where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, August 13th, 2010
show: 9:10 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $4.50 20 oz. Orange Fanta = $14.50
auditorium: 3
seat: 3rd row, 6th column
synopsis: Barney Ross ( Sylvester Stallone ) is given a mission to go to the South American island country of Vilena to overthrow its dictator, General Gaza ( David Zayas ). Along with his pal, Lee Christmas ( Jason Statham ), and their local guerrilla contact, Sandra ( Giselle Itie ), they scope out the place. But they abandon their mission once it is compromised. But not one to leave a mission undone or leave a comrade behind, Barney will need to solicit the help of his old mercenary crew to finish the job.
noteworthy scenes: 1.) Pirated ship; 2.) Hostage rescue; 3.) Girlfriend trouble; 4.) Charlotte's web; 5.) Executions; 6.) Church; 7.) "What's wrong with this picture"; 8.) Buddha/Pest; 9.) Confrontation; 10.) Chase; 11.) Strafe; 12.) Lovers' quarrel; 13.) Rogue ex-CIA agent, James Munroe ( Eric Roberts ); 14.) Basketball court; 15.) Bosnia memory; 16.) Water torture; 17.) "I work harder"; 18.) Ambush; 19.) Happy feet; 20.) Low clearance; 21.) Loyal warriors; 22.) Prison cell; 23.) American disease; 24.) Battle; 25.) "Call it a tie"; 26.) "Truthfully ..."; and 27.) Back together again.
audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this.
recommendation: I liked this, too. But, in my opinion, the climactic battle in the last RAMBO movie is much better than the climactic battle in this one.
spoiler alert! Why did the pirates not post look-outs to watch the ship's perimeter? You would think that some of those bullets would ricochet down in the ship's cargo bay. Why did the soldiers just stand around when they were getting strafed? If Munroe is an ex-CIA agent and, therefore, acting independently of "The Agency" then he has very little muscle ( read: small private army ) to intimidate General Gaza and his considerably larger army, one would think. When The Expendables stepped out the door and had the spotlights blind them, why didn't the soldiers shoot at them? In the knock-down, drag-out, rough-and-tumble, no-holds-barred, fight-to-the-death between Toll Road ( Randy Couture ) and Paine ( "Stone Cold" Steve Austin ), Toll's jungle hat never came off or became askew. Why didn't Paine not roll around on the ground to put out the fire?
fyi: In Sylvester Stallone's movie, DEMOLITION MAN ( 1993 ), he awakens from suspended animation to find out that Arnold Schwarzenegger is the President of the United States. Meanwhile, Maria Shriver is still trying to pass a bill that would allow foreign born citizens to run for the Presidency. Does Sly know something that we don't know?
Also, in DEMOLITION MAN, the role of the leading lady is played by Sandra Bullock. And in this movie, THE EXPENDABLES, the leading lady goes by the character name of, Sandra. 'Makes me wonder ....
word of advice: Don't betray your comrades-in-arms.
tidbits: In the scene wherein the general's men are shown with painted faces, someone towards the back of the auditorium yelled, "Shut the f_ck-up!" at a noisy patron, which made some of us in the audience laugh.
Sylvester, "Sly", Stallone doesn't look good with a beard in this movie. It, coupled with the hint of eyeliner put on him, makes him look comical and effeminate.
