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REVIEWS FROM THE FANS
SUBMIT YOUR REVIEW TO EXPENDABLESPREMIERE@HOTMAIL.COM
SUBMIT YOUR REVIEW TO EXPENDABLESPREMIERE@HOTMAIL.COM
Review by Jason Johnson
http://take148.com/2010/08/14/review-the-expendables/
Certainly, the back half of summer 2010 has exceeded the first by leaps and bounds. Even if we just focus on movies strictly as entertainment and throw “film as an art form” away entirely, movies like Salt, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and now The Expendables have exceeded my expectations and left me surprised.
The Expendables tells the story of a mercenary group by the same name. We know very little about how they got together, or how long they’ve been kicking ass, all we know is that this movie is just another adventure for them. The team is lead by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and is filled with the best of the best of their respective skill sets. We have knife fetishist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), junky sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), and kung fu master Yin Yang (Jet Li) to name a few. The expendables are commissioned by the shadowy Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to kill the run-of-the-mill dictator of the South American island of Vilena. Turns out, things aren’t that simple, and the group is forced to take action against former CIA-agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts) who has been using Vilena’s dictator for his own maniacal purposes. At its heart, The Expendables is a story about Ross seeking redemption. He’s at an impasse, and if he continues to walk down the same path he’s been on for years, he risks losing his soul, but if he takes the road less traveled, then he’ll not only save the lives of countless innocents (though, only one is important to the story), but he may even redeem himself and his past actions in the process.
Obviously, it’s the cast and not the story that is the draw here. The casting is simply stellar, which goes without saying, but what I found interesting was that the cast of superstars and leading men aren’t competing for screen time. Unlike Grown Ups, where every scene features each actor’s respective “moment” front and center, The Expendables works organically just like a movie without a big, ensemble cast. Where else but in your dreams can you see Stallone, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Roberts, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Charisma Carpenter together on screen (confession: I watched Buffy: The Vampire Slayer for Carpenter’s Cordelia not Sarah Michelle Gellar). The cameos by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mickey Rourke (in a surprisingly great performance as the would-be future of Stallone’s character) makes me hope that Expendables becomes a franchise, because these men still have a phenomenal, unmatched presence on screen, and I want to see them in movies for as long as I can.
Arguably, Sylvester Stallone is the only other actor in the movie with a significant, noticeable presence on film. Stallone has entertained international audiences since Rocky and First Blood roared on screen. In Rocky, his Everyman boxer triumphs over a seemingly unbeatable foe. Rocky goes the distance and he inspires us to do the same. With First Blood, it’s almost the opposite, because we are cheering for John Rambo, a misunderstood Vietnam vet, to just simply kill everyone for the pure entertainment value of it, which isn’t a knock against the movie as much as it is a testament to Stallone’s entertainment value. Now, I’m not suggesting that The Expendables is going to revolutionize anything, but the point is that no one does it like Sly. Only a handful of actors are able to entertain and inspire audiences, and Stallone is one few. Whether he is acting, directing, or writer, Stallone knows how to connect to an audience, to engage them in a ride whether emotional or action-packed.
I was walking out of a screening of Get Low on Thursday, when two guys in front of me (writers for some random publication in Las Vegas) were chatting about how horrible The Expendables was. Their comments ranged from “The story was terrible!”, “It was ridiculous and nonsensical!”, and “It just panders to a niche of the action fanbase. There’s no point to it.” It dawned on me that they didn’t get it. The Expendables is a complete throwback to the macho, badass, action flicks of the ‘80s and ‘90s where superstars, like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, destroyed everything that twitched on screen and they became cinematic gods because of it. If you’re not a fan of mercenaries that are injected to the brim with testosterone as your main characters (and awesomely corny one-liners, too) then The Expendables is not a movie for you. But if you love movies like Commando & Rambo then you owe it to yourself to see Expendables. Simply, it’s fun, entertaining, with over-the-top violence and a killer cast.
Overall 7/10 (plus a hundred bonus point for being awesome!).
http://take148.com/2010/08/14/review-the-expendables/
Certainly, the back half of summer 2010 has exceeded the first by leaps and bounds. Even if we just focus on movies strictly as entertainment and throw “film as an art form” away entirely, movies like Salt, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and now The Expendables have exceeded my expectations and left me surprised.
The Expendables tells the story of a mercenary group by the same name. We know very little about how they got together, or how long they’ve been kicking ass, all we know is that this movie is just another adventure for them. The team is lead by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and is filled with the best of the best of their respective skill sets. We have knife fetishist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), junky sniper Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), and kung fu master Yin Yang (Jet Li) to name a few. The expendables are commissioned by the shadowy Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) to kill the run-of-the-mill dictator of the South American island of Vilena. Turns out, things aren’t that simple, and the group is forced to take action against former CIA-agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts) who has been using Vilena’s dictator for his own maniacal purposes. At its heart, The Expendables is a story about Ross seeking redemption. He’s at an impasse, and if he continues to walk down the same path he’s been on for years, he risks losing his soul, but if he takes the road less traveled, then he’ll not only save the lives of countless innocents (though, only one is important to the story), but he may even redeem himself and his past actions in the process.
Obviously, it’s the cast and not the story that is the draw here. The casting is simply stellar, which goes without saying, but what I found interesting was that the cast of superstars and leading men aren’t competing for screen time. Unlike Grown Ups, where every scene features each actor’s respective “moment” front and center, The Expendables works organically just like a movie without a big, ensemble cast. Where else but in your dreams can you see Stallone, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Roberts, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Charisma Carpenter together on screen (confession: I watched Buffy: The Vampire Slayer for Carpenter’s Cordelia not Sarah Michelle Gellar). The cameos by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mickey Rourke (in a surprisingly great performance as the would-be future of Stallone’s character) makes me hope that Expendables becomes a franchise, because these men still have a phenomenal, unmatched presence on screen, and I want to see them in movies for as long as I can.
Arguably, Sylvester Stallone is the only other actor in the movie with a significant, noticeable presence on film. Stallone has entertained international audiences since Rocky and First Blood roared on screen. In Rocky, his Everyman boxer triumphs over a seemingly unbeatable foe. Rocky goes the distance and he inspires us to do the same. With First Blood, it’s almost the opposite, because we are cheering for John Rambo, a misunderstood Vietnam vet, to just simply kill everyone for the pure entertainment value of it, which isn’t a knock against the movie as much as it is a testament to Stallone’s entertainment value. Now, I’m not suggesting that The Expendables is going to revolutionize anything, but the point is that no one does it like Sly. Only a handful of actors are able to entertain and inspire audiences, and Stallone is one few. Whether he is acting, directing, or writer, Stallone knows how to connect to an audience, to engage them in a ride whether emotional or action-packed.
I was walking out of a screening of Get Low on Thursday, when two guys in front of me (writers for some random publication in Las Vegas) were chatting about how horrible The Expendables was. Their comments ranged from “The story was terrible!”, “It was ridiculous and nonsensical!”, and “It just panders to a niche of the action fanbase. There’s no point to it.” It dawned on me that they didn’t get it. The Expendables is a complete throwback to the macho, badass, action flicks of the ‘80s and ‘90s where superstars, like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, destroyed everything that twitched on screen and they became cinematic gods because of it. If you’re not a fan of mercenaries that are injected to the brim with testosterone as your main characters (and awesomely corny one-liners, too) then The Expendables is not a movie for you. But if you love movies like Commando & Rambo then you owe it to yourself to see Expendables. Simply, it’s fun, entertaining, with over-the-top violence and a killer cast.
Overall 7/10 (plus a hundred bonus point for being awesome!).
Review by Debbie Lynn Elias
http://moviesharkdeblore.com/site/movies/movies_view.php?editid1=106
Anyone who has ever questioned my admiration for and loyalty to Sylvester Stallone need only watch the first 10 minutes of THE EXPENDABLES to understand how and why I respect him and his work and have for over 30 years - and it’s beyond the fact that I’ve worked as crew on several of his films. His impassioned guerrilla style of filmmaking and his 360 degree intellect, keen sense of awareness and instinct, demand for perfection and an innate ability to turn on a dime in order to meet his own demands, those of the film and anticipate those of the audience, all aligning within one man, is a rarity and something for which our movie-going experiences are all the better. As a director, storyteller and screenwriter, like a fine wine, Stallone just keeps getting better with age and with the testosterone filled EXPENDABLES, he is just about as close to perfection as one can get. THE EXPENDABLES is nothing short of heart-stopping explosive exhilaration that takes your breath away. And it’s funny to boot. Somali pirates have taken over the seas of late, making them unsafe for not only cargo shippers, but passenger ships as well. One such ship has been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden with hostages being held in exchange for ransom. Frustrated that no one is offering up the requested ransom for their hostages, out of frustration, the pirates appear to be making their own YouTube video of a decapitation or execution, obviously hoping the general masses will "take them seriously." But wait a minute? Someone has taken them seriously. Red laser beams suddenly appear targeting each of the pirates and a booming voice echoes across the ship demanding release of the hostages. We quickly see a number of men dressed in black, armed to the gills and looking none too pleased with the situation at hand - or being ignored. Before you can bat an eye, gunfire erupts, knives are thrown, body parts are dismembered, blood is gushing, spurting and flowing, and our men in black are the ones still standing without even having broken a sweat. Meet THE EXPENDABLES. Headed by Barney Ross, the EXPENDABLES are a group of combat specialists turned mercenaries who live on the fringe of law, fighting evil and corruption around the world - for the right price, of course. Joining Ross in this brotherhood are Lee Christmas, former SAS blade specialist; Hale Cesar, long barrel weapons specialist; Yin Yang, hand-to-hand combat specialist specializing in martial arts; Toll Road, demolitions expert; Gunner Jensen, precision sniper; and Tool, former field guy now hidden behind his guise as a tattoo artist serving as a hiring contact for the boys.
Back from the Seven Seas and anxious for a new gig, Tool gets a call from an ominous source. Seems there’s an over-zealous and ruthless dictator, General Garza, in the South American country of Vilena who needs to be put in his place. And for some additional interest, it looks like he’s the puppet for a former CIA agent gone rogue, James Munroe.
Living by his motto, "If the money’s right, we don’t care where the job is", Ross meets up with a guy named Church to get the skinny. What he doesn’t expect his old nemesis to also be in the bidding for the job. But as luck (and filmmaking) would have it, the job goes to the EXPENDABLES.
Doing advance recon, Ross and Christmas head off to Vilena, only to find more than they bargained for with a situation guaranteed to be the most explosive ever encountered. With Garza at his own impasse, questioning right and wrong and puppet master Munroe, and a rebellious daughter who wants to take down her own father and restore Vilena to the people, do the boys walk away from the emotional quagmire of Family Feud or search their consciences to do what is right. Thanks to Tool, Ross knows what he must do but what will the brotherhood do? Needless to say, there’s a whole lot of shakin’ - napalm, explosions, ammo, grenades, guns, C4, merc switches, knife throwing, blood letting and flying body parts - goin’ on. Let’s just say it now - the casting is dream come true and total perfection. Every guy is just perfect in his performance and perfectly suited to their assigned role.
Who else but Sylvester Stallone could play Barney Ross, leader and mastermind of this seemingly rag-tag group of "has been" warriors now servicing the world as hardened mercenaries - for a price, of course. In Ross, Stallone incorporates the traits of John Rambo and the heart and innocence of Rocky Balboa, the latter of which then dovetails into sweet comedic moments that often resonate with nostalgia. Stallone knows his strengths and his weaknesses and here as Ross, he plays to both. As usual, he crafted a wonderful character for himself.
Jason Statham is an early "Christmas" gift for us all. He has never been hotter. And we have never seen him with anything comedic. On top of his superior dramatic and action-adventure skills, as Christmas he proves to be quite funny with impeccable comedic timing.
Mickey Rourke just blew me out of the water. The emotion that he elicits as Tool when giving the "conscience" speech to Barney - that came straight from the heart - salvation, redemption. Very touching and clearing, something personally tailored by Stallone to Rourke’s own career and life. Eric Roberts is slick evil. As Munroe, he is delicious to watch. With every word, every movement, you see how much he relishes the part, the character. He IS the character. And who better than a bodyguard for Munroe than Stone Cold Steve Austin as , who else, Paine.
Jet Li never ceases to amaze me. In addition to his exceptional physical skills, he too exhibits great deadpan comedic timing with perfectly poised dialogue. Likewise for Randy Couture and the always incredible Terry Crewes, who will leave you agog. One not to be overlooked by any stretch of the imagination is Stallone’s old Rocky nemesis, Dolph Lundgren who turns in a diverse winning performance as Gunner Jensen.
But what’s this?? A little 5 minute scene with none other than Sly, Bruce Willis and Arnold "The Governator" Schwarzenegger? This one scene is reason enough to see this film. It just doesn’t get any better than this. The six months it took to find time for Schwarzenegger and Willis to come on board was well worth it. The on screen energy with these three is electrifying. Written and directed by Stallone, the action and humor is non-stop on both counts and only intensifies as the film goes on. In what has become one of his trademarks, his storylines either imitate life with commentary on socio-political and human situations or they have the infallible accuracy of a prescient soothsayer. THE EXPENDABLES is no different. Key to the fun of the film is the way that Sly crafts dialogue into self-deprecating humor as to each particular character and actor, demonstrating his great attention to detail. On Willis' character of Church asking "What's his problem?" when referring to Schwarzenegger, Ross’ response of "Oh him? He wants to be president" is just to die for. Simply hysterical. And beyond the dialogue itself is the delivery. Likewise, there are similar classic comments for each character that makes reference to prior roles or their own personas. Some perfect examples involve Ross’ comment to Christmas reading poetry. In perfect Rocky Balboa matter of fact innocence, we hear this mild mannered echo from the past of "I like poetry" - even delivered identically by Stallone to that as Rocky. Lundgren has more than his fair share of reference back to his character as Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV." Same for Li and some of his patented performances while Couture’s wrestling background and cauliflower ear injuries are fodder for a character revealing monologue. But where Stallone never falters is giving substance and emotion to each of his characters and the story itself. There are no "empty" talking heads on screen just for show. Turning to directing, talk about camera shots and angles. Having worked with Sly on 3 films and to see what he has done over the years to reach this pinnacle is mind blowing. He is a true talent. He has a great eye for framing and emotion but also for technical specificity. Using at minimum 5 cameras plus some hand helds, hand Just check out the camera work when he and Li are watching video monitors. Using an off- angle camera, he captures the video monitors perfectly in their eyes, doubling the effect and intensity of the moment and situation. Likewise, when a river of fire is set in the General’s presidential compound, he zooms in with a close up of the flames reflected in his eyes. Stunning, stunning work. THAT is the work of a true director. A true visionary.
Need I even say anything about the action? It’s non-stop to the point that, as a viewer, I didn't even want to breath. A real rock ‘em, sock ‘em throwback to the 80's action heroes we all know and love (and who are all here on screen but for maybe one), with an untold body and ammo count, and thanks to the rapid fire clipped editing of Stallone veteran, Paul Harb, and Ken Blackwell, I was so caught up in the action, I literally couldn’t breath this was so exhilarating. Credit for the action and stunts goes not only to Stallone and the cast who did the bulk of their own stunts, but also to stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski and his team of specialists. In true Stallone fashion, Stallone passed on CGI and pushed the envelope on many occasions. Look for Statham to be hanging out in the nose of a plane soaring 100 feet above the ocean surrounded by smoke and flames. Stallone himself dove from a dock to the door of an ascending aircraft and hung on with water and gale force winds throwing him horizontally in the air and against the plane. And yes, as we all know now, Stallone himself broke his neck in a climactic fight scene with Steve Austin - and then continued to shoot the scene, risking paralysis. You will know the scene the minute it hits the screen. Amazing. There is no one who does what Stallone does for s film, his craft and authenticity. The man has guts and integrity - and okay, maybe he’s also a bit "mental irregular."
There is nothing expendable about THE EXPENDABLES. The boys are back in town! THE EXPENDABLES is EXPLOSIVE and let’s face it, ****ing awesome!
http://moviesharkdeblore.com/site/movies/movies_view.php?editid1=106
Anyone who has ever questioned my admiration for and loyalty to Sylvester Stallone need only watch the first 10 minutes of THE EXPENDABLES to understand how and why I respect him and his work and have for over 30 years - and it’s beyond the fact that I’ve worked as crew on several of his films. His impassioned guerrilla style of filmmaking and his 360 degree intellect, keen sense of awareness and instinct, demand for perfection and an innate ability to turn on a dime in order to meet his own demands, those of the film and anticipate those of the audience, all aligning within one man, is a rarity and something for which our movie-going experiences are all the better. As a director, storyteller and screenwriter, like a fine wine, Stallone just keeps getting better with age and with the testosterone filled EXPENDABLES, he is just about as close to perfection as one can get. THE EXPENDABLES is nothing short of heart-stopping explosive exhilaration that takes your breath away. And it’s funny to boot. Somali pirates have taken over the seas of late, making them unsafe for not only cargo shippers, but passenger ships as well. One such ship has been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden with hostages being held in exchange for ransom. Frustrated that no one is offering up the requested ransom for their hostages, out of frustration, the pirates appear to be making their own YouTube video of a decapitation or execution, obviously hoping the general masses will "take them seriously." But wait a minute? Someone has taken them seriously. Red laser beams suddenly appear targeting each of the pirates and a booming voice echoes across the ship demanding release of the hostages. We quickly see a number of men dressed in black, armed to the gills and looking none too pleased with the situation at hand - or being ignored. Before you can bat an eye, gunfire erupts, knives are thrown, body parts are dismembered, blood is gushing, spurting and flowing, and our men in black are the ones still standing without even having broken a sweat. Meet THE EXPENDABLES. Headed by Barney Ross, the EXPENDABLES are a group of combat specialists turned mercenaries who live on the fringe of law, fighting evil and corruption around the world - for the right price, of course. Joining Ross in this brotherhood are Lee Christmas, former SAS blade specialist; Hale Cesar, long barrel weapons specialist; Yin Yang, hand-to-hand combat specialist specializing in martial arts; Toll Road, demolitions expert; Gunner Jensen, precision sniper; and Tool, former field guy now hidden behind his guise as a tattoo artist serving as a hiring contact for the boys.
Back from the Seven Seas and anxious for a new gig, Tool gets a call from an ominous source. Seems there’s an over-zealous and ruthless dictator, General Garza, in the South American country of Vilena who needs to be put in his place. And for some additional interest, it looks like he’s the puppet for a former CIA agent gone rogue, James Munroe.
Living by his motto, "If the money’s right, we don’t care where the job is", Ross meets up with a guy named Church to get the skinny. What he doesn’t expect his old nemesis to also be in the bidding for the job. But as luck (and filmmaking) would have it, the job goes to the EXPENDABLES.
Doing advance recon, Ross and Christmas head off to Vilena, only to find more than they bargained for with a situation guaranteed to be the most explosive ever encountered. With Garza at his own impasse, questioning right and wrong and puppet master Munroe, and a rebellious daughter who wants to take down her own father and restore Vilena to the people, do the boys walk away from the emotional quagmire of Family Feud or search their consciences to do what is right. Thanks to Tool, Ross knows what he must do but what will the brotherhood do? Needless to say, there’s a whole lot of shakin’ - napalm, explosions, ammo, grenades, guns, C4, merc switches, knife throwing, blood letting and flying body parts - goin’ on. Let’s just say it now - the casting is dream come true and total perfection. Every guy is just perfect in his performance and perfectly suited to their assigned role.
Who else but Sylvester Stallone could play Barney Ross, leader and mastermind of this seemingly rag-tag group of "has been" warriors now servicing the world as hardened mercenaries - for a price, of course. In Ross, Stallone incorporates the traits of John Rambo and the heart and innocence of Rocky Balboa, the latter of which then dovetails into sweet comedic moments that often resonate with nostalgia. Stallone knows his strengths and his weaknesses and here as Ross, he plays to both. As usual, he crafted a wonderful character for himself.
Jason Statham is an early "Christmas" gift for us all. He has never been hotter. And we have never seen him with anything comedic. On top of his superior dramatic and action-adventure skills, as Christmas he proves to be quite funny with impeccable comedic timing.
Mickey Rourke just blew me out of the water. The emotion that he elicits as Tool when giving the "conscience" speech to Barney - that came straight from the heart - salvation, redemption. Very touching and clearing, something personally tailored by Stallone to Rourke’s own career and life. Eric Roberts is slick evil. As Munroe, he is delicious to watch. With every word, every movement, you see how much he relishes the part, the character. He IS the character. And who better than a bodyguard for Munroe than Stone Cold Steve Austin as , who else, Paine.
Jet Li never ceases to amaze me. In addition to his exceptional physical skills, he too exhibits great deadpan comedic timing with perfectly poised dialogue. Likewise for Randy Couture and the always incredible Terry Crewes, who will leave you agog. One not to be overlooked by any stretch of the imagination is Stallone’s old Rocky nemesis, Dolph Lundgren who turns in a diverse winning performance as Gunner Jensen.
But what’s this?? A little 5 minute scene with none other than Sly, Bruce Willis and Arnold "The Governator" Schwarzenegger? This one scene is reason enough to see this film. It just doesn’t get any better than this. The six months it took to find time for Schwarzenegger and Willis to come on board was well worth it. The on screen energy with these three is electrifying. Written and directed by Stallone, the action and humor is non-stop on both counts and only intensifies as the film goes on. In what has become one of his trademarks, his storylines either imitate life with commentary on socio-political and human situations or they have the infallible accuracy of a prescient soothsayer. THE EXPENDABLES is no different. Key to the fun of the film is the way that Sly crafts dialogue into self-deprecating humor as to each particular character and actor, demonstrating his great attention to detail. On Willis' character of Church asking "What's his problem?" when referring to Schwarzenegger, Ross’ response of "Oh him? He wants to be president" is just to die for. Simply hysterical. And beyond the dialogue itself is the delivery. Likewise, there are similar classic comments for each character that makes reference to prior roles or their own personas. Some perfect examples involve Ross’ comment to Christmas reading poetry. In perfect Rocky Balboa matter of fact innocence, we hear this mild mannered echo from the past of "I like poetry" - even delivered identically by Stallone to that as Rocky. Lundgren has more than his fair share of reference back to his character as Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV." Same for Li and some of his patented performances while Couture’s wrestling background and cauliflower ear injuries are fodder for a character revealing monologue. But where Stallone never falters is giving substance and emotion to each of his characters and the story itself. There are no "empty" talking heads on screen just for show. Turning to directing, talk about camera shots and angles. Having worked with Sly on 3 films and to see what he has done over the years to reach this pinnacle is mind blowing. He is a true talent. He has a great eye for framing and emotion but also for technical specificity. Using at minimum 5 cameras plus some hand helds, hand Just check out the camera work when he and Li are watching video monitors. Using an off- angle camera, he captures the video monitors perfectly in their eyes, doubling the effect and intensity of the moment and situation. Likewise, when a river of fire is set in the General’s presidential compound, he zooms in with a close up of the flames reflected in his eyes. Stunning, stunning work. THAT is the work of a true director. A true visionary.
Need I even say anything about the action? It’s non-stop to the point that, as a viewer, I didn't even want to breath. A real rock ‘em, sock ‘em throwback to the 80's action heroes we all know and love (and who are all here on screen but for maybe one), with an untold body and ammo count, and thanks to the rapid fire clipped editing of Stallone veteran, Paul Harb, and Ken Blackwell, I was so caught up in the action, I literally couldn’t breath this was so exhilarating. Credit for the action and stunts goes not only to Stallone and the cast who did the bulk of their own stunts, but also to stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski and his team of specialists. In true Stallone fashion, Stallone passed on CGI and pushed the envelope on many occasions. Look for Statham to be hanging out in the nose of a plane soaring 100 feet above the ocean surrounded by smoke and flames. Stallone himself dove from a dock to the door of an ascending aircraft and hung on with water and gale force winds throwing him horizontally in the air and against the plane. And yes, as we all know now, Stallone himself broke his neck in a climactic fight scene with Steve Austin - and then continued to shoot the scene, risking paralysis. You will know the scene the minute it hits the screen. Amazing. There is no one who does what Stallone does for s film, his craft and authenticity. The man has guts and integrity - and okay, maybe he’s also a bit "mental irregular."
There is nothing expendable about THE EXPENDABLES. The boys are back in town! THE EXPENDABLES is EXPLOSIVE and let’s face it, ****ing awesome!
Review by Mike Gencarelli
http://moviemikes.com/2010/08/film-review-the-expendables/
Our Score: 2 out 5 stars
Seems like a no brainer, take every kick-ass action hero and put them into one movie and it should be amazing right? Nope. Doesn’t work like that for this movie. It sounded like a great idea on paper but has problem on the big screen. If you are making an action movie with such a great cast, make it an action movie purely. This movie tries too hard to have a story. I stand by the fact that if you do action, screw the plot and let the make sure the action kicks ass. There is one short scene in the beginning that is a gun fight not really action and then we have to wait about 30 minutes for the next action scene.
The film is about a group of mercenaries for hire lead by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone). Like I mentioned about the first scene you see the crew on a mission but it is really brief. The next and only other mission they get is from Mr. Church (Bruce Willis, in his one scene) and they are sent to Vilena, South America to to kill their leader Garza. That sounds easier enough. But unfortunately then they have to put in a girl who is a love interest for Barney, who just messes up the action flow. One thing that I had a problem with was that besides Stallone there is so much great talent in the film Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke and they all get the back seat. My main problem is Stallone. Hhe tries to be the head action guy but it is almost hard even to look at him throughout the movie. Don’t get me wrong he IS bad-ass but it is probably past his time.
So far everything has been leaning to the negative side but here is some good points. The last 25 minutes are killer and that is when the action finally sets in and rocks. Besides good action, the film action has some good gore as well. It does not cheap The one liners in the film are classic and almost embarrassingly bad but its somehow works. I might even go as far as saying that the film is actually worth seeing just for the closing action sequence. I am sure we will be seeing the return of “The Expendables” in a sequel after this weekends #1 box office performance with $35 million. If anyone is listening, just make round two focus on the action!
http://moviemikes.com/2010/08/film-review-the-expendables/
Our Score: 2 out 5 stars
Seems like a no brainer, take every kick-ass action hero and put them into one movie and it should be amazing right? Nope. Doesn’t work like that for this movie. It sounded like a great idea on paper but has problem on the big screen. If you are making an action movie with such a great cast, make it an action movie purely. This movie tries too hard to have a story. I stand by the fact that if you do action, screw the plot and let the make sure the action kicks ass. There is one short scene in the beginning that is a gun fight not really action and then we have to wait about 30 minutes for the next action scene.
The film is about a group of mercenaries for hire lead by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone). Like I mentioned about the first scene you see the crew on a mission but it is really brief. The next and only other mission they get is from Mr. Church (Bruce Willis, in his one scene) and they are sent to Vilena, South America to to kill their leader Garza. That sounds easier enough. But unfortunately then they have to put in a girl who is a love interest for Barney, who just messes up the action flow. One thing that I had a problem with was that besides Stallone there is so much great talent in the film Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke and they all get the back seat. My main problem is Stallone. Hhe tries to be the head action guy but it is almost hard even to look at him throughout the movie. Don’t get me wrong he IS bad-ass but it is probably past his time.
So far everything has been leaning to the negative side but here is some good points. The last 25 minutes are killer and that is when the action finally sets in and rocks. Besides good action, the film action has some good gore as well. It does not cheap The one liners in the film are classic and almost embarrassingly bad but its somehow works. I might even go as far as saying that the film is actually worth seeing just for the closing action sequence. I am sure we will be seeing the return of “The Expendables” in a sequel after this weekends #1 box office performance with $35 million. If anyone is listening, just make round two focus on the action!
Review by Jamie Ker
http://www.orble.com/the-expendables/
Let me start off by getting one thing clear - I love action films. I love action films so much that I have seen 90% of the Action section in my local video store and more straight-to-dvd films than I care to admit. Let me get another thing clear. I love Stallone, Statham and Li. In fact, I’ve seen most of their films, and loved every second of ass-kicking action that they’ve served up to me. So I’m finally sitting through the previews, and the thought suddenly occurs to me, “How in the hell is this film going to live up to the ridiculous hype that’s been building in my head for the last few years?” The panic quickly subsided, as I knew I was being ridiculous. I knew exactly how it would live up to it… by putting the great man himself, Sly Stallone at the helm.
THE EXPENDABLES were never going to win Oscars, but why does that define what is good and what is bad? I’m so sick of pretentious twats turning their noses up at me, the film student who includes DIE HARD as one of her top 5 favourite films, because the films I like aren’t full of long glorious scenery shots or moving screaming matches during a dramatic climax. I like it when shit blows up. I like people being blown up, I like buildings blowing up, boats, cars, you name it, if it blows up, I get a kick out of it. But so often a film can fall in to the tired trap of been there, done that, different actor. THE EXPENDABLES wasn’t made to rake in the dollars mid-year box office boom (well, mostly), and it wasn’t made to win Oscars. It was made for the fans, lovers of action films. And the beauty of it, and the reason it is so good, is because it’s made BY lovers of action films.
Perhaps the mercenary angle is not particularly inventive and there are a lot of characters, so the only disappointment is simply that there is not enough screentime to enjoy all of them. I don’t feel like any of the film was cheapened, there is plenty of action but enough storyline and anything that felt slightly tawdry felt more like an inside joke that everyone who knows the players is in on for instance the bit with Willis and Schwarzenegger (when I was desperately hoping that no one caught the dorky grin on my face). Statham and Li each hold their own as what could possibly be this generations only real bad-asses, Austin and Couture prove they belong equally in the world of film, Lundgren reminds you why he’s a legend and Crews has you questioning why he isn’t. Carpenter and Itie don’t make you want to punch yourself in the face with their decent portrayals of the traditional damsel in distress, and to be honest, that’s all I really ever ask for from the non-combat females in my action films. Roberts is such a great son-of-a-bitch and I tip my hat to Rourke, who I’ve never been a big fan of but pulled off one of my favourite moments in the film.
And Mr. Stallone? Well. He is a god of the cinema, so often mistaken for mere muscle. Writer, Producer, Actor, Director, Father, Painter, Artist. And he has a love for his work that I only wish I saw more often in Hollywood. It’s beautiful, admirable and seriously kick-ass. If I had a couple tonnes of gold, I’d carve a statue of him, stick it in my front garden and start a fucking church to honour him.
Verdict? There is no word that can describe how totally completely utterly awesome it truly is. THE EXPENDABLES redefines awesome. If you don’t like it, I don’t want to be your friend.
http://www.orble.com/the-expendables/
Let me start off by getting one thing clear - I love action films. I love action films so much that I have seen 90% of the Action section in my local video store and more straight-to-dvd films than I care to admit. Let me get another thing clear. I love Stallone, Statham and Li. In fact, I’ve seen most of their films, and loved every second of ass-kicking action that they’ve served up to me. So I’m finally sitting through the previews, and the thought suddenly occurs to me, “How in the hell is this film going to live up to the ridiculous hype that’s been building in my head for the last few years?” The panic quickly subsided, as I knew I was being ridiculous. I knew exactly how it would live up to it… by putting the great man himself, Sly Stallone at the helm.
THE EXPENDABLES were never going to win Oscars, but why does that define what is good and what is bad? I’m so sick of pretentious twats turning their noses up at me, the film student who includes DIE HARD as one of her top 5 favourite films, because the films I like aren’t full of long glorious scenery shots or moving screaming matches during a dramatic climax. I like it when shit blows up. I like people being blown up, I like buildings blowing up, boats, cars, you name it, if it blows up, I get a kick out of it. But so often a film can fall in to the tired trap of been there, done that, different actor. THE EXPENDABLES wasn’t made to rake in the dollars mid-year box office boom (well, mostly), and it wasn’t made to win Oscars. It was made for the fans, lovers of action films. And the beauty of it, and the reason it is so good, is because it’s made BY lovers of action films.
Perhaps the mercenary angle is not particularly inventive and there are a lot of characters, so the only disappointment is simply that there is not enough screentime to enjoy all of them. I don’t feel like any of the film was cheapened, there is plenty of action but enough storyline and anything that felt slightly tawdry felt more like an inside joke that everyone who knows the players is in on for instance the bit with Willis and Schwarzenegger (when I was desperately hoping that no one caught the dorky grin on my face). Statham and Li each hold their own as what could possibly be this generations only real bad-asses, Austin and Couture prove they belong equally in the world of film, Lundgren reminds you why he’s a legend and Crews has you questioning why he isn’t. Carpenter and Itie don’t make you want to punch yourself in the face with their decent portrayals of the traditional damsel in distress, and to be honest, that’s all I really ever ask for from the non-combat females in my action films. Roberts is such a great son-of-a-bitch and I tip my hat to Rourke, who I’ve never been a big fan of but pulled off one of my favourite moments in the film.
And Mr. Stallone? Well. He is a god of the cinema, so often mistaken for mere muscle. Writer, Producer, Actor, Director, Father, Painter, Artist. And he has a love for his work that I only wish I saw more often in Hollywood. It’s beautiful, admirable and seriously kick-ass. If I had a couple tonnes of gold, I’d carve a statue of him, stick it in my front garden and start a fucking church to honour him.
Verdict? There is no word that can describe how totally completely utterly awesome it truly is. THE EXPENDABLES redefines awesome. If you don’t like it, I don’t want to be your friend.
Good Film Guide's Review For THE EXPENDABLES
http://goodfilmguide.co.uk/
When The Expendables was first announced it sounded to good to be true as it’s an old style action movie co-written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone; who’s proven his worth in each one of those categories with the Rocky series alone, and has grown to be one the biggest action stars of all time (Rambo still remaining the epitome of the action legend); alongside some of the biggest action names from his generation (Arnold Schwarzenegger (Commando), Bruce Willis (Die Hard), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), and Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier); and the cream of the crop from the current generation of action heroes; Jason Statham (The Transporter), Jet Li (Hero), ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (The Condemned), Terry Crews (Gamer), and Randy Couture (Redbelt); so with its release looming, we went to check out the film, and find out if The Expendables really can live up to the hype, and best the dreams of every living action fan. The film follows a group of mercenaries known as The Expendables, who are led by a calculating strategist and lighting quick warrior (despite his age) named Barney Ross (Stallone), and hired by a mysterious man called Church (Willis) to remove a murderous dictator from his position of power on a small island in the Gulf of Mexico.
The team; which consists of Barney, an ex-SAS knife expert named Christmas (Statham), close-quarter combat expert Yin-Yang (Li), shotgun enthusiast Caesar (Crews), demolition expert Toll Road (Couture), and the soon to be ex-member Gunnar (Lundgren), who’s something of a loose cannon; then embark on their mission, meeting a young freedom fighter who has her own secret, and find that the dictator they have been hired to remove isn’t actually running things on the island, and that a ruthless ex-CIA operative (played by Eric Roberts, Runaway Train) and his violent henchman (Austin) may be the real targets.
The game is then on to rid the island from its oppression, save the girl (who is in danger mere minutes after she meets up with Barney and Christmas), and try to avoid capture and death at all costs, and from all directions, and it’s a game that The Expendables aim to win by maiming, killing, and generally blowing up, anything that gets in their way (as during the movie, literally everything and its mother explodes – twice).
But even before the explosions kick off, it’s clear that The Expendables is going to be action packed from start to finish; as within minutes of opening, a Somali pirate it literally ripped to pieces from the force of a rather large weapon; and the action continues to remain properly brutal throughout; with so many gunshots, knife slices, and bone snappings packed in, it’s guaranteed to have even the hardest action fan wincing, but simultaneously smiling with joy. And smile you will, because aside from the amazing action there’s also some pretty good comedy banter used to fill time between kills, and effectively beef-up the relationships between the characters (including an excellently timed joke directed at Mr Schwarzenegger, that serves well to slice through the testosterone filled scene that puts the Governator in the same shot as both Stallone and Willis; three legends that are really too big to share the same scene, but manage to pull it off by using the very thing that holds the scene back, their star power) and some well placed emotion (Mickey Rourke’s emotional monologue is delivered pitch perfectly) that does a brilliant job of humanizing the characters.
And it’d be easy to forget the human side of The Expendables; especially seen as how the team are such proficient killers that they come out of most battles (where they are always outnumbered) with nary a scratch on them (except for Stallone getting battered in a rumble with Austin; which was a great fight, but too well publicized), and that it puts the biggest names from action yesteryear alongside modern day action stars (but despite the generation gap, the experienced stars more than hold their own against the younger lads), in what in undeniably the best action cast ever assembled.
The cast also work together brilliantly; Stallone and Statham (who are really the movie’s frontmen) are great partners, and bounce off each other as well as any action duo ever has; and as each member is used so well, there’s not really any breakaway stars, but more of a well represented, equally matched, team. Crews and Couture receive notably less screen time than some of the others, but still fit into the group well, and excel during the action scenes, as do both Jet Li (who receives more screen time but is, more often than not, the butt of the team’s jokes) and Dolph Lundgren; who again receives a decent amount of screen time, and has thankfully shaken off recent roles, such as his brief return in Universal Soldier: Regeneration, and delivered the finest performance of his career. The plot is fairly thin, requiring no thought to understand, yet is extremely easy to get behind, and is a pure cliché, but one written by the best in the business, and the people that created the format before it was a cliché, meaning that it works exactly as it should, and is more than solid enough for the genre.
In the end, the nostalgia factor alone would have meant that it was good, but The Expendables is more than just the sum of its cast; it’s what everyone who drooled over the cast list, the trailer, and the whole idea of the film, thought it would be and so much more; it’s what cinema was meant to be; a thoroughly enveloping blast of an escapist ride that’ll pull you in, make you laugh, make your jaw drop, and batter every one of your senses, all while leaving you wanting more.
The soundtrack was excellently chosen, and while the plot may be stick thin, summarized in only five words (mercenaries hired to overthrow dictator), and be a total cliché, the old-school nature of The Expendables makes it work brilliantly, and it does what what most modern films fail to do, by giving filmgoers exactly what they want, and then some; big names, big guns, big laughs, and some fucking giant explosions; meaning there isn’t an action fan alive that won’t love this movie.
The Expendables comes highly recommended, as it has to be the best pure action movie released this side of the millennium, and will be opening in U.S. theaters on August 13th, and U.K. cinemas on August 20th.
9 Stars Out Of 10
http://goodfilmguide.co.uk/
When The Expendables was first announced it sounded to good to be true as it’s an old style action movie co-written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone; who’s proven his worth in each one of those categories with the Rocky series alone, and has grown to be one the biggest action stars of all time (Rambo still remaining the epitome of the action legend); alongside some of the biggest action names from his generation (Arnold Schwarzenegger (Commando), Bruce Willis (Die Hard), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), and Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier); and the cream of the crop from the current generation of action heroes; Jason Statham (The Transporter), Jet Li (Hero), ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (The Condemned), Terry Crews (Gamer), and Randy Couture (Redbelt); so with its release looming, we went to check out the film, and find out if The Expendables really can live up to the hype, and best the dreams of every living action fan. The film follows a group of mercenaries known as The Expendables, who are led by a calculating strategist and lighting quick warrior (despite his age) named Barney Ross (Stallone), and hired by a mysterious man called Church (Willis) to remove a murderous dictator from his position of power on a small island in the Gulf of Mexico.
The team; which consists of Barney, an ex-SAS knife expert named Christmas (Statham), close-quarter combat expert Yin-Yang (Li), shotgun enthusiast Caesar (Crews), demolition expert Toll Road (Couture), and the soon to be ex-member Gunnar (Lundgren), who’s something of a loose cannon; then embark on their mission, meeting a young freedom fighter who has her own secret, and find that the dictator they have been hired to remove isn’t actually running things on the island, and that a ruthless ex-CIA operative (played by Eric Roberts, Runaway Train) and his violent henchman (Austin) may be the real targets.
The game is then on to rid the island from its oppression, save the girl (who is in danger mere minutes after she meets up with Barney and Christmas), and try to avoid capture and death at all costs, and from all directions, and it’s a game that The Expendables aim to win by maiming, killing, and generally blowing up, anything that gets in their way (as during the movie, literally everything and its mother explodes – twice).
But even before the explosions kick off, it’s clear that The Expendables is going to be action packed from start to finish; as within minutes of opening, a Somali pirate it literally ripped to pieces from the force of a rather large weapon; and the action continues to remain properly brutal throughout; with so many gunshots, knife slices, and bone snappings packed in, it’s guaranteed to have even the hardest action fan wincing, but simultaneously smiling with joy. And smile you will, because aside from the amazing action there’s also some pretty good comedy banter used to fill time between kills, and effectively beef-up the relationships between the characters (including an excellently timed joke directed at Mr Schwarzenegger, that serves well to slice through the testosterone filled scene that puts the Governator in the same shot as both Stallone and Willis; three legends that are really too big to share the same scene, but manage to pull it off by using the very thing that holds the scene back, their star power) and some well placed emotion (Mickey Rourke’s emotional monologue is delivered pitch perfectly) that does a brilliant job of humanizing the characters.
And it’d be easy to forget the human side of The Expendables; especially seen as how the team are such proficient killers that they come out of most battles (where they are always outnumbered) with nary a scratch on them (except for Stallone getting battered in a rumble with Austin; which was a great fight, but too well publicized), and that it puts the biggest names from action yesteryear alongside modern day action stars (but despite the generation gap, the experienced stars more than hold their own against the younger lads), in what in undeniably the best action cast ever assembled.
The cast also work together brilliantly; Stallone and Statham (who are really the movie’s frontmen) are great partners, and bounce off each other as well as any action duo ever has; and as each member is used so well, there’s not really any breakaway stars, but more of a well represented, equally matched, team. Crews and Couture receive notably less screen time than some of the others, but still fit into the group well, and excel during the action scenes, as do both Jet Li (who receives more screen time but is, more often than not, the butt of the team’s jokes) and Dolph Lundgren; who again receives a decent amount of screen time, and has thankfully shaken off recent roles, such as his brief return in Universal Soldier: Regeneration, and delivered the finest performance of his career. The plot is fairly thin, requiring no thought to understand, yet is extremely easy to get behind, and is a pure cliché, but one written by the best in the business, and the people that created the format before it was a cliché, meaning that it works exactly as it should, and is more than solid enough for the genre.
In the end, the nostalgia factor alone would have meant that it was good, but The Expendables is more than just the sum of its cast; it’s what everyone who drooled over the cast list, the trailer, and the whole idea of the film, thought it would be and so much more; it’s what cinema was meant to be; a thoroughly enveloping blast of an escapist ride that’ll pull you in, make you laugh, make your jaw drop, and batter every one of your senses, all while leaving you wanting more.
The soundtrack was excellently chosen, and while the plot may be stick thin, summarized in only five words (mercenaries hired to overthrow dictator), and be a total cliché, the old-school nature of The Expendables makes it work brilliantly, and it does what what most modern films fail to do, by giving filmgoers exactly what they want, and then some; big names, big guns, big laughs, and some fucking giant explosions; meaning there isn’t an action fan alive that won’t love this movie.
The Expendables comes highly recommended, as it has to be the best pure action movie released this side of the millennium, and will be opening in U.S. theaters on August 13th, and U.K. cinemas on August 20th.
9 Stars Out Of 10
