The main issue with films like this is that you’re dealing with a lot of actors who are very unused to playing in any role that isn’t the protagonist. So much so, in fact, that the best way to go would be to make the lead actor the director to solve the film-set ego problem.

That’s exactly what actor/director Sly Stallone has done, and it must be said; it worked pretty well. None of the actors are pushing the boat out to catch a bit of limelight – they all work in sync. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s not enough to save you from a strange plot and simply too many names to fit into just over 100 minutes of footage.

The story pans out as this: The Expendables are a team of mercenaries, hired for a big job to overthrow a tyrannical dictator (Dexter‘s David Zayas). Of course, what the film poster doesn’t tell you is that the super-cast aren’t all Expendables.

The team consists of six core characters – team leader Barney (Stallone), his five team-mates (Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Terry Crews), and their tattoo-artist/stay-at-home friend Tool (Mickey Rourke). It’s a shame it’s not a huge team, but too many cooks spoil the broth. Sadly, you’ll soon find that Willis – a name that helped sell the film – only does a few minutes on-screen, at most.

Fortunately, Stallone and co-screenwriter Dave Callaham have made an effort to turn actor egos into humorous moments. At one point, a cocky Schwarzenegger walks away from Wills and Stallone. “What’s his problem?” queries a bemused Willis. “He wants to be president,” responds Stallone. Laugh-out-loud moments like this one are infrequent, but very well written and add a ‘fourth-wall-breaking’ element of humour to the film.

Lots of bangs, impressive explosions and fist-fights make for an impressive bit of action. Unfortunately, the cinematography feels off and you tend to miss more blows and bullets than you catch, which is a bit amateurish on the part of so many action genre veterans.

There’s also an extremely disturbing scene in which a young woman is subject to water-boarding torture techniques, seemingly for almost no reason at all. However “evil” it makes the baddies look, it seems excessive and more than a little unsettling in a film that’s quite tongue-in-cheek.

It’s a humorous film but one that feels a little disappointing, and at that one point shocking. Sadly there’s not much else to expect from a film so pumped full of A-list testosterone. Stallone needs a mug of tea, slippers, and a copy of Reader’s Digest, because writing and starring in action-romance-buddy movies is no longer his forte. No matter how hard he stares at the audience and utters the fateful words: “I’ll always be around.”

Allow me to refresh your memory. In 1990, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Douglas Quaid, a memory-wiped secret agent who finally realises who he is, and goes on a journey to overthrow a dictator based on Mars.

It’s classic sci-fi stuff, and it’s also based on “We Can Remember it For You Wholesale”, the well-known Phillip K. Dick short story. It’s definitely a film that’s going to mess with your head, but then again, that’s in vogue at the moment.

Alice in Wonderland, Inception, Shutter Island… lots of films at the moment are focusing on what happens if we go a little nuts and adventurous, and 3D technology is only going to put more emphasis on the visually weirder parts of alternate dimensions and insanity on the silver screen.

How Wiseman will approach – and cast, for that matter – this film is yet to be seen. But one thing we do know is that Wiseman knows his blockbuster action – Underworld, Die Hard, and now the cinematic adaptation of popular shoot-em-up franchise Gears of War are just some examples of his competence.

Let’s hope that the only one that loses his memory is Douglas Quaid – it’d be a shame to see this slip through the cracks, however unoriginal it may be.

Sly’s role in the production is not so much expendable as indispensable. Not only is he starring in the film, but he has also produced it and even helped write the script.

The plot sees a group of mercenaries who are sent to South America to topple a dictator, once ‘in country’ everything starts to go wrong and they find they have been set up. In fact, they are not just expendable, but The Expendables.

The movie features a list of famous tough men as long as 6ft 5in Swedish Universal Soldier, Dolf Lungren (who also happens to be in it).

Other members of this muscular ensemble include the UK’s own Jason Statham, scary-faced Mickey Rourke, Kung Fu expert Jet Li, old trooper Bruce Willis and even the Governator himself, Arnie.

There are those who see the cast itself as a cunning marketing campaign, as there seems to be a representative from each major US martial arts sector: Randy Couture is a UFC champ, Steve Austin is a WWF legend, and Gary Daniels is a kickboxer. There’s even a former NFL star, Terry Crews, thrown in for good measure.

Crews may well be right when he called the movie at a Comic-Con panel ‘the manliest movie ever made’.

Released on 19 August, see the trailer here:

See the Comic- Con panel here: