The Expendables 4
Expend4bles (also known as The Expendables 4)
Stars: Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Iko Uwais and Andy Garcia
Director: Scott Waugh Scriptwriters: Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart and Max Adams based on characters by David Callaham
Composer: Guillaume Roussel Cinematography: Tim Maurice-Jones
Millennium Media/Lionsgate Rating: Riko Uwais
The Expendables are mercenaries who have their own plane and go to far off places helping those in need. Each member has a specialty from technical to fire arms to body defense to explosives to whatever is needed at the time. There is a leader and here it is Sylvester Stallone (“Tulsa King”) who plays Barney Ross. If this group of films will continue, this is Stallone’s last film as “Barney,”
What makes the films appetizing to fans is the snappy dialogue, the camera centering on particular members and their skills, and a villain, here it is the Ocelot. The first “Expendables” film had them with an old plane and Dolph Lundgren making wise-cracks. The following films have had slimmer plots but still the banter fans expect.
In this film, the story opens with The Expendables going to Libya to keep one of their own from selling nuclear devices to the Ocelot, who wasn’t caught years ago and is still out there wrecking havoc. Barney is killed in the fight. Marsh (Andy Garcia) pulls things together and tells them they move forward, but without Barney and Lee Christmas. Gina (Megan Fox) goes with the team, but things are not as they seem and just who is working for who and for what reason?
The situation takes the group literally around the world. Stunts are good, including one with Lee Christmas and a motorcycle on a ship. Nuclear devices are what everyone wants. Besides Christmas and his motorcycle, there is Christmas in a knife fight and who is the better fighter, Christmas or Gina? Hmm. Though the stunts are good, sometimes the backdrops are questionable.
Acting is words in a script and the one-liners are what fans go for, besides the action. Whether there will be more “Expendables” films after this, there is a fan base out there and don’t be surprised if Jason Statham takes the helm from Sylvester Stallone and heads a new “Expendables” in the future. After all, Statham had a hit with the giant prehistoric shark in “The Meg” and now there is a “Meg 2” film out there. Who knows, maybe “Meg” and “Expendables” will meet some day chasing a nuclear device. Just saying…
Copyright 2023 Marie Asner
