expendables 2

If there is one thing I love its an all out, guns blazing Action movie.  Since the 80's / 90's something has happened and it seems that scripts and actors have got a little more savvy to demand and plots have been intricate, complex and sometimes overworked (not always a bad thing mind) but sometimes, all the audience want to see is a total no-brainer, balls out blockbuster with little plot, big bangs and even bigger ego's.

Well, as with the first outing for Sly and his band of ageing Action Stars you get exactly what you pay for and this time they've gone Bigger & Better!

All the originals are back, Stallone, Li, Lundgren, Couture, Statham & Crews as the original merry men but sadly, and for no reason that he seems to have been busy elsewhere, Li removes himself from proceedings early on, leaving our sensational six as a now fabulous five with Willis still pulling the strings and Schwarzenegger back as the 'competition'.  But that's not all - The Hollywood 80's address book has been opened and lone wolf, Chuck Norris pops in for some solid sniper action and when the Muscles from Brussels himself steps up as the villain, still able to pull off flying spinning roundhouse kicks you know you're in for a treat - and Jean-Claude comes with none of the cheese sadly displayed in his recent 'Coors Light' ad campaigns!

The body count in this movie is impressive, as are the methods of destruction for minion after minion who get in our Expendables way.  There are decapitations, people blown up, people having tanks land on them and that's all before the opening credits roll, leaving most movies lagging in the death stakes way before the movie even gets going!  Those with the blood lust will be more than satisfied as its spurts out from every open vein in epic proportions.

We even get treated to a few new recruits.  Added into the mix are Thor's younger brother Liam Hemsworth as the new 'sniper' kid on the block, impressing Sly and his band of merry men at every turn.  Sadly, a short lived role as his demise makes way for the revenge side of the story to kick off & a girl! I know - madness.

As you would have guessed there are Terminator, Rambo & Rocky references dotted throughout and I was sure the on screen trio of Arnie, Sly & Willis would have given reason to a line similar to "We should open a restaurant after this is over" but they go with a "We belong in a Museum" piece instead which was slightly more fitting.  There are more "I'll be back" quotes as well (Yawn) but this time mocked by Willis and I have to say, Arnie is looking more than past it (sadly) but on the flip side, Van Damme is looking as ever hard in this as he used too - and just as agile!

Obviously, this wont appeal to everybody but if like me you love your action movies with OTT explosions and a completely impossible story-lines, paired with the unexpected comedy element of Lundgren (I was surprised at how funny he is in this) and every 80's action star you have ever dreamt of coming together for a jolly boys outing that Del boy would have been proud off then you wont do much worse than this in 2012.

Leave you intelligence at the door - this movie has got more cigar smoke than a Cuban tobacco factory and as many dodgy one liners as a Frank Carson gig but who cares,  its got Gun's, Explosions and Arnie - what else could you need?