IF you’ve watched The Expendables and The Expendables 2, you’ll probably be able to sum up the entire story of The Expendables 3 in 25 words or less, even before you watch it.
The third instalment, also starring famed Rambo actor Sylvester Stallone, is no different from its predecessors. It is packed with explosions, violence, gunfights and action that will keep you glued to the screen.
The Expendables 3 is exciting from the beginning to the explosive finale. With never a dull moment, it is also packed with dramatic events and cheesy one-liners.
Director Patrick Hughes (Red Hill) is certainly the guy to make an action movie. Stallone wanted “new blood” to direct the third instalment and got Hughes on board.
The third film kicks off with The Expendables, a group of highly trained mercenaries, led by Barney Ross (Stallone) who goes on a mission to rescue former Expendable Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes) from the military. In another deadly mission to take down a ruthless arm dealer, Barney and Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the company come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), whom Barney thought was dead all these years.
But little did Barney know that the man who founded The Expendables has subsequently become that ruthless arms trader who will not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in his way. Stonebanks eludes the team once again, after he partly destroys it. Barney, on the other hand, has a plan of his own — take down his old pal the old fashioned way.
He sets off on a journey to recruit members to replace his old team, which he thinks he has let down in their last mission. As Barney assembles his latest team members, who is made up of younger, faster and tech savvy individuals, his old team returns and vows to do what it takes to bring Stonebanks to justice.
Matters get supercharged and culminate in a final showdown. The team injects fun into motorcycle stunts, chases tanks and engages in helicopter battles and neck-breaking fights. Snipes even sneaks jokes into knife-loving Doctor Death.
The Mask of Zorro star Antonio Banderas ditches his mask and shows off his comedic side with the same energetic excitement as he “begs” to be included in the team. Even Harrison Ford ( Indiana Jones) can’t resist some good old fun fighting off the bad guys while telling a few jokes of his own.
And as usual, Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger fills his limited screen time with a good amount of goofiness, appearing only “at the right time”.
Even Ronda Rousey, the only female recruit, seems to have fun poking at Barney’s old school take-down method. In one of the scenes, she muses that Barney’s bullet-spraying method will be “a great plan if it’s 1985” (Hint: Rambo: First Blood Part 2).
The Expendables 3 gives ageing stars, who were once screen heroes, a chance to show off their skills. Flashy, exciting and a potential box office-smasher, it is an essential watch despite the illogical flow. Who knows, 20 years from now, The Expendables franchise may just go down as a classic.
NOW SHOWING
THE EXPENDABLES 3
Directed by Patrick Hughes
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Randy Couture, Kellan Lutz, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Duration 126 minutes
Rating 18