The Expendables franchise has been a hit and miss for audiences of the action genre. It was 2010 when Stallone first brought the concept to audiences, showcasing a much more serious and dramatic tone to what most of us were expecting. However, the violence did not disappoint, the last third of the film was a brilliant mash-up of knives, shotguns, and hand-to-hand combat scenes. However, Simon West turned up the volume for part 2, by including even more stars and larger set pieces. The sequel included more humor and on the whole, didn’t take itself too seriously. The last outing, directed by Patrick Hughes combined the tones from the first and the second but it was toned down due to its PG-13. At this point in the franchise, what do the fans want and expect to see from the upcoming film?
Lets discuss the upcoming Expendables 4
Direction and Writers
First of all, Scott Waugh is the man in charge. His filmography is impressive when you consider him for action cinema. Directed releases include Act of Valor and Need for Speed, which both showcased real practical effects with slick camera work. This practicality could be an area of the franchise that needs fixing. The Expendables 3 has some pretty awful CGI effects and it really lowers the whole experience. The only well-received entry in the series was The Expendables 2 with a rating of 67%, lets hope this upcoming sequel delivers the goods.
The writers include Max Adams, Dave Callaham and Spenser Cohen. Max Adams has written a few straight to dvd flicks over the years, including 2015’s Extraction starring two former Expendable stars including Bruce Willis and Kellan Lutz. Dave Callaham on the other hand brings a little more experience to the table. He previously wrote the previous Expendables films,
Godzilla, and Wonder Woman:1984. Spenser Cohen wrote Netflix’s Extinction and will be writing Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall, scheduled to be released in 2022. With the writers covered, lets talk about the most exciting part, the cast.
Cast and Crew
The series core characters will be returning, including Stallone, Statham, Couture, and Lundgren. Newcomers include 50 cent, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, and Andy Garcia. A very interesting trio of talent. 50 cent worked with Stallone on Escape Plan and his role hasn’t been revealed yet and neither has the plot.
During production, Stallone has kept fans updated with Instagram videos and set pictures. However, his most interesting post carried the following the message:
“The greatest thing is being able to provide films that are somewhat entertainment and maybe there’s a little message in there, because what I try to convey in my successful films is the human touch, the bond. Not so much the action, the action is self-evident.
“It’s just relating to the audience in a way that they can identify with whatever the mission is with the characters at hand… Just providing escapism and hopefully there’s a little something extra in there. That’s the hard part: heart, energy and humour”
As a fan of his work, I really hope this message comes across in the film considering he will be retiring his role and passing the role onto the one and only Jason Statham. What I would like to see from the Expendables 4 is not more of the same, but a film that carries on the legacy of the crew and proves to be a little deeper than pure explosions, the previous films in my opinion have never successfully captured this theme. On that note, Stallone is capable of dramatic work, as shown in Rocky Balboa and to some extent Rambo Last Blood as the finale became a hard-hitting.
All in all, this series needs a fresh installment. A film with an engaging story, practical effects, a hard r rating and a legacy that will live on for all action audiences. Lets see what happens.
TheReviewAwakens 