Jean-Claude Van Damme

Film Review: Sylvester Stallone in Formulaic ‘The Expendables 2’

PatrickMcD — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 08:22:16 -0400

CHICAGO – Face it, it is fun to see the major action stars of the 1980s, ‘90s and now – Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger – together again for “The Expendables 2.” Why the hell can’t anyone write a decent story for them?

Rating: 3.0/5.0

The film improves on the first movie, not that there was that a long way to go. The action is more relevant and bolder, plus the villainy of Jean-Claude Van Damme is smarmier, but the overall product is the same formulaic crap that plugs into any action film. There is a sense that this joke-filled concept should rise above the usual, and it doesn’t. Additionally Stallone (who co-wrote the screenplay) seems very tired going through the same action poses. It would have been better if the Expendables main mission prevented him from plotting “Rocky 7.”

The elite mercenary force known as the Expendables is shown in the middle of a mission as the story unfolds. They are trying to spring a Chinese billionaire in the middle of armed camp, and the subsequent shootout, hand-to-hand combat and weaponry use would make Sgt. Rock blush. Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is back at commander, Christmas (Jason Statham) sharpens his knives expertise, Ying Yan (Jet Li) uses expert martial arts, Gunner (Dolph Lundgren) is still dangerous, Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) is still young and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) handles all the weapons. Along the way a so-called “lone wolf” named Booker (Chuck Norris) helps them out.

In saving the billionaire, they also free Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who now owes Ross a favor, and connects their next mission to Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), a CIA operative who needs to retrieve a secret plutonium stash – and provides the reluctant Expendables with a code expert named Maggie (Nan Yu). The appropriately named Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is also after the treasure, and kidnaps Billy the Kid to trade for information. This mission just got personal.

“The Expendables 2,” opens everywhere on August 17th. Featuring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Screenplay by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone. Directed by Simon West. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Expendables 2”

Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and Caesar (Terry Crews) in ‘The Expendables 2’
Photo credit: Frank Masi for Lionsgate

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Expendables 2”

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 5 ‘The Expendables’ DVDs For Aug. 17, 2012 Sequel ‘The Expendables 2’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 20:10:39 -0400

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 5 free DVDs up for grabs for “The Expendables” in support of the sequel “The Expendables 2,” which hits theatres on Aug. 17, 2012!

“The Expendables 2” stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Hemsworth, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Charisma Carpenter, Scott Adkins, Nikolette Noel and Novak Djokovic from director Simon West and writers Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone. The film’s official Web site is here.

To win your free “The Expendables” DVD in support of the upcoming “The Expendables 2” opening courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, get interactive with our unique Hookup technology directly below. That’s it! The more social actions you complete below, the higher yours odds of winning!

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Here is the synopsis for “The Expendables 2”:

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) – with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard – are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job.

The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them.

Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces. They wreak havoc and shut down an unexpected threat in the nick of time: five tons of weapons-grade plutonium, which is much more than enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

“The Expendables 2” with Sylvester Stallone hits theatres on Aug. 17, 2012.
Image credit: Lionsgate

The movie trailer for “The Expendables 2” can be watched now below.

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple! Just get interactive in our unique Hookup technology above. We will award 5 free DVDs based on social entry numbers and/or randomly via e-mail for our “The Expendables 2” Hookup. Good luck!

Disclaimer
HollywoodChicago.com LLC is a promotional partner with the studio and its partners and doesn’t assume any liability for this giveaway. Note: Comments are closed in this Hookup.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: More or Less Same Formula in ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’

PatrickMcD — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:25:25 -0400

CHICAGO – Good and evil, chase and fight. Those are the two basic formulas that dominate “Kung Fu Panda 2,” the sequel to the very popular first film. That redundancy is helped by the spirituality of an animated panda and some spectacular 3D rendering.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

That optional 3-D is put to good use in this go around, creating a depth and energy in the stunningly complex landscape, that becomes a character in a way. All the voice talent from the first film – including Jack Black and Angelina Jolie – are back to lend persona to the lovable heroes, but in the sequel they serve more as background to the repetitive chase and fight sequences.

Po (Jack Black) is the cushy Kung Fu Panda, having earned his Dragon Master credibility in the first film. With him are his team, the “Furious Five” – Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross), mentored of course by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), who has just achieved inner peace. When the gang goes after a rogue peacock named Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), it begins a serious fight for justice and allows for the Kung Fu Panda’s personal journey.

Shen has perfected a new way to defeat Kung Fu…using the storm of fireworks as a weapon. When the team learns that Shen has taken some masters prisoner and captured their village, they go on the quest to free them and save all of China. Shen is obsessed also with a prophecy that predicts his demise from a black and white creature. This involved him in Po’s past when he raided a village in search of that destiny. This “memory” is part of the hypnosis that causes Po to be initially defeated in the Shen battles.

The challenge is both physical and mental for Po, as he needs to recollect a certain path in his background to stand toe-to-toe with the evil peacock. Black and white, opposite ends of the Yin and Yang collide in an epic encounter, that tests both the Kung Fu moves and the inner grooves of life’s experiences.

”Kung Fu Panda 2” opens everywhere May 26th. See local listings for 3D showings. Featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, David Cross, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Lucy Liu. Screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Burger, directed by Jennifer Yuh. Rated “PG”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Kung Fu Panda 2”

Wild Ride: Monkey (voice of Jackie Chan), Po (Jack Black) and Tigress (Angelina Jolie) in ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’
Photo credit: © Dreamworks Animation

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Kung Fu Panda 2”

Blu-Ray Round Up, Feb. 10, 2009: ‘Pretty Woman,’ ‘Street Fighter,’ ‘Tales From the Darkside’

BrianTT — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:50:57 -0500

CHICAGO – The Round-Up is in flashback mode this week. Enter our time machine and travel back to an era when an anthology series created by the legendary George A. Romero could actually get a network time slot, Jean-Claude Van Damme was still a star, and Julia Roberts wasn’t quite one yet.

With two catalog titles with nearly nothing in common - “Street Fighter” and “Pretty Woman” - and a beloved TV series finally making its debut - “Tales From the Darkside” - this could be the most unusual, nostalgic, and straight-up weird edition of the Round-Up to date. And that’s saying something.

All three of these titles were released on February 10th, 2009.

“Pretty Woman” (Blu-Ray)

Photo credit: Buena Vista Home Video

What more is there to say about “Pretty Woman” that hasn’t been said? It’s one of those films that’s probably playing somewhere in the world at any given moment on some cable or network station. The movie that gave Richard Gere a comeback and turned Julia Roberts into a household name is both unavoidable and absolutely beloved. There are legions of people, most in their early to mid-30s, most of them woman, who would take “Pretty Woman” as their desert-island movie. Now they can take it in High-Def.

Julia Roberts stars as Vivian, a spirited, streetwise diamond in the rough who meets a shrewd, no-nonsense billionaire named Edward Lewis (Gere). The two start a “business relationship” where Vivian joins Edward as a companion for a week but, of course, this Cinderella falls for her Prince Charming. Directed by Garry Marshall, “Pretty Woman” was one of the biggest movies of 1990, making almost half a billion dollars worldwide and has played on a loop on cable television ever since.

“Pretty Woman” is presented in 1080P High Definition/1.85:1 with an English 5.1 Uncompressed track and French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital tracks. Special features include a blooper reel, “Live From the Wrap Party,” “LA: The Pretty Woman Tour,” “1990 Production Featurette, “Wild Women Do” by Natalie Cole, the theatrical trailer, and a commentary by Marshall.

“Street Fighter - Extreme Edition” (Blu-Ray)

Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Clearly timed to release with the highly anticipated Capcom video game next week, “Street Fighter IV,” Universal has given one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s last stateside theatrical releases the high-def treatment. Decide for yourself if that’s a good thing. We’re not here to judge in the Round-Up, merely to inform.

Based on one of the most popular video game franchises of all-time, this martial arts adventure stars international superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme as a commando who leads an elite team of street fighters against an evil general (played by Raul Julia, in one of his last roles). “Street Fighter” co-stars Ming-Na Wen, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, and Wes Studi. Kind of loathed by audiences (a 3.2 rating on IMDB is pretty awful), “Street Fighter” is for hardcore video game, martial arts, or JCVD fans only.

“Street Fighter” is presented in 1080P High Definition/2.35:1 with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and French and Spanish DTS 5.1 tracks. Special features include three HD features about the upcoming Capcom game - the game’s trailer, teaser trailer, and anime trailer - and a series of standard definition features including “The Making of Street Fighter,” outtakes, deleted scenes, storyboard sequences, video game sequences, “Cyberwalk,” archives, and a feature commentary by director Steven de Souza

“Tales From the Darkside: The First Season”

Photo credit: Paramount Home Video

We know what you’re saying - “It’s about damn time.” One of the most-requested TV titles not on DVD finally makes its debut this week with the 3-disc set for the ’80s cult classic “Tales From the Darkside,” created by George A. Romero. Inspired by “The Twilight Zone,” Romero and his writers and directors (including Bob Balaban and Tom Savini in season one) set out to tell a spooky story with every installment. It’s a wildly hit-and-miss show, like most anthology series, but ’80s horror fans have been clamoring to have this title on their shelf for years and now that day has finally come. Cancel your Valentine’s Day plans.

“Tales From the Darkside” is presented in standard full-screen with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and a mono track. Honestly, and I usually don’t do this in the round-up because it’s more about information than criticism, the technical presentation is pretty awful. I know there’s not a lot that can be done with ’80s TV shows, but does it have to look like I’m watching them through rabbit ears in 1983?

The only special feature included is a commentary by Executive Producer George A. Romero on the first episode, “Trick or Treat,” which he also wrote. Romero fans will love it. Everyone else will probably never pick up “Tales From the Darkside: The First Season” in the first place. Let’s hope they find more than one person interested in doing a commentary for season two and that it doesn’t take another 26 years for that to hit the home market.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com