Analysis of The Expendables 2 opening scene

Analysis of The Expendables 2 opening scene

In the opening scene of Expendables you can clearly see that this is an action film. This is shown through the use of mise en scene such as tanks/vehicles, guns, explosions and shouting. Also the language that is used throughout is very rude and aggressive which suggests that it is an action film as the audience target is higher because of the equipment used too.

Camera shots are very important in these types of films as the viewers want to see the majority of the explosions and fights and everything at the same time. So the producers use camera shots which can quickly go back and fourth to show all of what's happening like it was all in one scene. The camera shot right at the beginning when all the vehicles were coming down the hill was effective as it clearly showed us everything that they are using and how many people they actually have in there group. In between the shot here as well they showed a close up shot to one of the drivers and really focused on his facial expression as he looked very moody but also at the same time determined to get this done and come out on the other side happy and alive basically, this makes the audience feel like they haven't got a choice and they don't want to do it but despite that still taking part and still taking everything properly. Also at 0:15 we see the shot from over one of the characters shoulder, this shows the audience from there point of view and what they are seeing while going down this dirt track. This is effective because in a way will make the audience feel sorry for them because they see what they are about to get themselves into and we see it from that point of view which makes us feel like were on the adventure with them but realistically we don't actually know what it is like. At 0:28 the longshot was very effective, this is one of the main shots that are most important because it really emphasises the tragic place they are currently driving up to, it shows all the fires, explosions and how dirty and warn out it is. It really suggests that its a bad place and they are just going to make it worse. At one point we saw one of the driver men laughing while shooting, this suggests that they have seen how easy it is to shoot them all as they haven't really got many weapons compared to them and now its some sort of game that is being played, as throughout now you see that they aren't scared anymore, they are just acting childish and shooting people while laughing while driving past them all. This would make the viewers feel sorry the other team now instead because they weren't prepared as much as the others. At the end of the clip they start to speed up and move from one to another, this is because they want to the people watching to feel more involved as possible, this is by actually moving the camera the same speed as they would actually be going, this would make the heart of audience beat fast as they could put themselves in there position and how scared they would be, whereas while there driving round there just laughing and shooting the others, this is because they know how easy it is and they have nothing to worry about.

Music and sound are a big part of this action film as well, this is shown through the explosions, gun shots, the voices screaming and shouting at each other and also the background music throughout. Gun shots are used throughout the whole scene and was the sound that everybody heard most because obviously it was an action scene. This is effective because it really shows the audience that this is an action film as guns are very popular in this industry and if you hear a gun shot automatically you think action and fighting which this scene was all about. This also creates tension throughout. This is also similar to explosions as they audience realise that an explosion can occur at any time and at any place, this suggests that they could worry if they were becoming closer which means potentially they could blow up if they come to close, this suggests the audience could become scared for the characters and feel for there safety. The music right at the beginning of the scene starts of very dramatic and very high pitched but upbeat at the same time, this is while they are traveling through the dirt tracks on the way to shoot everybody, this is a non diegetic sound, where the music is only there for the impact of the characters. The music increases, so does the speed of the vehicle moving. This is effective because it fits perfectly in the scene without meaning to and it looks like it was meant to be like that, the faster the vehicle moved, the faster and upbeat the music got. The producers have made it so we can hear the music very loudly however we can also hear everything that's happening in the background, this means that we can choose which one we want to listen closer at and which one is most effective. At 0:48 the music stops suddenly when they get into the area of all the others, this is because they want the audience to notice and concentrate what is going on without getting distracted with loads of different sounds, the sudden stop is good in this aspect because it really emphasise the gun shots and screaming in the back ground and makes us realise that a big fight is about to break out and gets the viewers hearts beating relevantly fast. Around 2:00 the music starts to play again while the team are sorting out there vehicles to crash through walls, this also makes the audience really worry because they are thinking to themselves, are they going to sort this out in time? Will they die, if they don't get the front bit out to save them? where are they going to end up crashing into? The viewers would have so many questions that they would want answers to which would make them think really hard throughout while watching this and makes them concentrate more. This would also mean that this film would really attract them to watch the whole thing and really draw them in as the film may answer there questions and if they want to know what is happening they are going to keep watching the whole thing. Overall music has a really big impact on the film.