THE EXPENDABLES

The Expendables promises to answer the burning question ‘What ever happened to all those 80’s action heroes?’ but ends up leaving us wanting to know ‘What the f**k happened to Sylvester Stallone’s face?’

The Expendables is writer/director Sly Stallone’s love letter to excessive action films of the late 80’s/early 90’s when men were men and the action was bloody, gory and over the top. The plot, or what passes for it, follows a rag tag bunch of mercenaries, led by Stallone’s Barney Ross, as they try and overthrow ruthless South American dictator General Garza (David Zayas) or rather the rogue CIA agent James Monroe (Eric Roberts) behind the dictator.

But let’s face it, you aren’t going to see The Expendables for the plot, it is for the cast and cast alone, and in that respect Sly has excelled. Stallone mashes actors from the old guard, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li and Mickey Rourke with stars of today, Steve Austin, Terry Crewes, Randy Couture and Jason Statham; and a menacing but underused Eric Roberts as the villain of the piece.

Oh and lets not forget cameos from action legends Bruce Willis and Arnold ‘The Governator’ Schwarzenegger. That’s right the Holy Trinity of action heroes assembled together at last! Pity then that this undercooked tongue-in-cheek-less script fails to do the pop culture moment justice. A throwaway ‘president’ joke raises a laugh sure, but can’t we do better?

I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting much going into this movie, I hoped for a tongue-in-cheek True Lies style action romp. Instead, at 100 minutes, The Expendables is a bloated mess, things happen for no reason, characters motivations change on a whim and the action is at times so furious you end up having no idea what the hell is going on. It’s a real shame that Sly and co felt that aside from an ‘all star’ cast everything else like plot, story and character was…wait for it…expendable.

1.5 of 5 Stars

INCEPTION

What can you say about Inception, without spoiling it for those that haven’t seen it?

Not much.

So, the basics; Dom Cobb (Leonard DiCaprio) is a dream thief, entering others minds, usually business men, to steal their deepest secrets. Cobb is faced with a new challenge when former victim Saito (Ken Watanabe), hires him to implant an idea into the mind of business rival Robert Fisher (Cillian Murphy); a process known as Inception.

Cobb cannot perform the Inception alone, and gathers a team, including point man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), forger Eames (Tom Hardy) and dream architect Ariadne (Juno’s Ellen Page). Complicating matters is Cobb’s unresolved issues with his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) who makes frequent nasty attacks on Cobb as he goes about his business in the dreams of others.

It sounds confusing but Inception is quite easy to follow if you can keep up with the labyrinth plots twists AND keep track of which dream, and whose dream, the movie is occupying at any given time. Information is doled out slowly with the fate of Cobb’s wife overshadowing everything – and of course there is a twist…

Inception is perfectly cast and acted, with an engaging script and a foreboding atmospheric score, but it is the surreal dream state special effects that steal the show. Director Christopher Nolan pulls off some impressive visual trickery, including cities rising and falling and Arthur’s very cool ‘underwater’ swim through a hotel. There are clever touches sprinkled throughout, and the reason for a torrential rain downpour highlights a dry sense of humour.

While it does rung a little long Inception is a film that will benefit from multiple viewings, but that does not make the initial viewing any less satisfying. Inception will have you thinking about it, and asking questions long after the credits have rolled – and what other Hollywood blockbuster can boast that lately?

4 of 5 Stars

KNIGHT & DAY

Knight & Day sees Tom cruise return to his action star roots, not a Nazi in sight, dragging the impossibly gorgeous Cameron Diaz along for the ride. This time car restorer June Havens (Cameron Diaz) finds herself thrown into the world of high stakes danger and international espionage when she bumps into rogue FBI agent Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) during a supposedly routine domestic flight home. Only problem is the flight is filled with agents out to kill Roy. Roy saves himself and June, and afterwards June tries to go back to her normal life – however she is now a target – and Roy sees it as his duty to protect her as he globe trots his way to clear his name.

Knight & Day is a by the numbers action movie and while Diaz and Cruise have great onscreen chemistry it fails to fire here, a result of a script lacking in much logic or wit. A tacked on subplot about Roy’s family never fully develops and left me thinking that the whole thing is a wasted opportunity. Sure on the surface it looks pretty, and with a host of European locals that is inevitable, but dig a little deeper and you discover it has no substance.

Tom Cruise is very likeable as Roy, shaking of the couch jumping mania of his past - something he began with his turn in Tropic Thunder. Cruise handles humour and action in equal measure and really proves he has the chops as a big screen action hero – steer clear of dramatic vanity projects! Diaz is underused as the buttoned down June, spending most of the movie shrieking – what happened to the cool calm and collected Charlie’s Angel?

Knight & Day is only the latest in a slew of action romantic comedies (Mr & Mrs Smith, Killers and The Bounty Hunter – UGH!) that drop impossibly good looking actors into high octane situations so that laughs, and love, will hopefully lead to big box office bucks and while it doesn’t quite work it is fun, and I guess you can’t expect anything more than that – but when you have two of Hollywood’s biggest stars shouldn’t we expect more?

2.5 of 5 Stars