When a team of mercenaries run into a ghost from the past – one of their own – someone who turned rogue and now has an empire of his own – sparks erupt, words mangle, knives flash, guns fire, tanks explode and even motorcycles fly – and you discern you are in for a real delight of an action packed thrill ride.
Language:
English
Running Time:
126 min
Rating:
PG-13
Release date:
22 August 2014
Directed by:
Patrick Hughes
Produced by:
Avi Lerner
Kevin King-Templeton
Danny Lerner
Les Weldon
John Thompson
Written by:
Creighton Rothenberger
Katrin Benedikt
Sylvester Stallone
Starring:
Sylvester Stallone
Jason Statham
Antonio Banderas
Jet Li
Wesley Snipes
Dolph Lundgren
Music by:
Brian Tyler
Shot by:
Peter Menzies, Jr.
Editing by:
Sean Albertson
Paul Harb
Distributed by:
Lionsgate

What’s Hot

  • Stallone, Statham, Schwarzenegger, Ford, Snipes, Gibson, Banderas, Lundgren, Couture, Crews, Li – This isn’t a list of yesteryear’s ‘aging’ action stars in Hollywood – but this is the line-up that makes up the cast of the third installment of ‘The Expendables’. If you have been a follower of Hollywood movies, there isn’t a chance that these guys never made you go ‘Whoaaaaaaa…’ with their action sequences. What happens when all these daredevils are forged into a single flick is nothing short of mayhem and pandemonium!
  • The script by Stallone, Creighton Rothenberg and Katrin Benedikt gives every star more than one chance to shine and one doesn’t feel even for a moment that any these stars ever occupied lesser screen space than the others.
  • With the star lineup mouthwatering enough, the new entrants – Powell, Ortiz, Rousey & Lutz do pack a punch with their antics and leave a considerable impression in the face of some memorable performance from their more seasoned counterparts.
  • The new additions to this sequel– the ever-dependable Ford having a crack at Statham’s accent & Li’s height, Banderas as the ever-talkative desperado and the cheesy-worded Snipes make their screen presence felt.

What’s Not

  • The story which starts in such a spectacular fashion with the Expendables rescuing one of their own out of an armored prison, meanders into familiar territory and retreads on what the Expendables have done in the previous two installments.
  • Mel Gibson as always provides a crazy upright performance with the final fistfight virtually venerated as a match-up between Madmax & Rambo, ends up as a damp squib which we find far less entertaining compared to the one between Van Damme & Stallone in the previous movie.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

This definitely is not a movie made for making it to the Academy Awards. If you know what the franchise is all about, you aren’t in for a rude shock with this perfectly predictable sequel. It is one of those solid-fun-action movies with a lot of dissolute fragments but the worthy ones provide a sense of equilibrium and hold the plot together.