‘Expend4bles Review: The Latest Installment Of The Action Series Is Dull And Tasteless
The first thing you should know about Expendables 4 is that its studio somehow made the terrible decision to call it Expendables. It's a gratuitous game challenge with lots of empty calories for a boring, cheesy movie but no great skill or fun. The second thing you should know is that the insertion of "4" is, unfortunately, the smartest thing this stellar action franchise's fourth installment has to offer.
There is always a lot of wrangling in defense of these types of films, usually by those defending the right to "shut off your brain and enjoy". But as the John Wick franchise and the entire Mission: Impossible series have proven time and time again, there really is a stylish, cinematic way to make a fun, entertaining action movie that's also smart and weird. – even in this age of low cinematic expectations it's inspiring to see them on the big screen in all their technological glory.
In these sections, directed by Scott Waugh and written by a team including Kurt Wimmer, Ted Daggerhart and Max Adams, check your expectations across Expend4bles. If your definition of horror isn't a horror movie where throats are gleefully ripped and slit and body parts explode like confetti, you won't have much reason to worry about this.
More worrying is that kids can't even figure out the human intelligence of Expend4bles' fun. In an early scene, a boy learns this the hard way when he's shot and killed, an event the camera doesn't technically (thankfully) show, but it takes a second longer to wonder if it should have been shown instead.
The man is... well, somebody's son in Libya. (Again with me, because Expend4bles don't create characters but witness their deaths). After seeing his mother killed in front of his father, who was held hostage at gunpoint, he falls victim to the machinations of a ruthless arms dealer. .
Rahmat (Ika Uwais) is an evil villain, III. Because he stole the nuclear detonator that could start a world war. And our ragtag team, the Unstoppable Avengers, a seemingly unstoppable tribe of intelligent mercenaries, are hunting him, as well as their unknown leader, after a rare failed mission that leaves one of them dead.
Rest assured, everything will be resolved to ensure the happiest outcome imaginable as the film finally reaches its twisted but predictable conclusion. But in the meantime, you'll be bored watching both returning shooters and newcomers alike, repeatedly capturing movies in slow motion as they appear on screen to applause from the audience.
These include the tough but gentle Barney (Sylvester Stallone), his intelligent right-hand man Christmas (Jason Statham), his new girlfriend and teammate Gina (Megan Fox in perfect nightclub hair and makeup), gunner Dolph Lundgren and others. Tony Jaa, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Andy Garcia with the group's main suitor Marsha. Yes, you'll get a dose of 50 Cent's "PIMP," but you should keep an eye out for the upcoming "Anatomy of a Fall" for a truly innovative use of the famous song.
What you don't get are expertly directed and choreographed fight sequences or reasons to care about the ever-growing chaos on screen. To be fair, the part on the giant freighter where the tribe must survive an attack to complete their dark mission adds to the excitement of the film. Namely, some disturbing action sequences and a scene where the ship takes a sudden 180 degree turn and follows the ship that finally builds tension. But discomfort elsewhere immediately overrides the enjoyment of this rare moment of visual intrigue.
Even the huge explosion in the middle of the ocean at the end doesn't provide the bold cinematic impact the story suggests. All you have is a painful film that struggles to accept the tasteless. Turns out you don't have to try that hard.
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