Recommending Stallone and Arnold’s best action comeback films of the 2010’s

• 1) Bullet to the head
• 2) The Last Stand
• 3) Escape Plan
• 4) Sabotage
• 5) The Expendables 3
• 6) Rambo Last Blood
• 7) The Expendables 2

Looking for a modern top notch action recommendation? look no further, we have you covered.

Have you ever looked through Stallone or Arnolds film biography and didn’t know what film to check out?

The good news is that their films are usually excellent for a Friday or Saturday night experience. Grab a few drinks and a large bucket of popcorn and you are all set, but maybe you’ve seen all of them already.

When it comes to action cinema, Stallone and Arnold have dominated the screen for decades. They both demonstrated great action chops in films like Rambo and The Terminator.

2010 saw the release of The Expendables which had an all-star cast. But it wasn’t really a true comeback both for Sly and Arnie. Yes, Sly was the main lead, but a true cinematic comeback would be his roles in  Rambo (2008) or Rock Balboa (2006). However, in this article, we will focus on action releases in the 2010’s.

Lets go over and rank every time the two made a comeback, either as an independent piece or together. I have left out straight to DVD releases. This article is all about their main releases.

Although films like Creed (2015) are excellent, I want to select films from the action genre. These two stars created their form of the action genre back in the 80’s and 90’s, named the one man army. One could say they have created their own action genre of the 2010’s. You can call it the comeback action genre. We can see this with Bruce Willis returning not just for The Expendables (2010) franchise but to Die Hard as well in 2013. 

If you have an Amazon prime or Netflix account, I will mention which of the two streaming platforms are to be found with each film.

Lets find out which title you love the most!

1)- Bullet to the Head (2013)

Rotten tomatoes: 45% 

Imdb: 5.7

Box office: 22.6 million

Director: Walter Hill

Plot: When veteran hit man Jimmy Bobo (Sylvester Stallone) and his partner, Louis (Jon Seda), kill a corrupt ex-cop, Louis in turn loses his life to an ex-mercenary named Keegan (Jason Momoa). Detective Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang) senses a connection between the two killings and seeks out Bobo, who subsequently saves Kwon from an assassination attempt. The pair join forces against a common enemy: a ruthless real-estate developer named Robert Nkomo Morel (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).

Review: This film feels straight out of the 80’s with its ridiculously simple yet fierce plot. By far the most impressive aspect to this film is Stallone’s physical performance. When he takes out enemies, he really takes them out. You feel every punch. It’s physical action cinema that captures the senses. However, the plot and writing are expectedly disappointing. This is a straight up throwback to 80’s action cinema and if that is what you want, you will be mostly satisfied. This is an old-school throwback and for that it feels very different to a lot of the action films of today.

Streaming platforms: Amazon prime video free. 

2) The Last Stand (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes: 61% 

Imdb: 6.3

Box office: 48.3 million

Director: Jee-woon Kim

Plot: Once a narcotics officer in the LAPD, Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has settled into a peaceful life as sheriff of Sommerton Junction, a quiet border town. But that peace is shattered when Gabriel Cortez, a vicious crime lord, escapes from FBI custody and speeds toward Ray’s town with a band of mercenaries. Federal agents prepare to capture Cortez, and Ray is at first reluctant to get involved — but he soon finds he must rally his team and take matters into his own hands.

Review: My initial reaction to this film back in 2013 was a disappointment. This is because we never really see Arnold take out huge waves of enemies like he did in films like Commando (1985) or The Terminator (1984). The film has a lot more creative style and for that I do give the film credit. The film is a western-action, which we don’t see a lot of nowadays. The supporting cast are entertaining to watch. In particular, Johnny Knoxville is probably the most memorable addition. The action is slick in parts. We get to see well executed car chases and some over the top blood splatters. This film wasn’t the true comeback we were waiting to see from Arnold. It just lacked a spark and a bit of energy. Call it a belated comeback. Its a late arrival but at least he arrives in style.

Streaming platforms: Netflix

3) Escape Plan (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes: 50% 

Imdb: 6.7

Box office: 137.3 million

Director: Mikael Hafstrom

Plot: When a structural-security authority finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world’s most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.

Review: Now we’re talking! What makes this film work more than not is that there is actually a plot this time around. The film earns your attention first, then it delivers the action. Prison break movies are always exciting but they have been done to death at this point. Luckily, the chemistry between Sly and Arnie helps maintain your interest, even when the film tries to explain the plot, which can be at times quite dull. I felt that the director was genuinely trying to make a good film and didn’t rely on the nostalgia factor of these two stars to be the films main selling point. It’s nothing special, but it gets the job done with machine guns. The main selling point is the actual escape at the end. The film leads to an exciting climax, one not to be missed for action junkies. Watch out for Arnold’s one liner towards the end, it’s actually very funny.

Streaming platforms: Netflix

4) Sabotage (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes: 22% 

Imdb: 5.7

Box office: 22.1 million

Director: David Ayer 

Plot: John “Breacher” Wharton (Arnold Schwarzenegger) leads an elite DEA task force. Its latest mission is a high-stakes raid on a safe house owned by one of the world’s deadliest drug cartels. Wharton and his team (Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello) complete the mission successfully but secretly steal $10 million for themselves. They think their work is done — until, one-by-one, the commandos are mysteriously killed. As the body count rises, everyone becomes a suspect.

Review: This film is an example of more extreme violence. Director David Ayer is no stranger to this theme. The previous year saw the release of End of Watch (2013) which never feared to show audiences the harsh reality of what policemen see and do in LA. David Ayer likes this theme of reality violence, but he takes it a bit too far in this film. Arnold gives a good performance, but I think audiences prefer to see Arnold when he shows a bit more charisma. Terminator 2 (1991) is the perfect balance. It’s serious when it needs to be but it never feels grotesque or made out of poor taste. The script and plot are so generic in this circumstance, that not even Arnold’s charisma lacking performance is enough to recommend.

The concluding point is that the overall mood of the film is very dark, which I don’t think suits Arnie’s style. I’d say skip this film, but if you are in the mood for gritty and intense action sequences, then this film will provide you with that.

Streaming platform: Amazon prime video free, Netflix

5) The Expendables 3 (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes: 32% 

Imdb: 6.1

Box office: 214.7 million

Director: Patrick Hughes 

Plot: Barney Ross and The Expendables rescue Doc, who has been imprisoned for eight years, from a train that is transporting him to a maximum security prison. Doc teams-up with Barney, Lee Christmas, Gunner, Toll Road and Hale Caesar in the assignment of stopping the dealer Victor Mins during a transaction of bombs.

Review: for the third time in a row, we have Arnie and Sly star in an ensemble piece. The common problem audiences had with this film were three points. The PG-13 rating, CGI overuse and the new cast. Whilst all three points are valid problems, I think The Expendables 3 (2014) works for the most part but it comes down to expectation. This was Patrick Hughes 2nd directorial feature and he would later make the popular The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017). He can direct action very well and the stunt work in The Expendables 3 (2014) is very impressive. By far the most exciting part of the film is the last 30 minutes. It reminded me of the action from The Raid (2011). This is because you can see real stunt work, which is so refreshing to witness in this day and age of action films. Other impressive elements include the addition of Mel Gibson who definitely earns the best villain award. Ironically, he would earn an Oscar nomination for Hacksaw Ridge (2016) for best direction. 

Streaming: Amazon prime

6) Rambo Last Blood (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 26% 

Imdb: 6.1

Box office: 91.4 million

Director: Adrian Grunberg

Plot: Rambo must confront his past and unearth his ruthless combat skills to exact revenge in a final mission.

Review: Yep, this franchise hasn’t gone away just yet. This is a generic sequel or shall I say finale to a much beloved action franchise. The plot moves at a predictable pace, but I still really enjoyed Rambo Last Blood (2019) for what it was. The scenario here has been used countless times in action cinema. its most notable comparison is Taken (2008).Yet, I think it was a smart move to place Rambo’s character in a situation where he has to save a member of his family. Tonally speaking, it just made enough sense for me to believe. As for the final act, it’s some of Stallone’s best work in years and a real highlight in the Rambo series.

Streaming: Amazon prime

7) The Expendables 2 

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%

Imdb: 6.6

Box office: 315 million

Director: Simon West 

Plot: Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.

Review: Simon West is the main star of this film. He ups the stakes by giving audiences a much bigger action spectacle. This was helped by the addition of Chuck Norris, Jean Clean Van Damme, Liam Hemsworth, Scott Adkins and more. It gives you more than what the 1st film gave you. It takes more risks with the humor. When it works, it’s funny and when it doesn’t, it’s painful. But, the action is handled by an expert. Simon West has worked on a lot of top notch action thrillers such as the iconic yet cheesy 90’s romp Con Air (1997) and he was even an executive producer on Back Hawk Down (2001). He is a director that is still working in the action genre and he recently completed a project named The Legend Hunters (2021). The Expendables 2 is currently the best reviewed action film of the last decade with a rotten tomatoes score of 67% and it earns its place as a fun experience.

Streaming: Amazon prime

Final verdict

I can recommend Escape plan (2013),Bullet to the Head (2013) and the recent Rambo flick. For Arnie fans, The Last Stand (2013) may be slightly underwhelming. The Expendables films may be the better option in terms of fun popcorn entertainment. They haven’t earned the critic’s opinion yet, with Empire film giving most of these releases a 3 star review or less, but that may change for the 2020’s.

But, these films aren’t meant for the critics, they are for action audiences.

Speaking of action cinema, The Expendables 4 may still happen. You can read an update on The Expendables 4 here.

You can buy Escape plan on blu ray, here 

The Expendables 2 steelbook here 

Rambo Last Blood steelbook here, 

Author Bio

Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on his Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football.