The Expendables 2 is Epic

Just saw The Expendables 2 this past Saturday. I enjoyed the first one, but part two blows it out of the water, something I don't get to say about a sequel very often. Stallone once again leads a star-studded cast of badasses, and thankfully Bruce Willis and Arnold have bigger roles this time around. Conversely, a few characters are minimized (don't get too attached to Jet Li) or left out entirely (I didn't see any of Micky Rourke in this one, which is a bit tragic since he was the best actor in The Expendables).

This one is also a lot funnier than the first, with the actors throwing constant jabs at each others' hit movies. Arnold, to no one's surprise, has the best lines, like "My shoe is bigger than this car!" and "I'm back!" No doubt about it: this movie caters to fans of these action stars who remember their heroes' best moments and want to relive them.

In addition to the returning cast, several new faces are along for the ride. Chris Hemsworth's brother Liam joins the team, but as with Jet Li, don't get too attached to him either. Also, for the first time in the series a woman joins the team. Maggie Chan (played by Nan Yu) is able to hold her own among the testosterone-fueled cast. Chuck Norris has a few scenes that play off his legendary mystique, and Jean-Claude Van Damme does a very good job as the villain (you really want to see him die a painful death at the end). Speaking of Van Damme--I was a huge fan of his back in the 90's (even started a Van Damme fan club), and I'm glad to see he can still kick the crap out of someone if given the chance. He and Stallone have a slug--and kick--fest in the movie's climax.

Go see this movie. Then go to Stallone's house and bow to him and say "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"