History Film / TheExpendables2

* ShoutOut: When Caesar reluctantly hands his gun over to Trench (played by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger) near the start of the film.
-->'''Caesar''':If you lose this gun, your ass is [[Film/TheTerminator terminated]].

The 2012 sequel to ''Film/TheExpendables''.

* OffWithHisHead: Billy's [[BoomHeadshot headshots]] disintegrates heads in the beginning of the movie, and Ross later does it to [[spoiler: Vilain]].

* TruthInTelevision: As outlandish as the movie is, any soldier (camper, hunter etc) will tell you the difficulties choosing between combat rations and fresh cooked food. As seen in the training town scene, rations are light weight but not so appetizing. Fresh food is a great morale booster but you can guarantee getting interrupted while you make it.

* BadGuyBar: Barney an Lee visit one to get information.

* BondOneLiner: After Christmas punches a man into [[DeadlyRotaryFan a propeller]], he sees his brass knuckles and quips "Can't beat a classic".

* ShoutOut: When Caesar reluctantly hands his gun over to Trench (Played by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger) near the start of the film.

* BareFistedMonk: Yang[=/=]Creator/JetLi. The film puts an emphasis on this by giving him an entire sequence where he takes out an entire squad this way. He also used [[FyingPanOfDoom a pair of frying pans]].

* BareFistedMonk: Yang[=/=]Creator/JetLi. The film puts an emphasis on this by giving him an entire sequence where he takes out an entire squad this way. He also used [[ImprobableWeaponUser a pair of frying pans]].

[[caption-width-right:290:No school like the old school]]

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: It gets a 9, due to all the blood splatter, a couple of exploding heads, and death by helicopter blades. It's all pretty light-hearted, though.

Opening with a mission to rescue a Chinese diplomat and introducing the new member to the team Billy the Kid (Creator/LiamHemsworth), Church confronts Barney and demands a new mission to redeem him from the issue with how he handled the job in the previous movie. They are paired with Maggie Chan (Yu Nan) to recover sensitive information regarding a secret plutonium stockpile in Eastern Europe. Their mission is upset by Vilain (Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme), a terrorist for hire leading his own team including his second in command Hector (Scott Adkins). Vilain humiliates the team and leaves one of them dead, with the rest vowing revenge. They chase after Vilain to stop his plans and are joined by lone wolf ally Booker (Creator/ChuckNorris) to finish the job.

* LighterAndSofter: There were rumors and even an official statement saying they were making the sequel PG-13. Probably due to the fandom backlash they ultimately went back on that idea and the movie is rated R like the original. It's been also said that the PG-13 was due to the removal of so much swearing in the script, a condition made by Creator/ChuckNorris before he'd join in. The final movie does have virtually no cursing, a contrast to the occasional {{Cluster F Bomb}}s from the first.

* MexicanStandoff: The Expendables get into this situation early on with Vilain and his men

* MoodWhiplash: Lamshaded and used in-universe. Maggie notes how the team bounces between light-hearted humor and dark nihilism concerning themselves. Barney notes that at this point they just try to keep things light for as long as they can, but they get pitch black dark when it's time to get serious.

* FeelingTheirAge: Brought up with the addition of a mid-20's team member Billy who has more enthusiasm and energy than the rest of the team combined. His older teammates are certainly [[BadassGrandpa not in bad shape themselves]], but there is a distinct difference in their lumbering pace compared to Billy jogging up a hill.

* BondVillainStupidity: Vilain captures the entire Expendables team early in the movie. He only kills the youngest and most inexperienced member of the team before they leave. Justified in that Vilain's claims that "Fighting men do not deserve to be killed like sheep."

* BondVillainStupidity: Vilain captures the entire Expendables team early in the movie. Then, in defiance of any plausible logic, he lets them go for absolutely no reason, killing only the youngest and most inexperienced member of the team before they leave.