Released: August 2014
Directed By: Patrick Hughes
Rated PG-13
Run Time: 127 minutes
Cast:
Sylvester Stallone: Barney Ross
Jason Statham: Christmas
Dolph Lundgren: Gunner
Randy Couture: Toll Road
Harrison Ford: Drummer
Wesley Snipes: Doc
Mel Gibson: Stonebanks
Kellan Lutz: Smilee
Ronda Rousey: Luna
Antonio Banderas: Galgo
Kelsey Grammer: Bonaparte
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Trench
Jet Li: Yin Yang
Terry Crews: Caesar
There was an idea several years ago that involved getting some of the biggest names in action movies together for an ensemble movie that nobody had ever seen before. Under the direction of superstar and director Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables was released in 2010. The Expendables featured a cast that included such names as: Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews, Jet Li, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke. The result was a very solid action-adventure that was gritty, intense, and a whole lot of fun. With big explosions, gunfire, and fight scenes, it was definitely a blast from the 80s past. The big names like Stallone, Lundgren, and Rourke were definitely 80s action movie icons. In fact, there was a scene in which Arnold Schwarzenegger had a cameo. The scene also featured Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone. It was a very small scene, but we got to see the three biggest action stars on screen together for the first time. The Expendables was pretty decent success, so a sequel was commissioned: The Expendables 2. The biggest draw for these movies is seeing all these action icons on screen together. The second film featured the additions of Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van-Damme. Norris hadn’t been seen in a big screen film since Top Dog. Like the original The Expendables 2 was a powerhouse action flick that delivered on what it promised. It was spectacular. The third film in the franchise was released earlier this year and features the largest roster of action stars yet. With the addition of Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson, and Antonio Banderas, it was shaping to be the most action-packed film of the bunch. Did it deliver? For the most part, yes.
The Expendables 3 takes off with the titular crew attempting to retrieve an old comrade of theirs, Doc, from a black-ops prison train. Afterwards, they take on a merciless weapons-dealer. They soon discover that the weapons-dealer is none other than Conrad Stonebanks, one of the founders of the Expendables. With one of their crew critically injured, Barney Ross, with intel provided by Harrison Ford’s Drummer, he decides to take on a new crew to go after Stonebanks. When it comes to The Expendables, the story is pretty much secondary to everything on screen. It’s just an excuse to blow stuff up, and that’s just fine with me. That’s not the only reason to watch these movies. Watching them interact with each other is sublime. It’s absolutely hilarious at times. Banderas’s character is probably the coolest of the bunch. He certainly talks a lot, but when the chips are down, he’s as tough as the rest of them. Wesley Snipes is also fun to watch. Seeing him on the big screen again after years of prison time and direct-to-video crap, its astounding. He’s still got it, and we get to see him utilize his martial arts skills a little bit. Harrison Ford is clearly having a ball in this movie, as he plays Bruce Willis’s replacement. Mel Gibson is an absolute hoot as the villain, Stonebanks.
The younger crew ain’t too shabby, either. Kellan Lutz, despite the fact that he played in the worst Hercules movie ever, proves that he’s actually not terrible in an action movie. Women’s MMA fighter, Ronda Rousey makes her big screen debut as Luna, the only female Expendable. She’s definitely got the physicality and the beauty for the part, and she’s awesome. Overall, it’s an interesting mix of new and old that mostly works. Unfortunately, the old crew doesn’t see as much screen time as they used to, as Stallone’s character’s looking for younger blood to take out his old comrade. Kelsey Grammer appears in the film as additional comic relief and he’s good. He’s definitely funny at times, but doesn’t actually see any action. The action in this movie, like the others, is completely off-the-wall crazy. The opening train sequence is totally ludicrous. Any pretense of realism is promptly thrown out the window. Some of the explosions are CG, but don’t seem out of place. The action sequences are absolutely fun and well-handled, and the stunts are nuts. The final battle at the abandoned casino towards the end of the movie is nothing short of epic. It goes without saying that Expendables 3 is the biggest of the bunch and the longest, yet it moves at such a quick pace you hardly notice the run time.
The Expendables 3 is the first of the franchise to be rated PG-13. When Stallone announced, there was an immediate backlash. The first two movies were rated R because they were VIOLENT. Violent and gory. This isn’t the first time that a third entry into a franchise was turned into a PG-13 film. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is one of the prime examples, but that movie suffered because of it. Terminator Salvation, was also rated PG-13, and yet it still managed to entertain. The rating doesn’t make the movie, despite what people say. It’s the content of the film: The writing, the casting, the cinematography, the script; it’s all supposed to come together to form a cohesive product. The rating of a film allows certain things to happen while limiting others. A PG-13 sequel to an R-rated film can reach a larger audience, sure, but it can also alienate the franchise’s core fans. Stallone wanted a PG-13 film to reach a wider audience, but I don’t think he really needed to do that. He already had his audience, so that was a strange decision. Make no mistake about it, The Expendables 3 is a very violent movie. It definitely pushes the PG-13 envelope. It’s just as violent as the first two, only without the gore.
Growing up watching the action movies of the 80s and early 90s, it was just awesome to see so many of my favorite action stars in one movie together. I would’ve loved to see Mickey Rourke come back, and maybe he will at some point, but I wasn’t disappointed at how well it all came together in this franchise. The character interactions are definitely part of what makes the whole thing work. Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone, antagonize each other in humorous, yet respectable way. Those two are funny together, but its Antonio Banderas and Wesley Snipes that steal the show. As I said before, it’s a real treat seeing Snipes on the big screen again. I honestly hope that gets to play Blade one more time. He’s pretty damn good. Going into The Expendables 3 you have to have a certain mentality: Either you love what Stallone managed to accomplish in these movies or you don’t, it’s as simple as that. At first, I was hesitant to see The Expendables 3 because of the rating, but I’m glad I did see it. It’s a lot of fun. I know that people don’t like these movies because they feel that the old-timers have had their time. My opinion? They can stop when they’re damn good and ready to stop. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a new Terminator movie coming out, Stallone’s got Rambo V in the works as well as another Expendables film, and Harrison Ford has Star Wars. If these guys look like they’re having fun, that means that WE’RE going to have fun. Like I said above, the old crew doesn’t get as much screen time, and some of the CG is very obvious. I’m nitpicking, the film is a really solid entry, and I don’t think it deserves the hate that it gets. This one gets an 8.5/10.