So??.. He still gave a solid performance as an actor & director as well. .
I have seen Stallone act before. That was COPLAND. I have seen him be a total hack before. That was SPY KIDS 3D. He is doing no special performance here (outside of mugging with his HGH stretched face).
This point is subjective.
Ummm.. Nope!!.. everybody was laughing out loud...
& it was really funny.
The whole Governator scene was strained. The bulk of it was revealed in the previews. But hey, humor is subjective too. The theater I was in featured groans and not LOLs BTW.
Yes he is.. but that doesn't make his character any less cooler...
Rourke's character was FAR FROM COOL. You want cool Rourke? Check THE INFORMANTS. Check IRON MAN 2 even. Check SIN CITY. What was going on in THE EXPENDABLES was a bunch of strange redneck hickery with a buddha pipe, a cowboy hat and a tattoo sequence that was far from plausible. Rourke is playing a strange, sentimental "out of the game" womanizer who likes to let his belly hang out and throw knives. I will give him a point for not being a complete stereotype, but he was pretty weaksauce. Once again, its subjective. I have seen Rourke put it down (even as a crooked lawyer in MAN ON FIRE he was more compelling).
he does tend to do that a lot sometimes.. But honestly, this has to be his least annoying film other than Crank...
I was on a fishing expedition when I cited CRANK. I was actually hoping someone would speak up and say that they are fans of the CRANK series as well. I personally love the films, but I do understand that people really hate Chev Chelios IRL. Statham did nothing for me. His badassery was amusing, but ridiculous. He beats up an entire basketball court and then lets his GF in on "what he does" for a living. It was such a strained notion that I was kicked out of the film mentally. But hey, Statham has made a career of doing the ridiculous. I found him more believable in DEATH RACE. There just wasn't enough there for him to do or act with. And really, his lame-duck poetry recital at the end of the film was the last straw. I don't think that poetry sequence is subjective, however. I think it is bad writing/poetry and a horrible end to a film.
Crews was IMO the weakest character in the film...
Have seen him do really well in many other films... but this was his worst role... he was just wasted in the film...
& Crews for Kratos??... No way!!... Kratos deserves someone with more rage & screen presence..
If Crews ends up as a lead in any movie, I might just end up falling asleep.
Crews was wasted as a character. So was Coutre for that matter. Crews was there for window dressing...and I stand by what I said: He loked better than all of them.
Crews can act, too. He wasn't given anything to do in this film. Crews for Kratos. the other guy people like to throw around as a Kratos contender is Vin Deisel. I say no way. Crews could do it, and he deserves that kind of break. Rage? Check Crews out in GAMER (if you can stomach the mediocrity). Crews conveys menace well. Crews is also in TRAINING DAY for just a minute, but he might as well be starring in that film based on the upstaging he can do by just standing there. However, grading his performance in THE EXPENDABLES is subjective at best.
Yes, truly a silly plot... but these mercenary films have been existing for ages.. & this one is just another mercenary film...
But I don't think Stallone wanted to sell the film with a good plot.
This is the meat and bones of our difference of opinion. I really had a hope that Stallone would take the "mercenary film" concept to the next level. He didn't. He stayed in tried and true stagnant waters. It is unfortunate. He is an intelligent, well-read man. I thought he was capable of something better. More of the same is the last thing that Hollywood needs right now. Conceptually, THE EXPENDABLES is an out of the park concept. All of those action stars in the same movie? WOW. Now give them a plot to work with.
THE EXPENDABLES plays for the lamest expectations. I am sooo tired of going to a movie and having to keep my expectations low in order to have a good time. 2010 is by far the worst year for movies and only in a year this bad would anyone come to the defense of something as banal as THE EXPENDABLES.
This movie succeeds where A-Team fails... A-Team had no action at all.. The major action scenes were FX Laden & over-the-top silly...
There is no way I would defend the A-TEAM. Both of these films are in the same pile. Joe Carnahan murdered my faith in him with that film. Like I said, 2010 is a horrific year for movies.
I have to admit, since Taken & Shoot 'em up.. it was nice to see a decent action film...
A sequel is definitely needed.
SHOOT EM UP is another film that I feel should be in the same pile as THE A TEAM or THE EXPENDABLES. What a pathetic attempt at cinema. Now I will have to take issue with you on TAKEN. That took the standard "GIVE ME BACK MY SON!" vibe of RANSOM and put it to a European body count as Qui-Gon wrecked France getting to the bottom of it. It was a complete cliche, but executed rather well. There was decent character development and more of a solid explanation of what was going on. If I were to posit TAKEN vs THE EXPENDABLES it would be no contest as to what is a better executed film...even though both films are pedestrian in their plots. TAKEN is simply superior.
THE EXPENDABLES will probably get a sequel. I can think of many other films much more deserving of a sequel though. But then again, it is all subjective.
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