The Expendables 2

Both the action and the self-referential jokes work better than discardable predecessor.  Additions of Van Damme and Norris infuse film with jolts of life and camp.  Li drops out too soon, but Willis and Schwarzenegger bring exactly the right kind of fun.  Biggest failure is from makeup department; why try?

Kung Fu Panda 2

Worthy sequel to a brilliant film. Lacks emotional truth of a Pixar film, but still finds clever dialogue, incredible fight scene effects, and underused voice actors of first installment. Builds on first and leaves room for a third, in fact almost begs for a tri-doosh to contain this Black-built Panda.

JCVD

Damme, what an impressive dramatic turn. JCVD proves his acting chops are as powerful as his roundhouse kicks. Tightly shot, but still gritty and stylistic. Moral ambiguity strengthens realism of film that shows JC’s personal life and career debates. More drama or return to sugary pulp roles? The Belgian Waffles.