The Expendables 2

It was unavoidable that after the box office appeal of the first "Expendables,' an Expendables 2, featuring the stunt casting of every 80s action hero led by Sylvester Stallone, wasn't already in the works. The B-film schlock of the first mega-wattage massacre gets replaced with a more "contemporary" experience for the sequel. And a woman - raising the kick-ass factor - gets added to the cast.

Even the dated notion of a corrupt militarily controlled third-world country as characterized in the film's opening sequence is as far-fetched as the action-figure like look of the sizable cast of veterans who storm the barracks. Breaking into the enemy camp to rescue one of their own each star features in their own specialty. Jet Li springs into martial art life, Stallone swings into muscular menace, Jason Statham with his quick wit, while most of the other players (Dolph Lundgren and NFLer Terry Crews) roar with testosterone.

Amid the bombs, blood and flaying bodies the fraternity does welcome in a new upstart into the league, Liam Hemsworth ("Thor's" Chris Hemsworth's younger brother and Miley's beau) to retrieve a vital piece of technology before it falls into the hands of a terrorist played by Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Bigger and bolder than its predecessor, "Expendables 2" on Blu-ray is packed with extras including picture-in-picture features and commentaries, and a bonus documentary that takes the audience behind-the-scenes to learn how the cast earned their stripes teaming up for this over-the-top blockbuster! Fans of the genre will appreciate the scope of what it took to bring these all-stars together again.

"Expendables 2"
is available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs
and digital download for $29.95
www.theexpendables2film.com