The Expendables 3 review

Genre: Action, Crime, Adventure, Thriller,
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Atonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Robert Davi, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Year Of Release: 2014
Certificate: 12A (UK)
Runtime: 126 Minutes
Director: Patrick Hughes

Synopsis: "Barney augments his team with new blood for a personal battle: to take down Conrad Stonebanks, the Expendables co-founder and notorious arms trader who is hell bent on wiping out Barney and every single one of his associates." IMDB

Let me just start off by saying all you people who are saying "this film lacks substance", "no character development" or "just Action porn". You people need smack upside the head, this film never advertised itself as anything but a pure Action ride popcorn flick. You wouldn't go into "The Godfather" and complain there isn't enough Spaceships, so don't go into a popcorn flick expecting an Oscar worthy performance or perfect script! Now that is out the way onto the review.

We're back for a third instalment in easily one of my most enjoyable franchises for a long time, I love a full on over the top Action film and The Expendables franchise never fails to deliver in that department. However, this film does come with a 12A certificate which is obvious when you watch it with the lack of actual blood they use, that doesn't mean there is enough over the top violence to enjoy.

The film starts off with the the Expendables rescuing a former member Doctor Death (Snipes) after a prolonged spell spent under the capture of some Russians, turns out there is no razors where he was kept because Snipes is rocking a hella beard! Within the first fifteen minutes of the film we get an armoured prison train, helicopters, boats, planes, tankers, jeeps, missiles, guns, knives and explosion that would make an everyday man wet his pants. However the Expendables escaped unscathed, well all but one Caeser (Crews) finds himself left in a critical way after Conrad Stonebankes (Gibson) leaves him that way in his escape.

This latest close call has Barney (Stallone) disbanding his near perfect team due to the fear that they're all getting to old. Leaving Barney and his badass companion Bonaparte (Grammer) to race around America and Mexico gathering a new rag tag bunch of younger and possibly even dumber Expendables (Rousey, Ortiz and Powell) however there is one older addition to his crew Galgo (Banderas) and damn does Banderas deliver, his verbal diarrhoea is enough to drive any sane man to tears however some of the stuff he comes out with will leave you in tears of laughter.

Overall the film delivers in all the areas you expect from such an Action flick, full of explosions, gunfire, destruction and hilarious one lines one that sticks out is Arnie dropping a "Get to da choppa!" retort that made me nearly keel over on the spot. Plus we get a solid performance from Harrison Ford, leaps and bounds better than Bruce Wills' ever gave us. Then we have Mr Mel Gibson who may have just made himself the go to guy for the big dog villain in the future. He is the most deranged, crazy, insane, is there any point? I will run out of superlatives, Mel is phenomenal I can't wait to see him again.

I highly recommend this film and I always will, they're just pure Action porn, however what more can you ask for from a film that is purely built around recreating 80s Action nostalgia? So PLEASE, PLEASE if you want to see it, go see it and help these guys make some money back and get us a fourth, fifth or heck even a fifteen ha.

8/10

"Expenables 3" release new posters

With the newest "The Expendables" releasing in August this year, they have blessed us with some pretty cool looking character posters.

"The Expendables 3" plot details and press release

Lionsgate have put their press release for "The Expendables 3", why are you still reading this? Are you still? Come on dude check the press release!

"Lionsgate and Millennium Films will begin principal photography today on THE EXPENDABLES 3, the third installment of THE EXPENDABLES action-thriller franchise, with production shooting on location in Bulgaria and at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia.

THE EXPENDABLES 3 will feature Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to their roles in the first two films with Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford joining the all-star cast along with Kellan Lutz, MMA star Ronda Rousey, welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz and Glen Powell.

Patrick Hughes (RED HILL) will direct the film, with veteran Dan Bradley (The BOURNE franchise; MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, QUANTUM OF SOLACE) directing the second unit. THE EXPENDABLES 3 is written by Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt, who previously teamed on OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, and Sylvester Stallone. Avi Lerner, Kevin King-Templeton, Danny Lerner and Les Weldon are producing THE EXPENDABLES 3. Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson and John Thompson are executive producing. Lionsgate will release THE EXPENDABLES 3 in North America and the UK on August 15, 2014.

In THE EXPENDABLES 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

The production will be overseen by Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan.

The first two installments of THE EXPENDABLES have grossed nearly $600 million in combined global box office."

Harrison Ford joins...

"The Expendables 3" this news made my day!!! Stallone himself broke the news on Twitter and when I seen the Tweet I nearly exploded with excitement, the only downfall that comes with it is that Bruce Willis has dropped out of the film according to the Tweet. 

WILLIS OUT... HARRISON FORD IN !!!! GREAT NEWS !!!!! Been waiting years for this!!!!
— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 6, 2013

"The Expendables 3" gets release date...

Unfortunately that date is August 15, 2014, the film will still feature Sylvester Stallone an the studio are currently in advanced negotiations with Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes, Nicolas Cage and Milla Jovovich. Also with the announcement of this Lionsgate also have given us a release date for another Stallone & Schwarzenegger film "Escape Plan" which is set to release the weekend of October 18 this year opposed to its previously given date of September, 13.

Sylvester Stallone gives "The Expendables 3" update

Recently Stallone took to Twitter to give us an update on "The Expendables 3", he said he is currently working on the script for the third instalment an we can expect "mountains of surprises" he also added "EX3 needs NEW blood and more humor.... The films were always meant to be more on the humorous side with moments of drama"

Stallone also confirmed that there is a possibility that Jackie Chan will be joining the cast, "No S. Seagal, sorry, but maybe we get lucky with J. Chan!"

He continued to say, "some young bloods!!! By young I mean 22 to 27. Not big bruisers but tech wizard, super brains and a young woman who is not a sex symbol but funny, tough, REAL."

"Young bloods" ay? Anybody want to throw some names about? Nicholas Hoult?, Aaron Taylor-Johnson?, Josh Hutcherson? maybe Shia LaBeouf? I so can't wait for this film!

Nicolas Cage will be in...

"The Expendables 3", yes you are not going crazy. The actor that everybody loves to hate is set to feature in the upcoming instalment of the incredible "Expendables" franchise, I personally love some of Cage's films "Drive Angry", "Gone In 60 Seconds" and "Con Air" to name a few. Stallone mentioned a few months back some of the big names he wanted for the next film they were Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes and Nicolas Cage, seems he has one of his men with Cage signing up for the film. His "dream team" is coming together nicely, lets just hope Han Solo and Blade decide to join the team ha ha.

"…El Pais (via The Film Stage) talked with franchise star and producer Sylvester Stallone who confirmed that Cage is locked for the film, but is still trying to lock down Ford, Snipes and the return of Mickey Rourke. Read on!

Here’s a translation of what Stallone told the news outlet: 
We are preparing the film with the same passion and commitment as the previous two. We have confirmed Nicolas Cage, a master actor who gives a veneer intellectual group. Hopefully we can realize to Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes and Mickey Rourke. That is the great mission of the producer. We will continue with the same narrative scheme, the agility and the frenzy, which are inherent to the saga. What will definitely be the last? I can not guarantee. In principle it would be two deliveries, but the affection of the people encouraged us to work on a third. I guess as long as we amused ourselves by offering fun and people, we can continue playing ‘The Expendables’. For now we are not as expendable as it should and as some critics want"

What I love most about this story, besides the fact that Cage has been cast is that Stallone says he wants something then makes it happen what a legend. I personally think this will bring new fans into the franchise, which is always a good thing EVERYBODY should watch "The Expendables" movies. 

"The Expendables 2" final poster

So here it is, the final poster for the best action film of the year. Fire, exploding planes and guns, man this looks bad ass!

"The Tomb" first pictures

After seeing The Governator an Sly in the trailer for "The Expendables 2" you kind of forget how old they really are, in these new pictures from "The Tomb" they seem to both be rocking the natural look. Arnie does look a lot younger than he actually is, he looks 40-50 when he is pushing 65? Stallone on the other hand looks old an knackered. Well, back to the film;
"Ray Breslin (Stallone) is the world's foremost authority on structural security. After analysing every high security prison and learning a vast array of survival skills so he can design escape-proof prisons, his skills are put to the test. He's framed and incarcerated in a master prison he designed himself. He needs to escape and find the person who put him behind bars"

Trailer "The Expendables 2"

This film looks incredible, nothing better than a testosterone fuelled action fest. How can you go wrong with a film that has John Rambo, John McClane, The Terminator, Wong Fei Hung, Walker Texas Ranger and Ivan Drago ha ha.

"The Expendables 2" character posters

It's hard work trying to get people hyped up over this film, the lack of media released is pretty low. But, it's safe to say that I am still pretty excited about it. These character posters are pretty bad ass, I think they will help pump the testosterone an get you all hyped up for this movie.

"The Expendables 2" two new pictures

Talk about testosterone filled, look at that picture its Terminator, John McClane and John Rambo all firing humongous guns. You can't really go wrong when you release a picture like that in my opinion, it obviously doesn't give anything away but man does it entice interest. The other picture is the highly over-rated Chuck Norris trotting down the street, never been a fan of that man personally I thought "Delta Force" franchise was below average.

"Expendables 2" will be R-Rated!

This is pretty amazing news in my opinion, there was a pretty big uproar when it was announced that film was set to be PG-13.
"After drawing the ire of the Internet for confirming that The Expendables 2 would be PG-13 (apparently in accordance with star Chuck Norris‘ wishes), Sylvester Stallone has backtracked to say that the star-studded action sequel will be getting an R rating after all…
…Since Norris’ objection to the R rating had more to do with cursing than violence, it’s possible that Expendables 2 will try to keep the language clean even while dialling up the action. Or maybe the outcry was such that Stallone’s decided to drop the PG-13 plan altogether. Either way, if you’ve been hoping for a rougher, tougher Expendables 2, it seems your wishes have been granted…"

"The Expendables 2" gallery

Promo pictures for "The Expendables 2" have made their way online, they are not for the feint hearted. These pictures don't just show off the cast we know from "The Expendables", they show us Scott Adkins, Yu Nan, Jean-Claude Van Damme. I can only guess that the JCVD, Adkins and Lundgren pictures are all pre-photoshop, they will look a lot more badass when edited.

"The Expendables 2" two new stills

Thanks to EX2 blog we have two new stills for "The Expendables 2", they show case Sylvester Stallone and Yu Nan, who plays Maggie.