The Expendables 2 - Part 2

[dude stannis]

I'm all for Claude Vilain. As a completely likeable, milquetoast, sub-urban dad, who is completely apologetic for his brother.

You guys have to remember this isn't a UFC event, or a wrestling match, they didn't treat like it was Stallone and Van Damme going toe to toe for the first time, they made it about Ross getting revenge for his fallen friend. Simon West specializes in spectacle and insanity. Nothing wrong with that approach, Con Air is one of the greatest achievements of the human race. But it made the final fight totally at odds with the rest of the film.

Which incidentally makes Sly/JCVD the weakest fight in the entire two films. Despite being better shot and edited.

Jet Li vs Dolph Lundgren may have been haphazzardly edited with a chainsaw, but it's got the big feel of a dream match. Sly vs Austin is a better fight too. The spearheads of the 80's action era and the wrestling attitude era respectively throwing each other through brick walls. Even the Statham/Adkins fight is closer to what a 90's Sly/JCVD fight would/should(?) be. Martial artist wails on brawler, brawler mounts comebacks, martial artist proves to be a better match, brawler punches martial artist through a helicopter rotor.

That's not to say making the climax more orientated on story and emotion shouldn't happen in this kind of film, but that should've been in the hands of James Cameron, John McTiernan, John Woo and dammit... John Hyams too.

Honestly, the reason I'm excited for The Tomb now is because it gets Sly and Arnie in a film away from Avi Lerner and Millenium Films. Lerner's too eager to cut costs at every available opportunity and both Expendables films just totally suffered from it.

I don't know who reported the $100 million budget, but Van Damme said it's closer to $50-$60 million and Deadline said $80 million.

 

[rayc1971]

I'm all for Claude Vilain. As a completely likeable, milquetoast, sub-urban dad, who is completely apologetic for his brother.

You guys have to remember this isn't a UFC event, or a wrestling match, they didn't treat like it was Stallone and Van Damme going toe to toe for the first time, they made it about Ross getting revenge for his fallen friend. Simon West specializes in spectacle and insanity. Nothing wrong with that approach, Con Air is one of the greatest achievements of the human race. But it made the final fight totally at odds with the rest of the film.

Which incidentally makes Sly/JCVD the weakest fight in the entire two films. Despite being better shot and edited.

Jet Li vs Dolph Lundgren may have been haphazzardly edited with a chainsaw, but it's got the big feel of a dream match. Sly vs Austin is a better fight too. The spearheads of the 80's action era and the wrestling attitude era respectively throwing each other through brick walls. Even the Statham/Adkins fight is closer to what a 90's Sly/JCVD fight would/should(?) be. Martial artist wails on brawler, brawler mounts comebacks, martial artist proves to be a better match, brawler punches martial artist through a helicopter rotor.

That's not to say making the climax more orientated on story and emotion shouldn't happen in this kind of film, but that should've been in the hands of James Cameron, John McTiernan, John Woo and dammit... John Hyams too.

Honestly, the reason I'm excited for The Tomb now is because it gets Sly and Arnie in a film away from Avi Lerner and Millenium Films. Lerner's too eager to cut costs at every available opportunity and both Expendables films just totally suffered from it.

I don't know who reported the $100 million budget, but Van Damme said it's closer to $50-$60 million and Deadline said $80 million.

i you ean expendables 2 budget van damme smokin something cause te first was 80mill noway the sequel is cheaper not 50 to 60ill anyway

 

[dude stannis]

"In English please?"

 

[jacobed]

I was enjoying Van Damme big time as the villain up until the end when realized he did absolutley nothing in that whole movie

 

[samsnee]

Oh he definitely didn't have much. Just two big scenes. But you have to admit he was fascinating to watch when he first showed up.

 

[rayc1971]

"In English please?"

you said 50 to 60mill for the budget the first one had a 80mill budget mojo has the sequel at 100mill.

 

[jacobed]

I was loving how charismatic he was. He was really the only thing I was enjoying about the movie and then well that went bad to

 

[dude stannis]

you said 50 to 60mill for the budget the first one had a 80mill budget mojo has the sequel at 100mill.

Believe me, those numbers are inaccurate. You shouldn't trust any budget listed by Nu Image/Millenium Films.

 

[Bruce Malone]

Ok so after watching Die Hard this thought came to my head if this film's "Triumvirate" Stallone, Schwarzenneger's and Willis' most iconic/toughest characters had a battle to the death who would come out on top?:


John Rambo

vs


"Dutch"

vs


John McClane

Now the setting is an urban environment to even things a bit. Only one can win.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Rambo

 

[ChickenScratch]

Max Matrix beats them all. Served his time in the military, trained a whole bunch of men, and didn't turn into some sort of shell socked nothing of a man who needs death to feel alive.

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

I'd say Schwarzenegger's toughest character is the Terminator, but that'd give him a pretty unfair advantage

 

[The Englishman]

Max Matrix beats them all. Served his time in the military, trained a whole bunch of men, and didn't turn into some sort of shell socked nothing of a man who needs death to feel alive.

Max Matrix......I thought he was called John??

 

[ChickenScratch]

either way. the guy who has a stable home life with his daughter wins.

 

[antonydelfini]

John Matrix is tougher than Dutch IMO. He'd kill Rambo and McClane in a fight to death.

 

[Kane52630]

Pfft.... Howard Langston > All

 

[Bruce Malone]

John Matrix is no where near as iconic as dutch and the same goes for comando over predator.

These three represent their most iconic characters arguably* which is more what i was going for.





*Yes Arnold's is def. the terminator but that wouldn't be fair now would it?

 

[ChickenScratch]

Sorry, I disagree. I prefer Commando over Predator. If you wanna say iconic then the bif alien hunter the movie is named after is the iconic part.

 

[Bruce Malone]

I'm not saying which movie is better. I just beleive arnold is more known as "dutch" than john matrix.

You didn't even get matrix's name right at first. If you say the name "john matrix" to the average person they most likely won't have a clue as opposed to John Rambo or John McClane.

Predator was and is more popular than comando and the subsequent under-performances of the predator franchise films without arnold show he was the main reason for its success.

This is purely a clash of their most familiar action characters scenario (obviously without the the t-800).

 

[Bruce Malone]

Ok so after watching Die Hard this thought came to my head if this film's "Triumvirate" Stallone, Schwarzenneger's and Willis' most iconic/toughest characters had a battle to the death who would come out on top?:


John Rambo

vs


"Dutch"

vs


John McClane

Now the setting is an urban environment to even things a bit. Only one can win.

Either way this is the battle.

 

[ChickenScratch]

I called him Max because he was called Max in the movie by the army guy who comes to tell him his men are dead. Bennet calls him John so it's up to you. I think Commando is better and the iconic part of Predator is the monster himself. Unless there was a series of Dutch movies I missed, including crossovers.

 

[Bruce Malone]

It's pretty well known the characters name is john matrix. Predator is still one of arnold's most iconic roles.

He served as the protagonist of the film before the series shifted to focusing on the predators due to arnold's decision not to reprise his role. I think comando was too overshadowed by Rambo 2 which came out the same year for the film to have been seen as one of arnold's defining roles.

 

[The Riddler]

finally got around to seeing this yesterday. was cool, but van damme was terribly underutilized.

also, two van damme jump kicks should have ended the fight right away...

 

[Darkness Falls]

saw it today, amazing
wish JCVD had more screentime, he was perfect

 

[Brian Braddock]

I'm a fan of Commando just as I am of Predator, although admittedly I do prefer Dutch to Matrix. Speaking of which - what the hell kind of a surname is Matrix anyways? Does anyone know anyone with that surname?