By Malice Intended

The landscape of action films looked quite different in the 1980’s.  The genre was dominated by muscle-bound, machine gun toting super soldiers who faced down entire armies in the jungles of Southeast Asia and beyond.  Names like Stallone and Schwarzenegger helped make such characters into cultural icons. That influence would last throughout the decade and into the early 1990’s.

Today’s Action heroes are of a different breed entirely.  They are more of the “every man” variety.  Physically fit but not physically imposing.  Often skilled in martial arts and well versed in the use of high tech devices.   They prefer to sneak into enemy territory rather than storm the gates with heavy artillery.  Inner conflicts and emoting are not out of question.  In many ways they are more developed then their 1980’s counterparts.  Many see this as a sign that the genre has come of age and evolved from its primitive beginnings.

Still, many action fans long for a return to the “good old days”.  For the past three years, Sylvester Stallone has catered to that longing. Recent entries in both the Rocky and Rambo franchises employed a “back to basics” approach that showed a thorough understanding of those characters.   They were both decidedly “old school” in spirit.

With The Expendables, Stallone looks to up the ante considerably.  As with Rocky Balboa and Rambo, Stallone isn’t just the star but the writer and director as well.  The plot revolves around a group of mercenaries who venture into South America to take down a dictator.  The cast is a veritable who’s who of action cinema, running the gamut of different eras and subgenres.  Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren all have prominent roles.  Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis make cameo appearances. 

For any action fan, this is something to get excited about.  The promo trailer whets the appetite by displaying an abundance of violent action. The fight choreography shows a melding of both old and new sensibilities, mixing the intricate fight choreography of today with the more visceral feel associated with older action classics.  Jet li’s Character is seen doing some fancy legwork (thankfully unassisted by wires or CGI).  We get quips and one-liners which reveal a sense of self-awareness regarding the absurdity of the plot.  All in all it seems to be a rather tongue-in-cheek affair, not taking itself too seriously. 

On paper, The Expendables sounds like a nostalgia trip.  Something meant to cash in on fondness for an era long since passed.  The actual footage shows it to be a bit more than that.  Stallone appears to have crafted an extravaganza that caters to all facets of action movie fandom.  It looks like a lot of fun.  Here’s to hoping that Stallone and company can deliver. 

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