The Expendables 2 (2012)

All Critics (122) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (80) | Rotten (43) | DVD (1)

"The Expendables 2" is lazily satisfied with repeating the first movie's formula, shortcomings and grisly strengths alike, just as the first movie was content to slavishly, ploddingly cover the hits of the '80s.

August 23, 2012 Full Review | Comments (12)

Tom Russo

Boston Globe

Top Critic

Nice to know America's action stars, no matter how old they get, will never lack for gainful employment.

August 22, 2012 Full Review | Comments (16)

David Hiltbrand

Philadelphia Inquirer

Top Critic

Does exactly what it's supposed to do - no more, no less.

August 19, 2012 Full Review | Comments (5)

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

Yeah, yeah, I get it: "The Expendables 2" is a fun-loving throwback to the gloriously bad action films of the 1980s. Here's what I don't get: Why couldn't it be a throwback to the good ones?

August 17, 2012 Full Review | Comments (73)

Rafer Guzman

Newsday

Top Critic

At least it's efficiently and breezily forgettable. What's more, there are laughs too and here's the best part - one or two of them are actually intentional.

August 17, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

It's hard not to like a movie in which Bruce Willis' toupee-less CIA agent accuses Stallone's ragtag band of mercenaries of engaging in "male pattern badness.''

August 17, 2012 Full Review

Lou Lumenick

New York Post

Top Critic

The movies that many of these guys made in the 1980s and '90s were hardly bulletproof, but this is a cynical exercise in settling for what is expected to be passable.

February 1, 2013 Full Review

Mark Pfeiffer

Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

At this point it's such a juvenile and boring experience with god awful writing, that it completely eliminates the fun of watching action heroes kick ass on screen.

January 11, 2013 Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

"The Expendables 2″ is just entertaining enough to permit a third film. If only these steroids-packing seniors can coordinate schedules again.

December 11, 2012 Full Review

Paul Chambers

Movie Chambers

The Expendables 2 is bigger and better than the first film thanks to Simon West's direction.

November 27, 2012 Full Review

Jeremy Lebens

We Got This Covered

There's a difference in tapping into that same cheesiness that made up the DNA in action films of the 80s and 90s and overdoing it. The Expendables 2 gets way too carried away with that aspect and dives into overkill territory more often than not.

November 22, 2012 Full Review

Chris Sawin

Examiner.com

Enjoyable, but disappointingly tame compared to its ferocious predecessor. The Expendables 2 is disposable.

November 5, 2012

Rob Humanick

Projection Booth

The Expendables 2 is a shot to the arm of pure, silly action-movie fun, and it stars so many heavy hitters it might break your brain to keep up with what's happening onscreen at various points during its slim 103-minute run time.

October 19, 2012 Full Review

Jeremy Wheeler

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Excessive in almost every other area possible: from outlandish explosions to over-the-top dialogue via horrendously delivered gags, it pushes the limit of what people will readily accept from an action movie that isn't directed by the Zuckers.

October 19, 2012 Full Review

Ali Gray

TheShiznit.co.uk

The Expendables 2 does for the action genre what ​"The Artist" ​did for the silent film genre: Distilled it down to its most basic parts before creating an homage that more than lives up to its past.

October 12, 2012 Full Review

Christian Law

We Got This Covered

Those hoping for a deeper, smarter, or more polished piece of action cinema: Sorry, but this franchise has pretty much established it isn't about that.

October 2, 2012 Full Review

Kofi Outlaw

ScreenRant

...if seeing a man's head explode like a watermelon is your thing, book a ticket, because The Expendables 2 frequently makes fruit salad.

September 27, 2012 Full Review

Adam Ross

The Aristocrat

Perhaps we're pawns in an elaborate homage to excess and macho stupidity. It's purposefully - even wilfully - bad. Given that I can't prove that Simon West isn't actually that kind of wheels-within-wheels genius, he earns benefit of my doubt.

September 26, 2012 Full Review

Patrick Kolan

IGN Movies AU

This is a film made very specifically for action junkies. Unfortunately, for everyone else it's going to be very forgettable.

September 12, 2012 Full Review | Comments (3)

Jeff Beck

Examiner.com

It brings back everything that was good about the first movie and makes it truly great, then adds a whole bunch of extra awesome on top of it.

September 10, 2012 Full Review

Kevin N. Laforest

Montreal Film Journal

It's cheesy, fun, disposable action pap on a big scale - but, boy, is it lazy.

September 7, 2012 Full Review

Jim Schembri

3AW

Despite its ridiculously high kill count, there's a vein of humor running throughout the script and almost as many quips zipping around as bullets.

September 6, 2012 Full Review

Neil Pond

American Profile

The Expendables 2 may talk a big game, yet can't back it no matter how many muscles are on display.

September 6, 2012 Full Review | Comments (2)

Matthew Pejkovic

Matt's Movie Reviews

The pleasures of watching the action-movie past getting one more shot at silver-screen glory is undeniable, but like its predecessor, The Expendables 2 is a better concept than it is a movie.

August 31, 2012 Full Review | Comments (4)

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Pitches itself as the ultimate indulgence in action but it's only firing blanks

August 30, 2012 Full Review | Comments (4)

Cameron Williams

The Popcorn Junkie

Yes, it's a joke, but it's an hilariously awesome one.

August 30, 2012 Full Review | Comments (4)

Matt Neal

The Standard

• 1. Lee Christmas: And by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you - Man and Knife.
  – Submitted by T R (23 days ago)
• 1. Trench: I'm back!
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• 1. Gunnar Jensen: So when are you coming back?
  2. Yin Yang: Maybe soon, maybe never, maybe try a new life.
  3. Gunnar Jensen: Then who am I supposed to pick on?
  4. Yin Yang: You will find another minority.
  – Submitted by Kevin Q (6 months ago)
• 1. Barney Ross: We keep it light, until it's time to go dark. Then we go pitch black.
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• 1. Barney Ross: [mockingly] Hello, darlin'.
  2. Lee Christmas: Hello, darlin'.
  – Submitted by Patricia I (7 months ago)
• 1. Lee Christmas: I now pronounce you Man and Knife!
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