Quickie review: The Expendables

Looks like Van Damme got the last laugh...

Writer-director-star Stallone not only should've handed over the camera, but he should've let somebody have a go at the script, and even more important, he should've secured the rest of the gang (Van Damme, Seagal, Snipes), even if it took waiting a year or begging them on his hands and knees. The Expendables is a messy, watchable movie that could have been so much more. Cheap production value doesn't help either. You don't just throw something like this together on a whim.


** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

"I'd call that a tie."

WHY is Lundgren billed after Couture? I have nothing against Randy, but that's a disgrace:



Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

"He loves playing in the jungle."

I'm too tired right now to actually digest the insta-controversy over the blatantly-spoiled cameos, but hey, I thought it was awesome. The thing that bugged me the most: not enough Dolph. I'll be there either way, obviously.

Choose your weapon

Can somebody say "DAMN!"

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Van Damme does Stallone

Priceless:



Source: Kung Fu Cinema

Reporting from Gothenburg, NE: EXPENDABLE!

UPDATE: Taken down(?). Seemed pretty official to me.

I say not:



Source: AICN

Bring it on

Moving out to Los Angeles in two weeks, to this I say...



Bring it on!

Source: Ethelmae's Blog

Bootlegged Expendables

Got a little wishy-washy about posting it, but I couldn't resist. The Expendables teaser trailer, bootleg style:



Dolph and Jet! Eric Roberts! David Zayas lookin' pimp! Can somebody say "yes!"

Source: Beyond Hollywood

Expendable footage? Expendables footage!

UPDATE: He's confirmed!

A few dashes of slow-mo awesome badassery for your enjoyment:



Source: /Film

New Expendables photos!

Pure awesomeness! Check them out:

Jet Li, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, the whole fucking gang just looks awesome. Somebody spilled a can of whoop ass on the floor! Sweet Jesus!

AICN visits the set of The Expendables!

Check it out here. It's very much worth the read, for people anticipating the film or otherwise.

Can, not, wait.

Behind the scenes footage from the Expendables!

The good news just keeps rolling on in! Check of this behind the scenes footage straight from the set of the Expendables. It's actually well put together and to see Stallone 'in the zone' is pretty cool in its own right.

Why the Expendables will be unfathomably awesome

First official photo:



Courtesy of AICN.

Follow the Expendables on Twitter!

I've never been much of a Twitter guy, but this I plan to keep up on. From AICN, "You can now follow Sheryl Main, the unit publicist for Stallone's THE EXPENDABLES, as she updates from the film's shoot." The cast, including Stallone himself, is 'twittering' as well.

Check it out here.

UPDATE: The President is now Expendable

Wesley Snipes out. Forest Whitaker out. 50 Cent, out. So now who's in? Well none other than President Camacho, a.k.a. Terry Crews!

This is a big development, but I'll be brief. Crews may not be the "insurance policy" that Whitaker was, but he's definitely an improvement over Curtis Jackson a.k.a. 50 Cent. He's really been making something of himself, taking roles both big and small in big and small movies throughout the decade (The 6th Day, Training Day, Idiocracy, Inland Empire, Street Kings, and the upcoming Terminator: Salvation are roles that I would praise him for, at least in principle). He should gel perfectly within the cast of the Expendables and maybe it'll give him the little boost he needs a la Randy Couture.

As always, we'll see how it develops.

Forest Whitaker is truly expendable after all

Run, Forest, run!

A sad day for The Expendables. I don't even want to reiterate it. I'll just start ranting.

Forest Whitaker was the fifth, but wholly necessary wheel to the upcoming Expendables. The quadruple threat of Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and Dolph Lundgren was a great, great development, but it needed an insurance policy, you know? Forest Whitaker was that policy, and now that's he gone, a definite sense of risk seems to surround the project. Van Damme or Wesley Snipes would've provided more than insurance, so would Sandra Bullock, but those three big names fell through. And I say big names because, after all, that's ultimately what this movie's about--it's not about the characters, it's about the personas behind them. The old-school, washed-up duo of Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts is cool, but that doesn't guarantee anything (there's a reason they're considered washed up). Either way, I have nothing against 50 Cent and I'll even go as far to say that I'm sure he'll do fine, but the doubt still lingers. Wrestlers, fighters, and rappers don't make surefire action stars. That's all I'm saying.

I'll still see it, dammit, but come on, Sly, keep it together.

The Expendables gets some 3:16!

Stone Cold's comin' for ya

A day or two ago, I had surpassed posting the news that Charisma Carpenter had joined everyone's favorite action ensemble epic of the new millennium, The Expendables (just another pretty face by my standards), but now, this new bit simply cannot be ignored.

Stone Cold Steve Austin 3:16 himself has now officially joined the cast. Now, not only do we have a real fighter on our hands (Randy Couture), not to mention a martial arts master (Jet Li), but a professional wrestler as well. These, combined with the big-name actioners like Lundgren, Statham, and Stallone himself should provide for some pretty entertaining fireworks. And don't forget that confimed Schwarzenegger cameo. And well, fuck, don't forget everyone else either, in Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, and maybe even now Eric Roberts (!)? I'm still lamenting over the lack of Van Damage and Wesley Snipes, as well as the very much needed addition of Sandra Bullock, but oh well. Stallone's not gonna quit, he's not gonna give up no matters who gives him the shaft. Don't stop, Sly, don't stop.

I should be getting paid for the way I promote this Goddamned movie. It better be good, and damn good.

He's in

And he's back, baby.

Source: Worst Previews

The Expendables gets a Trejo, perhaps a Governator

The rumor mill of our favorite film here at The Action Reaction has gone through the roof, apparently. Before I even dive into the juicy details, let me list who has been confirmed for the action ensemble of the millennium, if not eternity:

Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Forest Whitaker, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, and now Danny Trejo.

And then the rumored:

Jean-Claude Van Damme (rejected a part, but still a possibility) Sandra Bullock, Ben Kingsley, Scott Adkins, and now Arnold frickin' Schwarzenegger in a possible cameo appearance (as well as a round of small actioners who could potentially have parts).

There's really not much to say at this point--much of it's been said already across the interwebs. For one, I too have had it with the fucking "capes," a.k.a. Superhero films. I've also had with the hype for Inglourious Basterds, which, after its new teaser, certainly seems a complete waste of time. And most of all, I've had it with this new generation of action films--they're obviously not doing very well considering all the hackshit attempts to revive previous franchises (Rocky, Die Hard, Rambo, Indiana Jones, etc). The Expendables is doing something that really has never been done before, at least since The Dirty Dozen, which even then doesn't accurately compare. It won't be about the plot (obviously), it won't be about some fanboy phenomenon, hell, it might not even be about the action. It's about bringing the heroes we've watched for all these years together for the first time and watching their combined star power kick more ass than is humanly (and humanely) possible.

Okay, rant over, well, not quite; who would I like to see become 'expendable?' Well, Van Damme would've been nice, but that's probably said and done. Unfortunately, Wesley Snipes couldn't join the cast because he can't leave the country--I still hope he avoids jailtime, as pathetic as that probably sounds. I would love to see Sandra as Forest Whitaker's partner (he plays a government-type chasing them down), and Scott Adkins would be great too--he deserves all the mainstream exposure he can get. I think Mark Dacascos would be great as another villain, or hero, for that matter; he doesn't only deserve the exposure but quite frankly, he needs it. Personally, I could do without Ben Kingsley and Mickey Rourke, the latter of which seemed a bit forced, even if he's only playing an arms dealer. And what about old Steven Seagal? Make him a general, or something, like John Travolta in The Thin Red Line--now that was a memorable cameo.

Okay, Steven Seagal might be pushing it. But either way, The Expendables is shaping up nicely, and we (or rather, I) here at The Action Reaction will keep you updated on the news of this epic action ensemble for the decades.

The Expendables gets another!

I've been really busy the last few days with Thanksgiving and all (check that link, trust me), but this is news better late than never, for those who haven't seen it already.




Sylvester Stallone's upcoming mercenary flick, The Expendables, which already features Jet Li, Jason Statham, as well as Stallone himself, will now have another actioner on board. Old Rocky rival Dolph Lundgren has now officially joined the cast, in what may be the great action ensemble of the new millenium.

My enthusiam for this project is already well known amongst whatever community this blog actually has, but now it's going through the frickin' roof. By casting what are essentially are B+ action stars, there won't be too many ego trips going on, and I feel this cast will gel to perfection. The addition of Lundgren makes sense on so many levels, and the next question is, of course, who else will be expendable? Another rumored is addition is Forest Whitaker, which would be badass in every respect (see this clip). If Wesley Snipes wasn't going to jail, I think he'd be worth something, or maybe someone like Mark Dacascos, I don't know. Either way, I think it's safe to say that we got one helluva action movie on tap for 2010.

Who do you think should be 'expendable?' Leave your comments below.

Photo Credit: Dolph: The Ultimate Guide