The Expendables 3
After several consecutive flops Sylvester Stallone returns to the screen in The Expendables 3, a non-stop, action-packed and adrenaline-pumping blockbuster that should restore Stallone to the Hollywood A-list.
Barney (Sylvester Stallone) replaces his current Expendables team with young blood, but when they’re captured and held hostage by the evil arms dealer Stonebanks (Mel Gibson) the old gang reform and a stunning rescue mission follows.
Star-studded Hollywood heavyweights including Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Wesley Snipes have been assembled for this mammoth sequel, with Mel Gibson’s effective performance as the villain rekindling his career. Antonio Banderas is also hilarious as Galgo, the chatty wanna-be-expendable.
After the release of this film’s cheesy predecessor the tired format was revamped, with the justifiable elimination of the self-parody and re-introduction of the more conventional serious style of storytelling.
This has successfully revitalised the franchise, still remaining comical but adding an edge that should arrest audiences and secure yet more sequels. (MM)
***1/2 /5
