This is how the two women in The Expendables 2 are portrayed
Note: The following contains some Expendables 2 spoilers.
Everyone knows what the Expendables is. It’s a ton of testosterone strapped to a rocket and sent to manly island in an explosions of hell yeahs and kicking ass. However, there are some women in this new movie. You should get to know them. Even though their characters are about as flimsy and sexist as you’d expect.
First up, Charisma Carpenter. She was a well-known TV actress back in the 90′s and now she’s in The Expendables. She played a woman involved with Jason Statham, but of course, she needed protecting. CinemaBlend has seen the movie, and mentions that Carpenter’s character appears briefly and is referenced as “that woman you can never fully trust.” That’s awesome. She needs protecting and she’s untrustworthy.
Next, we’ve got an actual Expendable and not a side character. Nan Yu plays Maggie, an expert safe cracker who helps the group during an important part of the mission. Sounds awesome, right? I mean, Sly Stallone even plays with gender roles when his character Barney assumes that Maggie is a dude but then finds out she’s a woman. FAKE OUT! Oh, you crazy gender roles and stereotypes.
And then it goes downhill from there. According to CinemaBlend, her character turns into something of a damsel in distress. Stuck in between the gunplay and pure power of her male counterparts. Yup, the female Expendable doesn’t fight. She cracks safes.
Not only that, but she’s used as a girl who has a huge crush on Sly’s Barney character. Of course, you can’t have a female action hero without her falling for a man that isn’t even interested in her.
There are other women in the film too. But don’t worry, they’re just a mindless army that are made fun of because women can’t shoot guns.
Sure, The Expendables isn’t really trying to appeal to women. It wants to be a balls-out actioner starring the biggest male icons of the 80′s and 90′s. But if you’re going to attempt to appeal to women by marketing the “first female Expendable” don’t throw it in there with a dash of sexism. Kick ass with a character that could stand with the Gina Carranos, Angelina Jolies, Kate Beckinsales or Milla Jovovichs. [via CinemaBlend]