Review of The Expendables 3 (2014) by Joshua T — 05 Sep 2014

As someone who enjoyed the first two films, this third installment in the series was a disappointment. It was exciting to see a return of Wesley Snipes alongside other veteran action stars. Antonio Banderas was a surprise standout and I thought Mel Gibson evoked remnants of a compelling villain.

But this somehow lacked the fun of the first two films, perhaps mostly due to the fact that it felt repetitive. Third time around I maybe expected more. Stallone's face off with Gibson felt too reminiscent of his face off with Van Damme in the second film, which was a much better fight.

For a film full of talented fighters we don't see enough brawls. The hand-to-hand combat gets sidelined here for guns and explosions. And while I have nothing but respect for the new talent added to the film they ultimately took away from the appeal.

The Expendables franchise is a nostalgic ensemble piece. While I admire and support Stallone's attempts to introduce new talent, its target audience really paid to see the greatest hits. I am fond of this franchise as a fan of its stars and many classic action films.

I look forward to Expendables 4 and the introduction of new and old talent. But I rate this particular film itself, "Expendable.".