Every movie has a hero. This one has them all.
Action A lister Fonanza Attempts 80s Action Movie Tribute
The Expendables (2010) doesn't claim to be something its not. It is a glorified and hype advertised contrivance to feature as many action A-listers in The Expendables cast as possible and an 80s action movie throwback for Stallone. What it isn't, is a classic. The hype pulled an impressive $34 million in the US opening weekend.
Jean Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes and Steven Seagal declined parts. Schwarzenegger accepted nothing more than a small cameo because of his political career. Ironically Van Damme is rumoured to have complained his character had no substance before rejecting a role.
What's left is an action movie ensemble made up of Stallone plus any other A-listers who would accept roles. So the main snag: it leaves only Stallone and Ralph Lungren as bonafide 80s veterans.
The Expendables Cast-Main.
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) Yin Yang (Jet li) Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews)
Gunner Jensen (Ralph Lundren) meth addict former gang drop-out seeking revenge for being ditched, features in the opening mission of the film.
Tool (Micky Rourke) -former comrade turned troubled tattooist,
Paine (Steve Austin) of WWF 90s plays the main nemesis.
80's Action Movie Plot: Redemption Of The Veteran
It's a blow-them-up rambo style, signpost to mid-late 80s with a straight forward plot. The Expendables Cast of mercenaries agree a mission commissioned by Bruce Willis "Mr Church" which goes awry. Stallone falls for their on mission contact and decides to go back and rescue her.
The Expendables first scene opens on a mission to free hostages held by pirates. It ends with the pirates dead and Ralph Lundgren going off the rails. Stallone and Statham head to do reconnaissance for the new mission assigned by Bruce Willis.
The colonel of an island has handed over power to an American former intelligence agent turned renegade drug/money launderer. The reconnaissance goes wrong but they get out intact. Their contact, the sexy Brazilian Sandra, daughter of the colonel (played by Mexican actress Giselle Itié ) is however caught shortly after she refuses to leave the island with Stallone and Statham.
Stallone contemplates his soul with former comrade come tattoist Mickey Rourke, while Statham efficiently kicks the crap out of his girlfriend's abusive affair and sidekicks on a basketball court-(a very satisfying scene) "I'm not perfect, but you should have waited. I was worth it". In the final part, Stallone decides to return and save the girl minus Lundgren who has turned sides. Action intensifies into a rambo high death count.
Veteran 80s Action Versus New Generation: "I'm Getting Too Old For This"
The veterans body slam while flammables blow up around them; Terry Crews as the generic black dude plays with his big gun; Jet Li and Statham perform slick manoeuvres from the Hong Kong school.
Its light hearted with good testerone filled comradery. Stallone and Statham compete new versus old school. Choco-blok full of great actor-in jokes. The asian small jokes are at Jet Li's expense-he has to work harder being smaller. Li relentlessly demands more money because he works the most
"I need more...for my family."
"You don't have a family".
Micky Rourke provides the soul of the film as Stallone's oldest friend and mentor now tattoist. "Austin 3:16" of WWF in the 90s is imposing as the main nemesis.
Randy Couture seems like a last ditch choice and Terry Crews (White Chicks) isn't exactly a bonafied action movie star but I suppose he has the biceps.
Ralph Lungren is a great entry though his lesser presence in the second half is sadly missed after Stallone shoots him out of contention. The methed up giant has been wasted here for a potential Stallone-Lungren pairing.
Schwarzenegger appears for barely a minute at the beginning with Willis, time to ever so briefly taste the first shared screen time between him and Stallone, the biggest action movie stars of the 80s.
The rivalry between Stallone and Schwarzenegger in the real world is playfully displayed here as animosity-"lets have dinner...not in a thousand years...too soon".
Future of 80s Action Movie Relics
It will be a deep shame when Stallone calls it quits on our screens especially for those who route for the veteran come-back genre "I'm getting too old for this".
The Expendables took an impressive $34,825,135 at the opening weekend US box office and a total $266,159,621 worldwide as of 21 November 2010 beating Bruce Willis lead Red, of the same "I'm getting too old for this" with a $21,761,408 US opening weekend. It was mainly helped by posters and trailers which hyped The Expendables Cast.
Hollywood has waited along time for this action movie tribute. It could and should have been the most awesome ever made if Stallone could have coaxed Van Damme and Seagal into the mix. As it is, The Expendables is an understated but still thoroughly enjoyable camp 80s action tribute which performed better with the popular audience than the critic.
Itssatisfying to see the veterans putting down the Hong Kong antics of Jet li but it almost feels like Stallone is grudgingly handing over the batton for the last time- a sad sight indeed. Schwarzenegger though said in a recent interview the possibility of a return to acting. Out of the two, with only a one year age gap, Stallone looks the most agile by far. There's still a Kindengarten Cop sequel for Schwarzenegger, and 90's veteran Willis is alive and kicking.
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