The Expendables IV
 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...st-1235004992/

The first one took itself too seriously. The second one was OK, but tacked on the R-rating in post production, when they went back and added in digital blood. The third one wasn't even R-rated. R-rated from jump or don't bother with part 4.

These are fun movies even if they’re far from perfect, but the one thing all of them got completely wrong was their horrible misuse of their respective villains! Both Van Damme and Gibson especially were wasted opportunities!

I forgot there was even a Part III.

First one was okay.

This seems mostly like "Let's get everybody together for One Last Round before everybody's too old and it becomes impossible to suspend any disbelief."

Unless they do something awful like a passing of the torch, defeating the entire premise of the series.

Yeah, that's all we'd f*cking need. Sly and Arnold getting bailed out by Vin Diesel, John Cena and The Rock. :roll:

I might just give up on movies altogether at that point. I'm like halfway there already, anyways.

Vin Diesel and The Rock were supposed to be the new Arnold and Stallone like 20 years ago. Never really happened, and now they're too old.

But I could see them debating about making like Statham in charge of a bunch of new guys, like 50 Cent and so on.

I think it is more tied to the classic action movie (as understood in 80s and early 90s) genre dying out.

I love these movies. Mindless fun. The third one suffered in theaters because at the time I think it was the most pirated movie of all-time pre-release.

I'm glad they are making another one. But, like Indiana Jones 5, I just hope it's not a $#!( show of old men. "The Irishman" really put the stamp on that one for me.....

The Rock made some solid "tough guy flicks". "Faster" was awesome....

Faster was awesome. But nobody saw it.

Even Diesel and The Rock can't bring the 80s back.

I could make an argument that they never really tried to.

The Rock came in the door with like two or three completely toothless PG-13 movies, then wanted to cut into comedies before he ever even became a big R action star like Arnold or Stallone. And then he just sort of hovered around comedy/comedic action stuff and still is (whether it's Jungle Cruise, San Andreas, Jumanji, etc., he's just playing himself, or a version of his jokey wrestler self). That's not the way to go about it. Imagine if Arnold began his career in the 80s with like a watered down PG-13 "Raw Deal," then leapt straight into "Junior." His career would have floundered. Arnold was smart... he cultivated his image and chose the right actioners until he was that guy. Then, and only then, did he branch out into comedic stuff, testing out his chops and playing with audience expectation of his image.

Vin Diesel came in the door with Fast & Furious and Pitch Black. Both spawned franchises. But Diesel was never a larger than life personality, not a big bodybuilder, and didn't have much personality or charm. Just ego, really. So he didn't really go anywhere surprising.

80s action movies will never come back, their equivalent is superhero movies and those will die as well for the next trend, that is if theaters survive

His size in that one was ridiculous. I remember when he first comes out the cell on release day. I described his size to a buddy of mine by saying that "dude he had to turn sideways to get through the cell door - he's like 'three head's wide". We still laugh our asses off about that - 'three heads wide' like you could fit three full necks with heads on his body in that shot, lmao!

The movie itself was really well done. I liked the Rundown when it first came out too. But I don't ever go back to watch it again.

I remember sometime back he did an interview about doing an Expendables flick. He said he'd do it, but that he'd want to be the guy who hunted the Expendables, IIRC. I also remember some talk some years back about an "Expenda-belles" spinoff with people like Milla Jovovich, but to this day I don't know if that was just pop culture fandom talking or a seriously considered thing....

Compared to, like... "Commando" or "Predator," you know?

But "Faster" was great. Like a "Samoan John Wick," where he's like this vengeful walking urban legend. There was some very puzzling marketing there. I never even saw it in the theater, just afterward (most people seemed to think it was some kind of wannabe Fast & Furious movie, when it was anything but).

I've heard Stallone talk about the Expendabelles so that was definitely real. But then I think a bunch of "grrl power!" type movies came out and failed hard right about when they were sniffing around for financiers on it... so there suddenly wasn't a huge push to put a bunch of washed up ones in the same movie together, Expendables 1-3 or not (plus 3 did BAD... only 39 million domestically).

Sandra Bullock, Cynthia Rothrock, Jovovich, Weaver, maybe Kathleen Turner, etc.... there could have been something there, sure.

I'm glad that never happened. While men can age gracefully and look distinguished as they get old, all those women basically became old hags. Nobody is going to get interested watching a 60 year old grandma spout one-liners and shoot with a gun. This isn't Terminator: Dark Fate.

40 is already over the hill in hollywood, let alone 60+

Yessssss, yes and yes.

A DVD quality copy leaked a week before it's release IIRC, and it became the most pirated movie ever up until that point. Ironic, because in some ways if that could've translated into money, it would've been incredibly successful.

Stream of consciousness here from Mel Gibson in that one, but did you ever see "Get the Gringo"? That was a good flick....

:lol::lol:

I remember when Galaxy Quest came out and I couldn't believe how hot Sigourney Weaver looked in that, given I hadn't seen her in some time on film. And then Avatar came out and I felt like she aged 25 years between that and Galaxy Quest. She's an awesome actress though.

It's a well known fact female actress age much faster than men. I don't know why that is, especially when you realize all these people are millionaires and can afford plastic surgery or cosmetics to make themselves look much younger than regular people can.

Look at any female actress in their prime in old movies and tv shows and then look at what they look like now. I'd say less than 10% have aged well.

Have you ever heard the term "Skinny fat"? It's basically used to describe someone who maybe looks like they are in great shape, but on the inside their organs are all fatty and basically falling apart under what looks like a well-kept body. That state of being is also akin to anti-aging and plastic surgery currently. It's a smoke-screen that some people are in for and many don't want any part of.

We need "chemicals" to truly reverse aging. Biological chemicals rather than saws, saline and silicone inserts....

Stallone will exit the franchise with this film

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a3...s-series-exit/

Well if Stallone only filmed for a couple of weeks that means he likely won’t be in it for more than 10 minutes at most! Most likely he dies in the opening action piece is my guess! Very disappointed if this is true but oh well, it’s not like there will be an Expendables 5 anytime soon after this one sees similar results as 3.

Stallone exits? LOL... how can he do that and these movies still happen?

Jeeze. Probably yeah, something like that. It will be so moving to see his Expendables character die in battle, after such a great character arc throughout the first three movies.

NOT! wtf. The only reason for these movies to exist is to see 1980s and 1990s action stars battling each other spouting one liners.

And who they invite to the team?
AFAIK, aside from Rock and Statham and Diezel, there are no other charismatic and cool action stars from the last decade.

Matt Damon, Keanu Reeves, and Daniel Craig?

Yeah, I can't imagine any of them turning down the 5th movie in a white hot action franchise whose last movie only made 39 million domestically... 7 years ago.

Come outs next September:

https://www.darkhorizons.com/expenda...eptember-2023/

1-3 any good?

this and the Kingsman movies I've been meaning to check out, just never got around to it.

Mostly wasted opportunities. 2 is decent. That one "got it," that they shouldn't take things too seriously.

I love 'em. It's like a supergroup of actors doing their take on some alternative version of G.I. Joe somewhere. They aren't high art cinema, don't get me wrong but for ensemble films they do it well.

My biggest complaint are things like using Van Damme as a villain (although he did a great job - you should see the scene where he's beating his knife on his neck while deciding to kill a guy or not, it's so over the top); or how Gibson was great but really needed more screen time.

And 3 wasn't even R rated. 1 was fine but they needed like an 80s/90s big name to be the bad guy. There wasn't any notable bad guys there beyond Stone Cold, and he doesn't even do much.

Well Eric Roberts was a C-Movie 80's Karate-flick icon, man so he fit pretty well. I do think instead though that they should've put Van Damme or Seagal on the team instead of those three whoever's in part 3. Having Ronda Rousey there felt against the grain instead of Seagal, Michelle Yeoh or even Sigourney Weaver somehow.

This friggin movie has DTV written all over it! I mean when the new additions are Megan Fox, Andy Garcia, 50 cent, and Tony Ja (whom most people in the American audience doesn’t even know) then it’s likely going to suck balls! Oh and only four of the guys from the previous flicks are showing up for this one and Sly likely has a cameo type role.

The first movie was fine as an over the top nostalgia ride. The second movie was on many levels even better because it embraced the 80’s campiness a bit more than the first. And the third one was mostly awful with the new kid additions and an absolute waste of what had the potential to be a great villain in Mel Gibson. In fact all three movies have wasted the villains. Vane Damme should have had a better role and more to do in the second one.

Not one of the first three movies were perfect but I am 100% willing to bet the farm that this 4th one will be total DTV trash something on the level of the Escape Plan sequels!

And again, Stallone himself only did a couple of weeks on it. So this is not a sequel so much as it is a repurposing of the series and handing it off to new people (both behind and in front of the camera), with probably even less budget. A little like Escape Plan 2 and 3.

Looks a little less cheap than I expected but not much. And look, there's Megan Fox.

I guess she did sorta turn into an action movie star in the past decade or so.
Never thought I'd see her in Expendables though!

Seems to have not-so-subtly replaced Charisma Carpenter.

50 Cent is in this?


I’m sold and in!

Trailer looks good. So exited this is coming soon, been a long time coming

I feel the same way, but also like this one lacks real starpower. There is no shortage of 80's and 90's icons and although I love these flicks, I'm a little disappointed with the cast. It was like when they put Rhonda Rousey and Glen Powell in the Expendables - it's fine but.... huh? And I am always down for watching Megan Fox prance around on screen, but in the Expendables? But no Milla Jovavich?

This is one of those franchises that I have a lot of observations or mini-complaints about because, ironically, I love the movies and can't help but get into the "what ifs" about them. Also they have pretty much come out and said that Jason Statham "carries" this movie, so I think Stallone's role in it will probably be about as big as Schwarzenegger's role in the previous ones.

The producers have forgotten what these are supposed to be about. There isn't supposed to be (much) new blood or torch passing, these are supposed to be a celebration of 80s/90s icons teaming up and fighting similar baddies.