The Expendables 3
review by
ANIZ FILMVALA
*****
Expendables is back with host of shining stars of yesteryear Gibson, Ford, Banderas, Wesley Snipes and infamous Robert Davi extending the cast for high scale nostalgia. But the missing core is the right amount of screen presence and strong lines to recreate the aura of the stature which they thrive for decades.
The mercenary group founder Barney Ross [Sylvester Stallone] and his team known as "The Expendables" is in clash with coldblooded arms dealer Conrad Stonebanks [Gibson] this time headed by Max Drummer [Harrison Ford] a CIA operative. The Expendables are on a mission to haul out former member Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes) from a running train heading towards an undisclosed jail in Bulgaria. As the Doc is rescued in a death defying stunt of airlifting,then they are headed to Somalia for a new mission of intercepting a consignment of bombs owned by Stonebanks. Pandemonium erupts when the clash of the mafia begins with the Expendables leaving Hale Caesar [Terry Crews] severely injured in a missile attack by Stonebanks.
Thus blaming himself Ross goes to Las Vegas to meet retired mercenary Bonaparte [Kelsey Grammer] to lend a hand to him to locate younger mercenaries and leaving behind his core team, henceforth the recruits join Ross to incarcerate Stonebanks from his hideout, but the mission fails and instead the young troopers are hostage with Stonebanks. Next the old lions are back with Ross to rescue the youth brigade and an intriguing war ignites to triumph over the army of Stonebanks.
Directed by Patrick Hughes Expendables 3 neglects the basic pattern of interweaving the huge assembly of a cast. The Big Daddy’s of Hollywood are sprinkled haphazardly and shoddily positioned in the film leaving behind the importance of their iconic status.
The action is mediocre nothing stupendous except for the opening sequence of snipes rescue. Ford gives an unmemorable performance and Banderas has scale down to a buffoon fashion which goes awry. The wait continues for next as which biggie adds to the Stallone bandwagon
Cast
Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross
Jason Statham as Lee Christmas
Antonio Banderas as Galgo
Jet Li as Yin Yang
Wesley Snipes as Doctor Death
Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen
Kelsey Grammer as Bonaparte
Randy Couture as Toll Road
Terry Crews as Hale Caesar
Kellan Lutz as John Smilee
Ronda Rousey as Luna
Glen Powell as Thorn
Victor Ortiz as Mars
Robert Davi as Goran Vata
Mel Gibson as Conrad Stonebanks
Harrison Ford as Max Drummer
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Trench Mauser
