Chinese actresses get short shrift in new Hollywood epics

The latest sign of a Chinese invasion in Hollywood is a string of performances so short, you'll miss them if you blink.

Chinese actresses, many of whom are superstars in China, are appearing in big-budget Hollywood movies, but in roles that are more decorative than groundbreaking.

Yu Nan may fare the best, at least in terms of the importance of the role. In The Expendables 2, she plays Maggie Chan, a member of the butt-kicking team that works under Sylvester Stallone. As the only female in the ensemble, and the brainy one, she gets her fair share of screen time, which she condenses into one expression - that of contempt.