August 15, 2010 -- Except for the cast, this is a routine action film with a sub-par script and none-too-exciting action sequences. The cast, headlined by the durable action heroes Sylvester Stallone (who also directs the film), Jason Statham (of “The Transporter” films) and Jet Li, backed by award-winning actor Mickey Rourke (of “The Wrestler”) was enough to attract big crowds on opening day weekend, including me, but I suspect word of mouth advertising will not do this film any favors. Despite the cast, it is not anything special. In addition to a lot of B-list action stars like Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin and Randy Couture, there are a couple of brief cameo appearances by A-list stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, but they really add nothing to the film. Also appearing in the film are Charisma Carpenter of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” TV fame and Brazilian actress Giselle Itié, who plays a main character, a dictator's daughter, Sandra.

Stallone (of the “Rambo” and “Rocky” films) plays Barney Ross, the leader of an elite team of mercenaries, who accept a job from a suspected U.S. government contact (Willis) to assassinate the dictator of a small island. The island is actually not under the dictator's control, but that of a rogue CIA agent, who is the real target of the hit. Ross and his right-hand man, Lee Christmas (Statham) do a survey of the island, aided by Sandra, and decide it is too risky to do the job. When Sandra is captured, Ross decides to go in alone to rescue her. His buddies insist on going along. This leads to a whole lot of stuff being blown up real good and a whole lot of bad guys getting killed with guns and knives. There are limbs chopped off, beheadings, and lots of blood and mayhem.

There is a lot of action in this film, but the digital effects were a bit too obvious, especially the florescent-bright blood seen in fake dismemberments. The effects didn't seem real. The acting by Stallone and Rourke was unexpectedly good as they debated the morality of being a mercenary. Unfortunately, the film otherwise negated the whole morality debate by engaging in mindless mass killings. Sandra's father, General Garza (David Zayas of “Coach”) is a character with some depth. He expresses regret for having gone along with the schemes of corrupt drug runners. If he had switched sides and joined with the mercenaries, it could have been an interesting plot twist. Instead, the character is pretty much wasted, as is the character of Tool (Rourke).

It looks like most of the money spent in this project went to explosions, which are many and huge, and to acting salaries, at the expense of special effects and the script, which could have used a big upgrade. This is also a film that could have benefitted from more reality, such as actual fights between real people and less fakery. It is a film that needed either a better story, or better action, and ended up with neither. This film rates a C.

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