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Cinema’s greatest 1980s action flick throwback ensemble are back for another testosterone-fuelled rampage. Yep, The Expendables return for their third instalment to blast and break another army of bad guys.
If you are unfamiliar with the series, Barney Ross (Stallone) leads a team of grizzled mercenaries who are hired by a secret branch of the American government (led by a grouchy Harrison Ford) to carry out off-the-books missions.
This time around, things are personal. After a spectacular opening sequence which sees the group break out a former Expendable, Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes) from an armoured train in a breathless pre-credits scene reminiscent of a James Bond movie, the team head to Somalia to intercept a shipment of bombs being delivered to a local warlord.
However, it turns out that the arms dealer is, in fact, the co-founder of the Expendables, Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who went rogue years ago and ditched Barney ‘as it’s much easier to make money when you’re the bad guy and not bound by morality’.
The mission is an abject failure, with Barney taking responsibility and walking away from the team, believing them too old to be taking such risks. He sets off to find a new, fresh-faced group to help him hunt down Stonebanks and gain personal vengeance.
Ultimately, a film like this either stands or falls based on the quality of its action, and here we have a pretty mixed bag. As mentioned earlier, the opening sequence is thrilling and some fight sequences have some unique choreography, but there is far too much computer-generated imagery employed where practical effects would have been much more desirable.
Explosions look unrealistic and almost all scenes involving driving or flying helicopters are clearly in front of a green screen. It’s quite distracting and rips your focus away from the action.
The fight scenes are notably tamer this time around too. Stallone admitted himself that he was aiming for a lower age rating to attract viewers who were born long after the film’s stars were flexing their muscles in their heyday, and unfortunately it shows.
In an era when films such as The Raid have raised the bar significantly in the genre, the action is notably pedestrian. Having grown up watching films like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and Rambo, it’s disappointing to watch what is essentially a nostalgic throwback, but significantly less brutal compared to recent boundary-pushing efforts.
The formula is also starting to feel a little tired after the first two films. The stories are almost identical, as are the dialogue, stunts and locations. If the series is to continue (which is highly likely), something new needs to be brought to the table.
None of the individual Expendables instalments have managed to form their own identity; the trilogy is at that unwanted stage where if you randomly walked into the room and saw one of the films on the television, you wouldn’t have a clue which one it was as there is no clear way to discern them.
Still, there is enjoyment to be found here. The chemistry between the Expendables is believable and fluid. There are some terrific self-referential jokes too, including one corker from Snipes and Arnie repeating one of his most famous movie lines when he swoops in to rescue the team aboard a helicopter. Entirely predictable, but still an awesome moment if not purely for the finger-clicking nostalgia.
Indeed, it is the old guard who steal the limelight here. The ‘junior’ Expendables have all the latest gadgets and technology, but that is no match for experience and a plain old assault rifle as shown by their comparative incompetence to the grizzled veterans. As is the whole point of the movie, ‘the old ways are the best’.
Gibson provides a decent enough villain and easily displays the strongest acting credentials among the cast as a man gone crazy for power and cash. However, despite seemingly taking forever to build up to it (the film runs long at over two hours), the final showdown between Stallone and Gibson is remarkably brief and disappointing.
This movie is best enjoyed if you come in with the expectation that it is exactly what it is: a loud, dumb throwback to 80s action movies with cheesy dialogue and over-the-top action sequences.
Having arguably the best cast in action movie history and some cracking one-liners almost makes up for the overuse of computer-generated effects and sagging formula. While there are definitely more accomplished action movies available in this generation, if it’s pure popcorn entertainment and a nostalgia trip you are after, I’d say the ticket price was worth it.
* Showing in Cineco, Seef I, Seef II
