Movie · 2012 · Action, Adventure, Thriller · 1h 43m · R · English
Curator score: 1.4/10 (480.7K ratings)
Back for War.
Overview
Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.4/10
IMDb: 6.6/10
Letterboxd: 2.76/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
Metacritic: 51
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Simon West
Production
Millennium Media, Lionsgate, Nu Boyana Film Studios, Nu Image Entertainment
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, Yu Nan, Amanda Ooms, Charisma Carpenter, Nikolette Noel, George Zlatarev, Alexander Moskov, Nikola Dodov, Wenbo Li
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, self-aware throwback that delivers exactly what it promises: star-powered banter, bruising hand-to-hand fights, and absurdly oversized action beats. It works best as a nostalgic, junk-food sequel for viewers who enjoy macho ensemble spectacle and don’t mind thin plotting or uneven acting.
Best for
fans of old-school action ensembles
viewers who like campy, self-aware blockbusters
people seeking big practical explosions and fight choreography
audiences nostalgic for 80s/90s action stars
Skip if
you want tight writing or emotional depth
you dislike cheesy one-liners and macho posturing
you prefer grounded action over cartoonish mayhem
you’re sensitive to uneven performances and recycled nostalgia
Overview
The Expendables 2 is less a movie than a victory lap for a certain kind of action cinema. It knows its audience, leans into the reunion energy, and gives the cast plenty of room to trade insults, pose, and blow things up with gleeful excess. The result is more polished and more playful than the first film, even if the story is basically a delivery system for set pieces.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the commitment to the bit. The film treats its aging hardmen like legends, then lets them act like children with machine guns. The humor lands often enough, the action is brisk, and the villainy is cartoonishly effective in the best possible way.
Bottom line
Still, this is not a movie for anyone looking for nuance. The dialogue is corny, the emotional stakes are paper-thin, and the performances range from charmingly gruff to outright wooden. But if you want a knowingly dumb, high-testosterone action hangout with real crowd-pleasing energy, it delivers.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Tentin Quarantino ☭ (1★) · 364 likes
Is there a reverse equivalent of the Oscars? If so, here's my ballot:Outstanding Performance in a Motion Picture (Drama) - Jean-Claude Van Damme
Outstanding Performance in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy [unintentional]) - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Worst Actor - Terry Crews
Worst Supporting Actor - Terry Crews
Person Who Gave Such A God Damn Awful Performance, It Can't Rightly be Called 'Acting' - Randy Couture
Most Understandable Accent - Jason Statham
Least Likely To Succeed - Terry Crews
Most… more
MizfitMathew (4★) · 266 likes
This movie doesn't try to be anything more than it is, a straightforward, wham bam thank you ma'am, action movie.
I like that.
No preachy bs. No hidden messages or meanings, just big guns and huge explosions.
I can really appreciate that.
Action movies are usually not my favorites. I like them, but honestly once you've seen a few good ones, you've kind of seen them all. 🤷
And usually, they only get worse.
But this series seems to just… more
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (4★) · 253 likes
Starring: The Bold, Bald, Gruff Action Man Jason Statham
This is it.
This film delivers on every single one of my hopes and expectations. The sequel ups the ante with bigger explosions, stakes, action set pieces, and the involvement of our legendary heroes, all while referencing their previous iconic films in numerous ways (in scenes, fight choreography, and banter) that some viewers could find grating but which I really enjoyed. The cinematography has also vastly improved; it now has a… more
Bryan Espitia (3.5★) · 249 likes
The villain in this is literally just named Vilain lmao i love it
Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄 (4.5★) · 218 likes
Van Damme kills Liam Hemsworth by roundhouse kicking a knife into his heart🦵🏻🔪🫀. I’ll mark this as spoiler but I genuinely believe that should’ve been used in the marketing to convince people to see it😆.
Anyway, this one was way campier & tongue in cheek than the first one & it made for a better movie💪🏻. Fun schlocky action movie✈️.
Jason Statham- ranked
1997 · Action, Crime, Science Fiction · 2h 19m · R · Curator 6.2/10 (728.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus
Operatic, ridiculous, and intensely committed to action-movie excess in a way fans of big swings tend to love.