So this was that Expendables remake with all female counterparts! Cynthia Rothrock (the only one in the bunch who's been in so many hardcore femme fatale flicks she really deserved the spot) stands in the sidelines for most of the action, but Vivica A. Fox, Brigitte Nielsen, Nicole Bilderback, Zoë Bell and Kristanna Loken (I recognize all of them, but don't think I knew their names before this) don't disappoint either, even if the overused 'Bitch' and scrawny-looking representatives of the male populace (well, most of them) are a bit of a disappointment. I guess it's an intentional turn of stereotypes, but I wouldn't mind the best of both worlds either!

The CGI could use an upgrade too: it sucks. The plot is somewhat basic, though still captivating; with an occasional twist. The dialog's a bit more clever. The blood, bullets, etc - it's almost all fake. I'm a bit disappointed in the effects all being so digital... or at least not bigger-budget digital, but setting the lack of budget aside, it was entertaining, and the action intense. Not bad, but with an Expendables-size budget, more lifelike effects and a stronger cast... it could have been out of this world!

 rated 3/5: not bad

May, 2016

The all-female Expendables spin-off really wasn't all that bad. The special effects were crap, true, and the acting was crap, most of it, yes indeed. The fight choreography was pretty crappy as well - no denying. The jokes were pretty crappy, the villains typical, and the plot riddled with holes. Plot-holes, I mean.

Actually it was pretty crappy, all of it, but it was still entertaining, and the action was plentiful. Seeing a bunch of girls get together and fight it out can't be not worth watching, right? And yet, derogatory words like 'bitch' rained down throughout, and less derogatory words like 'ladies' were just as common, maybe as a compromise, though it just felt unnatural. It felt like unnecessarily girly puns permeated the script overall, and there wasn't a single decent guy on the team, or the opposing team for that matter. The villainous Gregory played the one tough guy in the movie, and he wasn't really a prime example of the gender. I'm thinking chivalry and all that.

For a movie that could've been Expendables and so much more, it felt like everything catered towards a female audience, even though both the genre and the cast of mostly strong, sexy girls seem to cater more to males. Is this supposed to be a stance for feminism? The stronger, more devious, and all-in-all much better gender? Something just feels wrong.

I did enjoy the action, but there's too much focus on girl power. They could've kept the cast a bit more balanced and still showcased their feminine strengths. The main group's a good combo, with such greats as Zoë Bell, Kristanna Loken and even Cynthia Rothrock (and IMDB the rest), but the people outside the main group are exempt from everything. The males are generally small, shy or otherwise inferior, and really no match at all.

It was a decent movie, but could've been more.

 rated 3/5: not bad