With this unparalleled collection of some of the hardest-hitting, highest-kicking, down-and-dirtiest stars ever seen on screen all gathered to tell the story of ‘The Expendables 2’, in theaters August 31, it had everyone on set thinking about just what these remarkably diverse stars share in common – what makes for an action hero?

Certainly they each possess their own version of mad skills, tough-talking attitudes, savvy senses of humor and drive for one kind of glory or another, but it seems something more ties them together under the skin – perhaps it’s an ability to make audiences believe they will stand up for basic justice and righteousness no matter what mayhem comes their way.

Sylvester Stallone says of an action hero’s essence: “It’s not muscles. It’s not incredible athletic ability. I think it has to be something that the audience can relate to – someone touchable, approachable and real. Maybe even somewhat flawed. The hero has to be part of the audience. I really think what makes an action star is the audience’s desire to mentally shove the character forward.”

Director Simon West agrees, “I think a great action hero needs to be vulnerable. If they’re unbeatable, they’re hard to relate to – and that’s what is so great about all the Expendables. They’re always just on the ragged edge and they could fail at any time. I think the audience likes that and that’s key to why they root for them.”

As the cast came together for ‘The Expendables 2’, the atmosphere on set was truly one-of-a-kind. “Pulling together this high-octane mix of alpha-dogs on the same set has never been done before,” admits Stallone. “Nobody on set wanted to be outdone. So, when we were in our 12th hour of shooting for the day, and the time came, they were all bringing their A-games. It was pretty remarkable.”

Producer King-Templeton adds, “All these guys that we have in the film have done some of the best action movies ever made, and are masters of their own arts, so you get them all together in one room and obviously they’re going to be competitive. It was fun to watch – and see who was going to outdo the other.”

Dolph Lundgren says of the good-natured but gung-ho competitive spirit on set, “There was definitely some competitiveness, not just physically but also to do good work. It raises the quality. When you see that list of names on the call sheet it’s almost like you want to frame it and stick it on the wall someplace. I’m sure a lot of the cast and crew will, because I don’t think this will ever happen again.”

Jason Statham, too, was awed by the chance to work daily with a veritable Mount Rushmore of action legends at his side. He sums up the experience with three words. “Stallone, Bruce, Arnold,” he quips. “There it was. They were there along with the rest of this massive line-up and it was a great feeling to see my name with theirs. It’s an amazing privilege.”

Image Courtesy of  Expendables

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One thing about the sequel for the explosive 2010 hit ‘The Expendables’ was always for sure – it would be done true to the trademark style of the original, serving as an equally fresh take on vintage American badass action as it was in the days before rampant CGI pushed fight choreography into something more fantastical.

“The Expendables are about classic, straight-up action,” sums up producer Kevin King-Templeton. “It goes back to a day when everything was done right in front of the camera. There are real car crashes, real fight scenes and real mayhem. No phony muscle suits or body enhancements needed. This is the real deal.  I think the audience appreciates that it’s all done without CGI tricks. To have Stallone, Bruce, Arnold, Van Damme, Norris and more all fighting, shooting and bringing their own spin to this highly choreographed action – it’s really an action lover’s dream come true.”

For Sylvester Stallone, the inspiration for writing these real-deal characters came from the unforgettably rebellious yet heroically loyal compadres he cut his own teeth on in such action classics as ‘The Dirty Dozen’, ‘The Wild Bunch’ and ‘Dogs of War’. “Our characters harken back to a time when our heroes were flesh and blood,” Stallone summarizes. “What I like about the ‘Expendables’, especially in this story, is that these guys put their lives on the line for a cause.”

Having shepherded the first film to success as director, this time Stallone happily handed off his director’s chair to director Simon West (‘Con Air’, ‘The General’s Daughter’, ‘The Mechanic’, ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’) so that he could focus more on the writing and on Barney Ross as the film’s lead character. “Simon is a wonderful shooter and he brought a lot to the heart and the action of the story,” comments Stallone.  “With the scope of this production, I couldn’t have done all these jobs.”

West liked that ‘The Expendables 2′ was inspired by the simple but undeniable power of the original action formula –real people with lethal expertise pushed into situations where they have to use it. He was especially compelled by the characters in the script for ‘The Expendables 2′ — intriguingly flawed, relatable men and women who might take on the most impossible odds in the course of the story, but know they are in no way invincible. Rather than magic, they have to rely on sheer guts, skill and a refusal to quit.

“I wanted to direct this film because I know how much people love these characters and now they are going to get to see more of them in even higher adrenaline situations,” says West. “I think audiences love this group because they’re funny, they’re tough, they’re very good at what they do – and yet they aren’t super-human. They aren’t bulletproof. They have their flaws and each character is screwed up in their own little way. People root for them because they’re underdogs and we can all relate to that. I find a lot more color in how Stallone wrote these very human action characters than in a man who is indestructible.”

Stallone and West soon developed a close creative camaraderie. Recalls West: “On the first day of shooting, I said to Sly, ‘It’s very unusual for me to direct another director, especially one of this caliber who’s had so many big hits and has created so many iconic characters.’ I said, ‘I really want to take care of your franchise because it’s your baby.’ I thought of that every day, and it became my inspiration. I really wanted to protect and expand on what Sly had brought to life.”

Anticipation was at a high as production got under way – and everyone knew that fists, kicks, weaponry and witty humor would soon be flying from every direction on the set. Given the incredible combined skills of the cast, the bar was easy to raise on a daily basis.

Sums up producer Avi Lerner: “With the returning cast headed by Sly plus the greatly expanded roles for Arnold and Bruce, plus the new additions of Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins and Yu Nan, we knew we were in for more adventure, more action and more excitement.”

Image Courtesy of  Expendables

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