The Expendables 3

• Directed by Patrick Hughes
• August 4, 2014 (London) / August 15, 2014 (US)
• Based on characters created by David Callaham

The Expendables face off against ruthless arms dealer Conrad Stonebanks who co-founded the team and is now seeking to destroy them.

Much like its predecessors or the very films that inspired it, The Expendables 3 is fueled by testosterone from start to finish-maybe a bit more so. The characters are guy guys but not in a negative sense. These are men with a strong bond who tease and talk to each other as only close individuals can. And the action is big and over the top.

They are the best of the best of the best. Nearly superhuman. They have a clear code of conduct and take control of the situation rather than let events push them along. That’s a breath of fresh air. This is not a film where the story or characters stumble around until it is time to wrap it up.

Mixed in with the rather effective humor are some character moments such as in the narrative when The Expendables are disbanded. There’s a scene using the song “Ticking Bomb” when you get to see these warriors without war. They know no other way and it’s kind of sad. Wesley Snipes character for example has a nice soft bed to sleep in for the first time in eight years and instead he folds a comforter up on the floor and sleeps there.

This story opens with a fantastic action sequence where Wesley Snipes finally joins the film series after having turned down a part in the first film. His character of Doctor “Doc” Death just doesn’t show up in the movie but is introduced when they go to free him from a prison transport where he eventually takes out the train AND the prison he was being taken towards in one of the best sequences I have seen in a while.

What really sells any Expendables film for me is that there are real explosions and much of what you get occurs on camera and not courtesy of a keyboard. That’s one of the things that made 80s action films so very great. The explosions and stunts were all real. You don’t see nearly as much of that as you once did.

We got quite a casting here. Along with the returning Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Arnold Schwarzenegger we also have new editions like Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Mel Gibson, and Harrison Ford.

Mel Gibson doesn’t play villains too often, but when he does, he is so very good. As Conrad Stonebanks he is that evil you love to hate. He toys with the people, poking and prodding to piss them off. He is also cold and ruthless. The animosity between he and Barney (Sylvester Stallone) is built up though the initial display on Barney’s part comes off as excessive based on what little we know. Stonebanks is a founding member of the team who was believed dead for many years but had actually gone into selling arms to any and every person he could. Now that Barney is back in his life he sets his sights on taking him out.

Antonio Banderas as Galgo starts out looking like strictly comic relief (and he is that for much of the movie) but grows more complex. It is said he was kicked out of his squad-whose members he talks about often-but if you pay attention you pick up that he is talking about dead men and he is the only survivor. He cannot quite accept he is the lone survivor and his incessant talking about them makes people believe he was sent away. It is a bit heartbreaking.

If anything takes this movie down (besides the PG-13 rating rather than R) is that it’s another personal revenge story like The Expendables 2. The difference being that it is between Barney and Stonebanks rather all The Expendables and the villain. These are guns for hire and you could put them in any number of situations. You cannot do two personal vendetta stories in a row without the second being weaker.

Aside from the mild reuse of the previous film’s plot, The Expendables 3 is a great movie. It’s a nice throwback to the glory days of action films filled with icons of that era. It’s a heart pumping thrill ride from start to finish. If you love 80s action then you will love this!