Bringing together an all-star cast to make a film can result in either a god-awful flick that once seen fails to fulfill expectations or a box-office hit that once it heads to DVD will fly off shelves for months, even years, to come. For better or worse, “The Expendables” should be nothing less than that brand of juggernaut.

The film surrounds a group of mercenaries — leader and mastermind Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone); former SAS blade expert Lee Christmas (Jason Statham); hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang (Jet Li); long barrel weapons specialist Hale Ceasar (Terry Crews); demolition expert Toll Road (Randy Couture); and precision sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) — who live their lives on the fringes of the law. While on what appears to be a routine covert, CIA-funded operation to enter the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its dictator Gen. Garza (David Zayas), it becomes clear that they are on a suicide mission. The event can either help them redeem their souls or destroy their brotherhood forever.

“The Expendables” is action-packed from beginning to end, with a number of bone-breaking, gut-splitting fight scenes that channel mixed martial arts and virtually every other form of butt-kicking. And when you couple that with heavy artillery and explosives, you’ve got a film that will send your synapses into overdrive.

Many parts are overly dramatized — Stallone hanging from the side of a fighter jet by his bare hands with tons of wind and water pressing against his body, or the top halves of bodies blown to smithereens while the lower half remains in position — but if you think of how action films routinely featured such elements in the 1980s and ‘90s, then this film suits that genre.

Between cringe-worthy scenes of gore, there are chunks of comic relief: one of the mercenaries receives a text message in the midst of a rescue; and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who makes a brief appearance, busts through a pair of double doors with a bright light behind him, causing him to appear larger than life.

One new spin, that may not have been seen before in any other movie besides “Predator,” is the use of neon lighting — to resemble heat-activated sensors — during one of the fight scenes. It almost looks like the negatives from a film reel, except the colors are bright yellow, orange and red.

Stallone, 64, proves that he can run — literally — with actors half his age. His role was truly physically demanding, and also mentally exhausting. Not only did Stallone star in the film, but he co-wrote and directed it.

As director, Stallone is able to present scenes creatively — through unexpected angles and focus — without it looking too busy and overwhelming.

The script itself, though, could have been more balanced. The fight scenes are so plentiful that they failed to capture the full essence of each character. To be frank, there was little character building. The audience only had insight into small portions of their lives.

Unlike Statham and Li — who both had a considerable amount of screen time, more than everyone besides Stallone — Mickey Rourke, who plays an ex-mercenary named Tool, was able to show off his acting chops. The Harley-Davidson riding, pipe-smoking character relives his days as a mercenary.

Taking lives, said his character, stripped away what good was left in him and he is searching for a chance to redeem his soul.

Rourke’s performance is flawless and captivating. With the camera tight on his face — slightly above him — and a tinge of pale, blue lighting, Rourke has his moment. As he tells the tale, his misty eyes are focused downward and are somewhat fixated. He takes the necessary pauses one would naturally have when divulging something so painful. Rourke’s lips quiver, he sucks his teeth and bottom lip softly before firmly placing three of his fingers over the top of his lips.

Statham and Li, however, left more to be desired. But what they lacked in acting, they more than made up for in athletic ability. Their quick, precise moves were nothing less than entertaining.

Gunner, on the other hand, is a bit psychotic and developmentally challenged. He is purely irrational. And in some ways he is child-like. Lundgren completely embodies the character, giving the audience this sense of not knowing what he was going to do next. You see that he struggles between his loyalties, but you are not sure whether he will choose the right or wrong path.

Crews and Couture were seen but not introduced in the beginning of the film, and were not inserted fully until closer to the end of the film. This did not work in their favor. While their stunts were good, they did not feel a part of the group, rather they felt like props that were brought in.

Though the film was packed with A- and B-list stars, they don’t seem to be competing for the spotlight. Some may have had more screen time than others, but each character was given a scene that emphasized his individual talents.