1 of 5 | Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) returns in Expend4bles. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Expend4bles is the most explosive action movie of the year. In an era of weirder scenes, the film, which hits theaters Friday, proves there's nothing better than a good explosion. The fourth "Mercenaries" opens in the former chemical plant of Libyan dictator Gaddafi. The film's villain, Rahmat (Iko Uwais), breaks into the factory to steal the current general's nuclear detonators.
Barney Ross's (Sylvester Stallone) mercenary team, The Expendables, has new members. Gina (Megan Fox), Easy Day (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) and Galan (Jacob Scipio) join Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Shooter (Dolph Lundgren).
CIA agent Marsh (Andy Garcia) tasks the Mercenaries with finding Rahmat's leader, Ocelot, and recovering the detonators.
Back in 2010, it was already news that The Expendables featured the kind of big explosions that have disappeared from modern action films. Thirteen years later, the big explosions are still going strong.
Each mission carried out by mercenaries involves firing heavy artillery and blowing up objects. The mercenaries have a lot of new toys, such as carts that they drop from their plane.
The entire second half of the film takes place on an aircraft carrier, which can be a limiting factor, but there's a lot of explosive chaos in the locations. No other movie features a motorcycle-on-boat chase.
The transitions between practical stunts and close-ups are not as smooth as in films like the Fast and the Furious series . The visuals are much more impressive than the 80s action films that inspired the series.
This is the reality of cinema in 2023: These days, directors shooting every scene on location is a gift.
The fight scenes are shot a little closer and edited a little choppier than I'd like, but they're watchable. Fight coordinator Alan Ng makes sure that no matter which actors fight, the choreography is the best possible.
For a franchise where each sequel can be an adventure in itself, Expend4bles' efforts to maintain continuity are appreciated. Barney and Lee's joke shows that, despite the nine years that have passed since The Expendables 3, it's still The Expendables and not just another big action franchise.
Toll Road will always tell anyone who asks him why he has cauliflower ears, because in the original Expendables, Couture's MMA injury was his character's obsession.
Galan is the son of Antonio Banderas' character in Los Mercenarios 3 .
Gunner's recovery from alcoholism could have been taken more seriously, but it mirrors what he endured in the previous films.
Recurring and new characters are clearly defined. We don't have much time to give each person an individuality, but his behavior sets him apart in a group.
Lee and Gina are romantically involved. While it would be nice to explain what happened to Charisma Carpenter's character in the first two films, it's clear that only another Expendable can compare to Lee.
Lee and Gina are essentially playing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but it works. They are both sexy and have fun together.
During the mission, the team recruits other partners such as Thai ship captain Decha (Tony Jaa) and new Expendable Lash (Levi Tran). New partnerships are working. Statham and Jaa have the same chemistry as Statham and Stallone.
The team argues throughout the mission. They don't always have the best charm, but they make the film look effortless.
The purpose of dialogue is precisely to say something to everyone and overcome exposition. Garcia also enjoys the quiet bravery of tough guys insulting each other.
The plot is very absurd and constantly adds unexpected twists. Since it is just a means of action, understanding it is not a priority. Many other films made much less sense.
It all starts from Gaddafi's base and spreads from there. The film also has fun showing Lee's part-time jobs between Expendables missions.
Stallone plays much more in this film than his "e" credit suggests. It's clearly about him passing the ball to the rest of the team, but he has the first 30 minutes to do that.
He created The Expendables to bring together new and classic action heroes. When it really comes time to move on to the next generation, Expend4bles prove that they can literally carry the torch of their mentors.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012, and a member of the Critics' Choice Association since 2023. Find out more about his work in the entertainment industry.
