The Expendables is a throwback to the mindless 80s big budget action movies that I grew up watching. Sly Stallone has assembled a massive group of action stars (past and present) and tossed them into a stew of macho ultraviolence. The Expendables delivers the goods and I have high hopes that the sequel will be even better. Stallone’s cast includes a magnetic Dolph Lundgren (as the requiste loose cannon), Jet Li, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis (in an amusing cameo with Ahnold himself), and Mickey Rourke as a weirdo tattoo artist who goes method about loving and losing women and gives an impassioned speech that seems lifted from another, more thoughtful movie altogether. Eric Roberts plays a smarmy White baddie while former WWE rassling star Steve Austin is the henchman.

The Expendables is about a group of mercenaries who after saving some hostages from nasty Somali pirates, go to South America on a mission to overthrow an evil dictator (we know he’s evil because he shoots innocents and hates America, so he must die) and save a beautiful woman. The woman brings out the softer side of Sly, who chops and shoots his way through armies like they were deli swiss cheese. Jason Statham has charisma to burn and a nice fight scene where he beats down some yuppies on a basketball court after one of them smacks around his would-be-girlfriend. Who says chivalry is dead? Dolph Lundgren does a terrific job playing the unhinged Gunner, who oozes menace and seems to enjoy killing a bit too much for Sly’s tastes.

Bodies are blown to smithereens and there’s much flexing and homoerotic tension. The Expendables could have used a more stylish action director (Pierre Morrel who directed District B13 and Taken instantly comes to mind), but Sly does an adequate job keeping the explosions and macho humor coming fast and furious. The Expendables is a fun way to blow 2 hours at the movies.

Grade: B+

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