The Expendables (2010)

 The Expendables

Score : 

IMDb / 6,4/10

A group of mercenaries is double-crossed during a mission and are approached by Church to overthrow the ruthless dictator of a South American country. It isn't long before the men realise things aren't quite as they appear, finding themselves caught in a dangerous web of betrayal. Although their mission is compromised and an innocent is in danger, soldier of fortune Barney and his comrades decide to get the job done.

Plot

An elite group of mercenaries named The Expendables, who are based in New Orleans, deploys to the Gulf of Aden to save hostages on a vessel from Somali pirates. The team consists of leader Barney Ross, blade specialist Lee Christmas, martial artist Yin Yang, military veteran Gunner Jensen, weapons specialist Hale Caesar, and demolitions expert Toll Road. Gunner instigates a firefight, causing casualties for the pirates. He then tries to hang a pirate, but Yang stops him when Barney and the team discourage the idea. Barney reluctantly discharges him from the team.

Later, Christmas is upset to discover his girlfriend Lacy has left him for another man. Barney and rival Trench Mauser visit "Mr. Church" for a mission. Trench passes the contract to Barney, which is to overthrow dictator General Garza in Vilena, an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Barney and Christmas fly to Vilena for undercover reconnaissance and meet their contact, Sandra, but are discovered. It is revealed that ex-CIA officer James Munroe is keeping Garza in power as a figurehead for his own profiteering operations, while Sandra is revealed to be Garza's daughter. Barney aborts, but Sandra refuses to leave Vilena.

Meanwhile, Gunner approaches Munroe to help and Garza is angered further when Sandra is waterboarded for information by Munroe. Meanwhile, Lacy has been physically abused by her new man, so Christmas beats him and his friends, revealing what he does for a living. Barney and the group discover that Church is a CIA operative and the real target is Munroe, who has gone rogue and joined forces with Garza to keep the drug money that funds the CIA to himself, but the CIA cannot afford a mission to kill one of their own directly because of bad publicity. Barney meets tattoo expert and friend Tool to express his feelings. Tool makes a confession about letting a woman commit suicide instead of saving her.

Barney is then motivated to go back for Sandra alone, but Yang accompanies him. Gunner and hired men pursue them on the road, ending in an abandoned warehouse, where Yang and Gunner fight a second time. Barney shoots Gunner when he attempts to impale Yang on a pipe. Gunner makes amends and gives the layout of Garza's palace. Barney boards the plane with Yang and finds the rest of the team waiting, and they infiltrate Garza's compound. Thinking Munroe hired the team to kill him, Garza has his soldiers' faces painted, preparing them for a fight. The team plants explosives throughout the site but Barney, while saving Sandra, is captured by Munroe's henchmen.

The team saves him and kills the Brit, but is pinned down by Garza's men as Paine wrestles Barney. Caesar fights back and Paine escapes. Garza finally stands up to Munroe, ordering him out and returning his money. Instead, as Garza rallies his men against the Americans, Munroe kills him and escapes with Paine and Sandra. Garza's men open fire against the team, who fight their way through, detonating the explosives and destroying the compound. Toll kills Paine by burning him alive while Barney and Caesar manage to destroy the helicopter before Munroe can escape. Barney and Christmas catch up to Munroe, where they save Sandra and kill Munroe.

Later, Barney donates his mission reward for Sandra to restore Vilena. The team has returned home and are celebrating at Tool's tattoo parlor with the recovering and now redeemed Gunner. Christmas and Tool play a game of knife throwing during which Christmas composes a mocking poem about Tool and throws a bullseye from outside the building.

Cast & Director

• Sylvester Stallone (Director)

• Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross
• Jason Statham as Lee Christmas
• Jet Li as Yin Yang
• Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen
• Randy Couture as Toll Road
• David Zayas as General Garza
• Giselle Itié as Sandra
• Charisma Carpenter as Lacy
• Gary Daniels as The Brit
• Terry Crews as Hale Caesar
• Mickey Rourke as Tool
• Bruce Willis as Mr. Church
• Arnold Schwarznegger as Trench Mauser (uncredited cameo).
• Steve Austin as Paine
• Eric Roberts as James Munroe