After “The Expendables 2” was released in 2012 surpassing the first movie as the best entry in “The Expendables” series, a third installment was green-lit. Released in 2014, (same year John Wick came out) “The Expendables 3” earned negative reviews from critics and movie goers alike. Prior to the threequel’s release, it was leaked three weeks before distributing worldwide. As a result of online piracy, the third movie failed to recoup its expenses. Luckily, I didn’t look up the entire thing online.
A fourth movie “Expend4bles” will be released on September 22, 2023. As a fan of The Expendables and my favorite action hero Jason Statham, I wanna share my thoughts on the third movie before the new one comes out.
This review contains no SPOILERS. I’m giving some of you a chance to see it. Don’t forget to check out my previous non-spoiler articles on The Expendables 1-2.
Strong & Weak Qualities
Strong: Slyvester “Sly” Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Jet Li, Terry Crews & Arnold Schwarzenegger reprise their roles from the first two movies and they all did an excellent job for their respective performances.
In addition to playing Barney Ross, Sly wrote the story.
Newcomers to the series such as Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Kellan Lutz, Victor Ortiz, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer & Mel Gibson all did a great job for their respective performances.
Fun Fact #1: Bruce Willis was gonna reprise his role as Church. He demanded a bigger salary shooting his scenes for approximately $4 million. Due to a salary dispute, Bruce dropped out and he was replaced by Harrison Ford playing an original character named, Drummer. He takes over Church’s role as Barney’s mission giver.
Fun Fact #2: This isn’t the first time Mel Gibson fought an Expendable. Remember Jet Li as the villain in “Lethal Weapon 4?”
Fun Fact #3: Harrison’s also a skilled pilot in real-life.
Fun Fact #4: Before Antonio Banderas signed up as Galgo, Danny Trejo was considered for the role. He dropped out due to a busy schedule.
Fun Fact #5: Sly & Antonio also appeared in “Assassins” and the critically panned “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.”
Fun Fact #6: Wesley Snipes’ character, Doc mentioned he was sentenced for tax evasion. Originally, Sly wanted Wesley as Caeser. Because of Wesley not paying his taxes, he was sentenced for five years in jail. So, Terry Crews portrayed Caeser.
Fun Fact #7: Trench yells, “GET TO THE CHOPPA!” One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous lines from “Predator.”
Fun Fact #8: Sly also worked with Wesley in “Demolition Man.”
Action Sequences are filled with high octane battles. A higher body count.
Brian Tyler (The Fast and the Furious sequels, Iron Man 3. Crazy Rich Asians) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Humor retains the first two movies’ in-jokes regarding an actor’s career. Galgo provides comic relief. He’s much funnier than those unfunny comical characters from 2014.
- Tammy Banks (Tammy)
- The Baker (Into the Woods)
- The Friedmans & The Reynolds (Blended)
- Joshua Joyce (Transformers: Age of Extinction)
- Kirk Cameron (Saving Christmas)
- Miss Hannigan (Annie)
- The Cast of “A Fairly Odd Summer”
A fight scene becomes reality. Rambo vs. Mad Max.
Weak: Barney’s chemistry with the new recruits (except Luna) didn’t feel organic like his old teammates. They’re completely forgettable.
Barney’s old crew have less screen time than the newcomers. I prefer those guys than the rookies.
Cinematography can be a bit shaky.
The threequel’s violence was toned down for a PG-13 rating. Sly thought a younger audience would make more money than the last two movies which were R-rated with lots of blood. Sly admits he made a miscalculation. Thankfully, the Extended Edition fixes the problem. So, I’ll let this con slide.
The Final Verdict: B- (Extended Editon Only)
The Expendables 3 isn’t horrendously bad. I thought it was average. The Theatrical Cut’s a disappointment. I’m glad an Extended Edition fixed a few tiny things. If you’re prepping up for Expend4bles, watch all three movies. I’d rather watch The Expendables than Michael Bay’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 