THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 09 Nov 2012, 11:28

$310,117,509 gross according to Boxoffice.com

The Diamond Select figures in packaging:
http://www.artasylum.com/blog/2012/11/w ... ng-photos/
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 10 Nov 2012, 16:09

Producer on the EXPENDABLES special features says this:
...as the special features producer for the original disc (and the commentary/Gods of War producer on part 2), I'll add this with regard to Inferno.

Inferno was something very rare. The behind the scenes footage was all shot by John Hertzfeld, who was a friend of Sly's and was granted INCREDIBLE access to everything Sly went through. Sly was also insanely involved in the production of that doc. He knew it might very well be his last hurrah in the action genre (at least as a director) that he intended Inferno as a window for fans to see how much of himself he put into his films. Getting things like hospital visits and Sly at home with his family is stuff you generally don't get to see in ANY documentary. It's, in my opinion, one of the greatest making-ofs ever created (and I can say that as someone who was only peripherally involved in it).

Going into Expendables 2, we knew we were never going to be able to top Inferno, so we kind of said, "let's leave that alone to be it's own thing and not try to outdo it." It just wouldn't have been possible. We just didn't have the same access that was available the first time around. Add to that a bunch of other circumstances and it created some problems for us. First... Sly didn't direct this time around, which sort of took the focus off where you had it in Inferno (and, quite frankly, where you wanted it). Second... when Sly's son died this summer it kind of created a lot of doubt as to how much we would do and we were honestly all asking ourselves what was appropriate. I certainly didn't want to burden Sly with the prospect of having to do interviews for the Blu-ray when he was going through something so horrible. To his credit (and probably because we gave him some room/time where the Blu-ray wasn't a priority) he came through like a pro and gave a great new interview for the Blu-ray.

Hope that helps/makes sense.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=205737&page=5

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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 11 Nov 2012, 15:28

Arnold talkinh to Harry Knowles about EX1 & 2 (shortly after he filmed his part)
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/59565
HK: So how much did you shoot on EXPENDABLES 2?

AS: Four days. You see the first one was four hours, because this was a sneak attack, because… California is one of those very odd places that if the governor does anything else but govern, then… If a republican governor does anything else, I don’t… It was always out to find something wrong, so I had to be very careful. When wrote for READER, they didn’t want me to go and write the column, so they made a big stink out of that and then we did the Arnold’s Classic every year and they made a big stink out of that. I had to go in on Friday, so I only missed one day and all of that stuff…


HK: When Sly called me up to give me the scoop on you and Bruce and him doing the scene and then I wrote that story and then the next day I get a call from Sly saying that you called him asking if I could please modify it, because the California government was giving you nothing but hell for that.


AS: Exactly, yeah. Any ways, so it ended up all working well, because we convinced them that I didn’t spend any days of the government work on any movie set, so therefore we shot it on a Saturday and we shot it from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon and it was in a Church, so we rented no studio space or anything like that and no one knew that I was there. So we did all of this very quickly, so Sly was directing I remember… (Laughs) He wanted us to be out of there in no time.



HK: That scene changed so much. He kept calling me up saying like “What do you think I should do here?” He’d tell me the scene and then he’d call me up three weeks later and tell me a different version of it.


AS: Yeah, but it ended up great. I mean I had no idea of any of that, because he just said to me “Can you be in the movie?” I said, “Absolutely, we just have to figure out how to do it so that it doesn’t become a scene in Sacramento and the media writes about it like I’m having one foot already back in my career and I’m not thinking about the governorship and all of those things. We have to be very careful,” so he said “Don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out.” Then all of a sudden he says to me “I have a scene written, check it out.” I did and I was like “Looks great.” It was three pages and I remember thinking “I don’t know how they are going to do this in just a few hours, because normally you do 2.8 pages a day,” but he was very organized and he busted Bruce and me all of the time when we blew our lines. He knew everyone’s lines and we were laughing so much, because we felt like little school children being reprimanded all of the time that we didn’t get our act together. (Laughs) Obviously we got our act together enough so they could have something to cut together. It was four hours, so I said to Sly when I walked through it. I said, “Look, if this movie is successful, then next time I’m going to work four days.” I made it up you know? It’s just stupid talk. So I made up “four days” and he says “Alright that’s great.” So the movie was successful, then he came in and says, “Okay, I have…” It was more like six days, then they toned it down to four days and that’s really all the time I had, because then I started to shoot on this movie and so he started shooting just two weeks before and so we were figuring out “How do we do this before this?” It all worked out perfectly. I went to Bulgaria and then I shot four days exactly and…



HK: And you got to fire some weapons this time it looks like.


AS: (Laughs) I got to fire some weapons. It’s amazing what was packed into these four days. It was literally amazing. They were really, really organized and Sly was as sweet of a guy, very helpful in everyway to make sure that I get… He realized this is the first time after eight years that I’m now with the weapons again and I’m doing all of this stuff, so he had the weapons guys really pay close attention and show me all the weapons and how they work, how you load it, how you take it apart, and the rules of when weapons are on the set and all of those things. So the stunt coordinators, the stunt guys, the other actors, everybody was extraordinarily helpful. It was kind of a real buddy system unlike something that I’ve ever experienced. We’ve always had really well organized sets on most of the movies, but that particular camaraderie that I saw, and it was also the beginning of the movie, so there’s usually more camaraderie than an end maybe, but everyone was just fantastic and made my life and my shooting easier and made it be a great experience.

HK: Yeah, you’re doing action scenes again!

AS: The same thing happened when I started to do film and I remember it was in Bulgaria and we were firing with the weapons and for the first time your blood is spiking again and you’re overcome by the noise and everyone was having the biggest guns going. [Makes firing noises] and all of this stuff. I remember when I did this scene, I looked at the gun and I said, “That is great. I did it!”
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 11 Nov 2012, 19:05

First Blu-ray review:
http://www.mediamikes.com/2012/11/blu-r ... ndables-2/
This releases comes in a Blu-ray combo pack with an iTunes and Uiltraviolet digital copy, but where is the DVD copy?The Blu-ray presentation looks absolutely perfect. The 1080p transfer is extremely impressive. The star of the film, besides Chuck Norris, is the wonderful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Since this film is jam-packed with some great action, this is a wonderful companion. My surround sound needed some aspirn for sure after blasting out this track. And I would like to apologize to my neighbor if they are reading this :wink:

The special features included are impressive. There is an audio commentary track with director Simon West, which is awesome but I would have also liked to seen a cast commentary track as well. NExt up there are four jam-packed behind-the-scenes featurettes. ”Gods of War: Assembling Earth’s Mightiest Antiheroes” looks into the mega-cast and how it was put together. ”On the Assault: The Real-Life Weaponry of The Expendables” looks into the heavy artiliary used in this sequel. ”Big Guns, Bigger Heroes: The 1980s and the Rise of the Action Film” is exactely what it’s subtitle says it is, a reflect on the influence of 80′s action films. ”Guns of Hire: The Real Expendables” wraps up the featurettes with a look into the real heros of the film. Lastly there are a few deleted scenes and gag reel included. Highly recommend this release for holiday gifting.
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 12 Nov 2012, 22:01

That's Amazon.de Limited Deluxe Edition is gonna become collector in no time...

http://www.dvd-forum.at/news-details/31 ... -amazon-de

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00A696 ... aycom04-21

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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 13 Nov 2012, 20:57

Another BD review
Of the returning cast, Lundgren is the revelation. The surly, drug-abusing Gunner of the first film has been reformed. He’s now far more light-hearted, with Lundgren getting the biggest laughs.

The Expendables 2 doesn’t look anywhere near as good in 1080p high definition as one would expect from a $100 million production. I noted during my theatrical screening of the film that Shelly Johnson’s cinematography was a morass of frustrating softness, poor lighting, and an abundance of grain. It looks better on Blu-ray, but it’s still an ugly film. The chunky, frequently-present grain sometimes takes on the appearance of digital noise (for the record, the production was shot on 35mm film). The image is still soft at times. Interiors are generally underlit, resulting in the crushing out of detail (very evident during Stallone and Van Damme’s big fight scene).

Thankfully, the 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack exhibits no problems at all. This mix hits all the right spots, delivering an aggressive and immersive audio experience. Based on the great soundtrack of the first film, I wasn’t surprised that this one is on the same level. With the variety of accents on display with the international cast, dialogue clarity is even more important than usual. I picked up on lines I missed during my theatrical screening (like Statham’s “Now that’s what I call Chinese takeout” upon Li’s early departure via parachute). Stallone’s rumbling, bass-heavy voice comes through with great resonance. Brian Tyler’s score is well-balanced throughout, often heard from the rear channels along with highly directional gunfire and other effects.

As for supplements, Simon West provides a fairly staid commentary. I love Stallone’s commentaries, so I was hoping that, as writer-star, he would at least be a participant. That’s not the case, and the commentary is lesser for it. But West offers some interesting information. The deleted scenes total about four minutes and are uniformly inessential. At least the gag reel has a few funny bits. “Gods of War” is a decent making-of featurette, though at 20 minutes or so it obviously pales in comparison to the first film’s feature-length Inferno. The rest of the featurettes aren’t strictly about The Expendables 2. “Big Guns, Bigger Heroes” focuses on the evolution of the action film throughout the ‘80s. “On the Assault” features Randy Couture demonstrating the real firearms seen the film. “Guns for Hire” is an interesting look at real-life private security firms that hire out mercenaries.

http://blogcritics.org/video/article/bl ... ndables-2/
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 13 Nov 2012, 22:14

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1439035/the-e ... rum-review
The Expendables 2 comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lionsgate HE featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 31 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.7 Mbps.

** I just added Oppo’s newest Blu-ray player, the BDP-103, to my reference review system and looked forward to putting it through the paces with The Expendables 2. **

This is a more or less stylized video presentation that makes use of darker color schemes and grittier textures that provide the look that the filmmakers strive for to drive the story’s components. Its predominantly cooler chromatic aesthetic is broken up by splashes of primary colors, crimson, and warm golden accents. Bold use of contrast and rich blacks allow scenes containing mixed content to appear gradationally satisfying with punchy whites and dark dynamic highlights. Shadow delineation is inconsistent but revealing of enough detail to provide perspective. Resolution is discerning, particularly in brightly lit sequences, as images are characterized by clearly rendered detail that provides a fair sense of dimension although the image never rises to razor sharpness or seemingly infinitely defined. Darker sequences aren’t rendered with the same level of clarity which isn’t helped by unevenly rendered grain that occasionally makes backgrounds appear noisy. I wouldn’t describe this as overtly distracting but it is worthy of note.

The Expendables is the first home video release to offer DTS Neo-X 11.1 sound. I am not set up for it so the DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix would have to suffice and it did so nicely. This soundtrack runs the gamut between subtle passages of spoken dialogue to thunderously charged sequences that deliver opulent surround sound. Dialogue rendering is terrific as it holds sway over the front soundstage. Detail is first rate which brings out the finely articulated nuance of background elements within the mix. Dynamics can be demonstrative as the active elements within the surround mix resound with superior authority and deep bass transients. Surround use is prevalent and achieves a high level of envelopment that is appreciably involving. From the gentle sounds of blowing wind or reverberant echoes to the familiar and enveloping effects of gun battles, sounds are seamlessly blended to create a stable and detail rich sound field. This is a demonstration quality audio presentation that makes for an excellent home theater experience.
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 15 Nov 2012, 14:30

Blu-ray.com review (screenshots included)
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Expen ... 59/#Review

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Video Quality 4,5/5
This is another pretty scenic piece a la the first film, albeit the travelogue in this case is littered with the detritus of The Expendables' "take no prisoners" activity. West and cinematographer Shelly Johnson cloak the film in a kind of gritty, often quite dark, ambience, but the transfer boasts exceptional shadow detail and features a very filmic presentation which boasts a very natural look. Colors are very nicely saturated and often quite robust, especially in the many outdoor location sequences. The film has been color graded at times to either a slate gray or kind of sienna brown side of things, but fine detail is only minimally compromised at times, and then usually only in midrange shots. Some of the film is rather gauzily soft, but that seems to be an intentional directorial decision.

Audio Quality 5/5
The Expendables 2 is generating some heat among audiophiles for being the first Blu-ray encoded with DTS' new "optimized" Neo X 11.1 surround audio. I haven't yet upgraded to this system, but I can report that the "regular" DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 audio is an amazingly visceral experience. The first Expendables offered reference quality audio, but if anything, the bar has been raised significantly in this second outing. This film's sound design is a nonstop carnival of pans, discrete channelization and aggressive bursts of LFE that completely envelop the listener. This is one of the most superbly forceful mixes in recent memory, one that exploits the over the top action with some fantastic sound effects, including everything from a huge water tower cascading down around on top of hapless bad guys to several different roaring types of transportation. There's really not a whole lot of dynamic range here, since the film tends to be turned "up to 11" most of the time, but dialogue is clear and fidelity is exceptional.

Special Features and Extras 2,5/5

Audio Commentary with Director Simon West. West is an appealing commentator, more anecdotal than explanatory at times, but obviously enthused about this project without being deluded about its "artistic" potential.

Gods of War: Assembling Earth's Mightiest Anti-Heroes (HD; 21:19) is a little homage to the film's casting.

Big Guns, Bigger Heroes: The 1980's and the Rise of the Action Film (HD 24:59) is a surprisingly good featurette detailing some of the iconic film heroes of the eighties.

On the Assault: The Real Life Weaponry of The Expendables 2 (HD; 13:36) takes a look at some of the massive firepower that's utilized in the film, with Randy Couture acting as tour guide at Las Vegas' Gun Store.

Guns for Hire: the Real Life Expendables (HD; 24:19) focuses on various mercenaries and security personnel who are paid to do some kind of dirty work.

Deleted Scenes (HD; 4:39)

Gag Reel (HD; 5:09)

Overall Score and Recommendation 4/5
There's only so much Blu-ray.com's star rating system can convey, and so some may look at the 3.5 stars that this film received and conclude that it's more or less at the same level as the first Expendables, which received the same score. And while in a certain way that's true, in others this second Expendables is a much more entertaining affair. We don't have the kind of useless "interior" questioning that hobbled the first film, and this second film also doesn't wallow in the sort of melancholic aspect that also colored the first film. The Expendables 2 is far from a perfect film, but it at least has the benefit of knowing what it wants to be, aiming absolutely no higher than being a good old boy romp through various places with all sorts of nifty, mayhem wreaking toys. This Blu-ray looks and sound great and comes with some good supplements. Recommended.
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 16 Nov 2012, 13:01

'Expendables 2' Boosts Earnings at Germany's Splendid Medien
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/e ... -at-390381
The action hit starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger helps lift sales at the German indie 50 percent in the third quarter.

COLOGNE, Germany - Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables 2 has given an adrenaline boost to quarterly figures at German indie Splendid Medien. Splendid posted third quarter revenues of $17.5 million (€13.8 million), a 50 percent year-on-year jump, thanks to Expendables 2's stellar box office performance here, where the film has earned around $11.5 million since its August release. EBIT profits for the quarter were $1 million (€0.8 million), compared to €0.5 million in Q3 2011.

For the year so far, Splendid booked revenues of $45.2 million (€35.6 million) compared with €30.2 million over the same period in 2011. Before tax profits (EBT) were $2.9 million (€2.3 million) against €2.0 million this time last year.

On the home entertainment front, the first Expendables film has been a money-spinner for Splendid, as has Jean-Claude van Damme actioner Six Bullets.

More recently, Splendid scored a sell through hit with Nicolas Cage-starrer Stolen, which knocked Men In Black 3 off the top spot on the German DVD charts and took third place among Blu-Ray rental titles.
Given the success of the Expendables franchise, Splendid has upped its full-year estimate and is now expecting EBIT profits to come in at between $3.4 million - $4 million (€2.7 million - €3.2 million), about €1 million more than previously forecast.

Splendid said year-end revenues will come in at the top end of its expectations, set between $57 million - $62 million (€45 million - €49 million).


BD REVIEW
http://www.rockshockpop.com/forums/cont ... bles-2-The
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Video/Audio/Extras:

The Expendables 2 arrives on Blu-ray from Lionsgate in an AVC encoded 2.35.1 widescreen presentation in 1080p high definition. Image quality is very strong here in a lot of ways, though the movie has obviously been heavily filtered a bit to give it a gritty look. This works well in the context of the story that is being told but sometimes makes things look a bit off. Detail can generally be very strong, color reproduction is excellent even if the movie sometimes makes use of a dark color palette while skin tones usually look pretty good here (if occasionally a little leathery? Look at Sly’s face in the movie then compare it to his face in the featurettes!). Black levels are good but the movie as whole just has an odd sort of soft look to it. With that said, this seems to be a pretty accurate represention of how the movie is supposed to look.

The main audio option for the movie is an English language DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track, though there is also an English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix included and a Spanish dubbed track in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Optional subtitles are provided in English, English SDH and Spanish. It’s also worth noting that this disc is the first Blu-ray to be encoded with DTS Neo:X, which apparently optimizes the audio encode for those capable of playing back 11.1 audio.

As to the merits of the 7.1 mix here, it’s just as bombastic as you’d expect it to be. Bullets fly past you in all directions, explosions hit your subwoofer hard and result in some very strong bass and there’s loads of surround activity throughout the entire movie. Dialogue somehow manages to stay clear throughout, there are no problems understanding the performers here at all. The score is mixed in perfectly with the music accentuating things very nicely and of course, as should expected, there are no problems with any hiss or distortion here. This is very impressive stuff.

Extras start off with a commentary track that comes courtesy of director Simon West. One thing that’s obvious very early on is that West loves action movies. He’s very much a fan of the past output from his cast and he’s got a lot of respect for the action movies that came before him. At any rate, West has some good stories to share here as to how he came on board to direct, what it was like working with so many action movie legends, difficulties in some of the action scenes and effects intensive scenes, shooting on location and more. He’s a pretty affable guy and easy enough to listen to, which makes this track an enjoyable one.

From there, we move on to the featurettes, the first of which is Gods Of War: Assembling Earth’s Mightiest Antiheroes. This piece lets Stallone talk about how he went about assembling the cast for the movie, why he bowed out as director for this second film, the difficulties that arose in trying to get so many working actors on the same schedule for the movie and more. It’s a decent look behind the scenes of the movie and worth checking out.

Also quite fun is Big Guns, Bigger Heroes: The 1980s And The Rise Of The Action Film. Here we get some cultural and historical input from a couple of authors and historians as to why action movies took off the way they did. We start with a bit about the increase in violent films in the seventies before exploring the rise of patriotism when Reagan took office, after which comparisons are made to the old westerns that played a part in inspiring movies like First Blood and Commando. Discussions here cover how and why Schwarzenegger was made for roles like The Terminator and Conan and how he wanted to branch out a bit with Commando and the appeal of anti-communist films at the time. Ron Reagan Jr. even pops up here to talk about his father for a bit. It’s a good piece that lends some cultural insight into the history of the guys who made the feature.

Getting back to reality, we get a featurette called On The Assault: The Real Life Weaponry Of The Expendables. This isn’t as interesting as it might sound but those with an interest in firearms will appreciate it. Basically this is Randy Couture at a firearms range in Las Vegas trying out and explaining the intricacies of the various guns that are used in the movie. Guns For Hire: The Real Expendables is a look at some real world mercenaries and their exploits and the dangers involved in their careers.

Rounding out the extras are a few deleted scenes (none of which change the film all that much but are worth watching), a legitimately amusing blooper reel and trailers for a few other Lionsgate properties. A Digital Copy and an Ultraviolet version of the feature are also included as are menus and chapter stops. All of the extras on the disc are presented in high definition.

The Final Word:

The very definition of a big dumb action movies, The Expendables 2 doesn’t take itself too seriously and neither should you. Yes, certain cast members are underused and yes the movie deals in one cliché after another but that doesn’t really take away from the fun. Fast paced, humorous and chock full of stuff blowin’ up real good, the movie is a kick and Lionsgate’s Blu-ray looks and sounds just as awesome as you’d hope it would. Throw in some quality extras too and this release earns top marks all around.
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 16 Nov 2012, 16:35

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/lionsg ... ray-review
The Blu-ray actually includes some interesting extras for the hardcore action movie fan the “Expendables” franchise is aiming for. The one trying to be the most insightful is “Big Guns, Bigger Heroes: The 1980s and the Rise of the Action Film,” a 25-minute documentary that explores the evolution of the genre, in particular the films that star the cast of The Expendables 2 (with particular focus on Stallone and Schwarzenegger).

Fans of the Second Amendment will appreciate the featurette “On the Assault: The Real-Life Weaponry of The Expendables,” in which Randy Couture visits The Gun Store in Las Vegas and takes target practice with several assault rifles, which are given an in-depth profile. It’s something to keep in mind when planning that next trip to Vegas.

Along similar lines is the “Guns for Hire: The Real Expendables” featurette, which profiles real-life mercenaries and private security firms.

The making of the film is covered in “Gods of War: Assembling Earth’s Mightiest Anti-Heroes,” as well as director Simon West’s commentary. The biggest revelation here is how the movie had to be structured to fit the varied schedules of the different action stars — explaining why Jason Statham or Jet Li would be separated from the group, or why every scene between Willis, Schwarzenegger and Stallone features them in the same frame (to give the fans their money’s worth).

The package is rounded out by about five minutes of deleted scenes, the most interesting of which involves why the group calls itself the Expendables.
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 17 Nov 2012, 11:32

Spanish editions
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EX 1+2 set
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 17 Nov 2012, 21:30

Stallone kill count


Statham's
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 18 Nov 2012, 02:38

Received my disc early and almost finished watching all the special features, which are pretty typical featurettes, decent but not mind-blowing, and as expected Simon West is very distanced and politically correct (commenting what's on the screen and giving a few production facts here and there but not going into anything deep or controversial regarding difficulties or the final cut). As for the deleted scenes you get a have more footage from the airport finale with some more fighting from Yu Nan, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Novak Djokovic but none from Dolph (plus a couple more forgettable short scenes).
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Re: THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

Postby Jox on 19 Nov 2012, 12:20

http://www.jewellermagazine.com/Article ... orts-stars
JACQUES LEMANS JOINS MOVIE AND SPORTS STARS

Hollywood blockbuster movie Expendables II can add the name Jacques Lemans to its list of action heroes while closer to home, the popular watch brand is “pulling on the boots” for an Australia A-league soccer club.
Following the success of Hollywood movie The Expendables, Jacques Lemans has released a series of watches as part of the licensed merchandising arm of the movie sequel, Expendables 2.

Wearing one of the timepieces is long-time tough guy and Expendables 2 actor Jean Claude van Damme, who stars alongside Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Chuck Norris in the movie.

Stefan Thomascheutz, managing director of STAT Australia, which distributes Jacques Lemans in Australia, believes these watches are the perfect accessories for any fans of hardcore action movies. The watches’ dials are not printed but comprise 3D elements that appear relief-like underneath the crystex-crystal. Cases are made of solid stainless steel and the leather strap is designed to withstand the toughest conditions.

“The Expendables 2 was a great project for us to work with,” Thomascheutz said. “As a fun sports brand, it was great for us to become the official watch of such a blockbuster with many famous action heroes, including the greats!”

The original Expendables won Best Action Movie 2010, while both movies have taken around $300 million at the box office.

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http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/58429/expendables-2-the/
THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:


The Expendables 2 arrives on Blu-ray with a solid 2.40:1/1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. Shot with Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 cameras, the film has a bold, gritty appearance throughout. I want to first hypothesize a bit about the final look of the film, as it appears some visual tweaks were done in post. I think the filmmakers did a bit of smoothing, perhaps to soften the worn mugs of the veteran actors, before upping the grain digitally. This results in some mismatched grain patterns that overlay slightly waxy faces, but all signs point to this being intentional and not some transfer-specific flaw. Otherwise, detail is frequently exceptional. Close-up shots reveal intimate facial features, and wide shots are deep and textured. West shoots with a softer focus in some shots, but this doesn't diminish the clarity of the image. Black levels are solid, and the browns, greens and reds of the color scheme are bold and well saturated. The film retains a pleasing layer of grain, and action sequences retain clarity. I noticed only minor aliasing, and compression artifacts are not an issue.

SOUND:

Audiophiles rejoice, The Expendables 2 is the first ever Blu-ray to offer a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that is optimized for 11.1 DTS Neo:X playback! Your humble reviewer has not yet upgraded to such impressive technology, but I can appreciate the awesome power of the 7.1 mix. Those of you with 11.1 setups will surely enjoy the added clarity and separation of the extended optimization. The main mix is consistently impressive. This is an immersive, aggressive surround mix that makes you realize the value of a home-theater surround-sound setup. Dialogue is absolutely clear throughout, and there is a fair amount of directional dialogue that pans the sound field. Viewers are placed amid the action, as ambient and action effects make great use of the surround speakers. The hum of airplane propellers buzz in the rear speakers, the pop-pop of gunfire explodes from the left side of the room, and giant explosions kidnap the subwoofer and force it to shake the room. Clarity is exceptional, and quieter scenes of dialogue are as pleasing as louder action scenes, which test the mix's excellent range. This is one of the best mixes I've had the pleasure to experience at home, and Lionsgate really delivers on this Blu-ray, which also includes an English 2.0 Dolby Digital mix that is "optimized for late-night viewing." A 5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital track is also included, as are English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

The Expendables 2 arrives in "combo pack" form from Lionsgate. The set includes the Blu-ray, a DVD copy of the film, and codes to retrieve iTunes and UltraViolet digital copies. The discs are housed in a Blu-ray eco-case, which is wrapped in a glossy, embossed slipcover. The Blu-ray includes over an hour of interesting extra features that are much better than the average EPK nonsense available on most recent releases.

Commentary by Director Simon West - Director West is no Stallone, but he proves some good insight on the project. There is little dead air during the track, and West describes all aspects of the production.
Gods of War: Assembling Earth's Mightiest Anti-Heroes (21:19/HD) - The excellent piece not only provides an overview of The Expendables 2 and its cast, but also offers some candid comments from Stallone about the strengths and weaknesses of the first film. Stallone has always been a charismatic, straight-shooting guy, and this piece again proves why the man has remained relevant for three decades. The actor talks improving this second outing, working with other action legends and possibly allowing Schwarzenegger to use too many one-liners.
Big Guns, Bigger Heroes: The 1980's and the Rise of the Action Film (24:59/HD) - This tidy, well-edited retrospective looks back at the glorious action flicks of the 1980s and their stars. The biggest hits of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis and Van Damme's careers are discussed, and participants reveal how the decade's movies reflected the political climate.
On the Assault: The Real-Life Weaponry of The Expendables 2 (13:36/HD) - Viewers join Couture at a shooting range as he and a gun expert discuss and discharge the weapons used in the film.
Guns for Hire: The Real Expendables (24:19/HD) - This piece features interviews with real-life mercenaries and private-security actors, and the participants detail the challenges of their jobs.
Deleted Scenes (4:39/HD) - More Bruce Willis is always appreciated!
Gag Reel (5:09/HD) - This better-than-average gag reel shows the stars cutting up on set. I suspect thick accents had a lot to do with the flubs.
Lionsgate also includes a number of DTS Master Audio tools that allow viewers to optimize their setups.
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