1. Yin Yang
The Expendables franchise isn’t known for its subtlety, nor for its particularly intelligent writing. But in introducing its first (and for a time only) Asian character, you might assume that Sylvester Stallone and David Callaham would have been careful to avoid any stereotypes. Instead, enter Yin Yang.
Honestly, they may as well have had Jet Li wear a conical rice hat. The sheer gall of naming the franchise’s only Asian Expendable “Yin Yang” is something that should never, ever be forgotten, as not only is it incredibly insensitive, but it’s quite simply not okay.
It’s honestly baffling as to exactly how this was ever deemed appropriate in 2010, but there Yin Yang stands as proof that this was considered okay by not just the film’s screenwriters, but the entire production, and the studio, and that it was released without any major backlash. Whoever made that decision was likely incredibly ill-informed and thoroughly lazy, and there’s no way that Jet Li’s character ever should have been given that name.
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