by Chris Learned Kane, Reporter

The Expendables (2010) was, for those of us who spent long hours playing Rambo, Predator, Conan or Aliens, a hearkening back to the early pubescence of our imaginations.  A 45 caliber monument to our heroes, whose sweaty, (frequently shirtless) bulging physiques compelled us to find our own inner badass: to go forth upon the earth with the delusion that if some shit would go down, we’d have the cojones, if not the firepower, to rectify the situation Die Hard style!  A (total) recall to the era of the big dumb action flick in which people say and do stupid shit while you cram unnaturally colored popcorn into your maw; powerless to turn away! I can only imagine when Expendables 2 was announced; a nation of armchair badasses mentally raised a triumphant (popcorn filled) fist to declare their devotion.  ComicsOnline was lucky enough to be in Hall H when some of the biggest names in the action films of yore spoke on the sequel to 2010’s homage to testosterone.

On hand for the panel were Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Dolph Lundgren. The sizzle reel they played was unadulterated awesome.  If you thought there was some serious ass kicking in the first film, you’re in for some action that will blow your hair back!  More bullets, more guns, more knives, more Schwarzenegger, more Willis, and a new villain played by veteran badass Jean Claude Van Damme.

The sizzle and highlight reels aside, the stars of The Expendables 2 (set to release August 17^th 2012) were the real treat.  All of the manly men on panel were surprisingly eloquent and quick witted, with plenty of amusing on-set stories (from Expendables as well as films past) and a lot of good natured ribbing between long time rivals, Stallone and Schwarzenegger.

Sylvester Stallone spoke on why a movie like The Expendables is necessary.  “I’m very proud to have been part of that particular kind of film making where you got a chance to feel the rocks, feel the cold water, hang from a helicopter.  It was quite an adventure.”  This realism being in direct opposition to current action films filled with what Stallone calls “Velcro muscles,” which he defines as a heavy reliance upon CGI.  Stallone does not say this with any type of deprecation, and in fact claims to be a bit jealous that current action stars don’t have to spend their lives pumping iron, a task that Sly says isn’t a lot of fun.  Stallone’s aim is to keep the 80s action flick alive.  In essence to “…keep it going as long as we can.  To bring back some true badasses, show some male pattern badness and see what happens.”

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