Expendables 4

[ScarredLungs]

Ive enjoyed the first three. I would probably enjoy the 4th.

[Blu-21]

Ever since his well deserved acclaim for his performance in creed, Stallone has practically more or less closed the door on Rambo 4 and now Expendables 4. It seems his role in Creed and how successful it was with the public has had an effect on Stallone and where his acting career goes from here. I don't think it all has to do with age, he is still more than capable.

Anyway if we do get a Expendables 4 I would love to see Arnold/Trench lead the pack with his team behind him. I'm pretty sure the whole assembly action cast piece was his idea to begin with dating back to the early/mid 90's.

[Ill_Be_Back]

Originally Posted by Blu-21

Ever since his well deserved acclaim for his performance in creed, Stallone has practically more or less closed the door on Rambo 4 and now Expendables 4. It seems his role in Creed and how successful it was with the public has had an effect on Stallone and where his acting career goes from here. I don't think it all has to do with age, he is still more than capable.

Anyway if we do get a Expendables 4 I would love to see Arnold/Trench lead the pack with his team behind him. I'm pretty sure the whole assembly action cast piece was his idea to begin with dating back to the early/mid 90's.

Yeah Stallone had success in Copland but the films that followed were not. He had to make a comeback with Rocky and Rambo to save his career. He has wanted out of the action films that made him famous for some time now. Now that Creed has came along and he has a high chance of winning an Oscar he can concentrate on films like Scarpa.

I also would love that idea of Schwarzenegger taking over, I can see the series taking a different turn with him as lead star. For starters Stallone wouldn't be there ghost directing and Schwarzenegger could bring his much needed charisma and screen presence into the series for it's full running time. It's just a shame that the scripts are never given much thought in these films, ideally I would like another studio to take over.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Ill_Be_Back

Yeah Stallone had success in Copland but the films that followed were not. He had to make a comeback with Rocky and Rambo to save his career. He has wanted out of the action films that made him famous for some time now. Now that Creed has came along and he has a high chance of winning an Oscar he can concentrate on films like Scarpa.

I also would love that idea of Schwarzenegger taking over, I can see the series taking a different turn with him as lead star. For starters Stallone wouldn't be there ghost directing and Schwarzenegger could bring his much needed charisma and screen presence into the series for it's full running time. It's just a shame that the scripts are never given much thought in these films, ideally I would like another studio to take over.

I like to see Schwarzenegger take the lead role too but i don't think that be enough to give something different to this series.

[mjvmovieman]

I would love to see someone write a really great script for this series just one time! 'The Expendables' has always had great potential, but Stallone has never understood what it would take to make this concept great.

[levcore]

I agree with a lot of the sentiments here, the series desperately needs a solid script which only the first movie really had, and even then it could be loads better. Less concern about novelty casting and more focus on story and characters, then worry about the casting.

I can't blame Stallone if he wants to move on. He is 69 and it must be a real challenge staying in shape. My dad is a couple of years younger than him and can't walk without a stick, so i totally understand if Stallone is tired of action roles.

[tob]

Originally Posted by levcore

I agree with a lot of the sentiments here, the series desperately needs a solid script which only the first movie really had, and even then it could be loads better. Less concern about novelty casting and more focus on story and characters, then worry about the casting.

I can't blame Stallone if he wants to move on. He is 69 and it must be a real challenge staying in shape. My dad is a couple of years younger than him and can't walk without a stick, so i totally understand if Stallone is tired of action roles.

Also they can't aim this again for the PG13 market.

[L.J.]

Originally Posted by tob

I like to see Schwarzenegger take the lead role too but i don't think that be enough to give something different to this series.

Can see a fourth working with Arnold in the lead. Hope it gets an r rating this time.

[Blu-21]

Originally Posted by L.J.

Can see a fourth working with Arnold in the lead. Hope it gets an r rating this time.

More of a EX 1 R rating than the EX 2 R rating, which barely felt R rated, even though ironically it is my favorite of the trilogy.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Sly might want to focus on less action-oriented thrillers like Bronson and Eastwood did in their later days. As long as he can drive a car and fire a gun he should be good for a few more years...

Good point.

Originally Posted by Blu-21

Ever since his well deserved acclaim for his performance in creed, Stallone has practically more or less closed the door on Rambo 4 and now Expendables 4. It seems his role in Creed and how successful it was with the public has had an effect on Stallone and where his acting career goes from here. I don't think it all has to do with age, he is still more than capable.

Anyway if we do get a Expendables 4 I would love to see Arnold/Trench lead the pack with his team behind him. I'm pretty sure the whole assembly action cast piece was his idea to begin with dating back to the early/mid 90's.

Well said. I bet after he got recognized by his fellow actors with a big prize for his acting, it gave him a new perspective on his career roles.

Originally Posted by L.J.

Can see a fourth working with Arnold in the lead. Hope it gets an r rating this time.

That would work IMO. Statham could continue to be a co leader since he was such a right hand guy to Stallone's character.

[Samus Aran]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

That would work IMO. Statham could continue to be a co leader since he was such a right hand guy to Stallone's character.

In the first movie he was the right hand man, but in the sequels his role kept shrinking as Stallone's kept growing. Maybe without Stallone a fourth movie could be more of an ensemble and they could actually give Dolph Lundgren something to do.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by Samus Aran

In the first movie he was the right hand man, but in the sequels his role kept shrinking as Stallone's kept growing. Maybe without Stallone a fourth movie could be more of an ensemble and they could actually give Dolph Lundgren something to do.

I hope so, if Stallone opts out and only plays a dialog role, kind of how Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis did for the most part. I bet Stallone will be in it but with less action.

I'd like to see Jet Li play a bigger role this time also.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by levcore

I agree with a lot of the sentiments here, the series desperately needs a solid script which only the first movie really had, and even then it could be loads better. Less concern about novelty casting and more focus on story and characters, then worry about the casting.

I can't blame Stallone if he wants to move on. He is 69 and it must be a real challenge staying in shape. My dad is a couple of years younger than him and can't walk without a stick, so i totally understand if Stallone is tired of action roles.

No. None of them have had good scripts. 1 had the BEST scripting possibly... which doesn't mean much but still. An Inkling of depth to these characters comes across like a great moment surrounded by mediocrity. The bit w/ Sly and Rourke... that had great depth to it. Gave us emotion, recognition of consequence, etc. Then... we have the rest of the film that doesn't match up. Great scene in a crap film. I liked the action to a degree but it was all soulless. CG looked horrible.

No matter what... Sly getting speared/tackled by Austin looked brutal cuz it was.So that was a nice bit of surprise in the action. It's much more dramaticized in the doc but still...

I LOVE the making of Doc on the BD though. That alone is worth buying the BD.

[Ill_Be_Back]

Originally Posted by Blu-21

More of a EX 1 R rating than the EX 2 R rating, which barely felt R rated, even though ironically it is my favorite of the trilogy.

Yeah Expendables 2 had more of a lighter tone with the amount of jokes thrown in. EX4 if it happens should go hard R. It was a greedy decision on Millenniums part to aim for a PG-13 rating on EX3.

[levcore]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chaverria

No. None of them have had good scripts. 1 had the BEST scripting possibly... which doesn't mean much but still. An Inkling of depth to these characters comes across like a great moment surrounded by mediocrity. The bit w/ Sly and Rourke... that had great depth to it. Gave us emotion, recognition of consequence, etc. Then... we have the rest of the film that doesn't match up. Great scene in a crap film. I liked the action to a degree but it was all soulless. CG looked horrible.

No matter what... Sly getting speared/tackled by Austin looked brutal cuz it was.So that was a nice bit of surprise in the action. It's much more dramaticized in the doc but still...

I LOVE the making of Doc on the BD though. That alone is worth buying the BD.

Well I never said 1 had a good script, just that it had the most solid out of the 3 so I stand by that. Also it's a sentiment you seem to agree with in your post so I'm not sure why your first word was just 'no' and then you trying to correct me

[Zivouhr]

While a good story helps, most action fans go to see the Expendable movies for the action and old school action heroes reliving the past, so the storylines and writing aren't as critical as if this were a dramatic movie, where great acting and drama would be front and center.
Based on that, they're entertaining movies that deliver the action.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

While a good story helps, most action fans go to see the Expendable movies for the action and old school action heroes reliving the past, so the storylines and writing aren't as critical as if this were a dramatic movie, where great acting and drama would be front and center.
Based on that, they're entertaining movies that deliver the action.

Entertainment is easy.

Unfortunately you then get stuck with crap narrative that goes nowhere. 2 had that pretty bad. 3 was just boring. 1 had a more focused one but it was still weak w/ some saving graces.. That whole subplot in 2 w/ the men taken away from that village was just filler. Not even good filler.

The stories should matter. They should have consequences and depth. Makes the action better if there's a worth to it all.

To make it worse... the action isn't great at all. It's very standard. 3 had some neat stunts added in but they weren't anything to be wowed about by how they were done or shown.

All 3 have boring plots that try give some type of development depth to it but they're just written in a mediocre form. Where one could bypass that for great action. We don't even get that. We get action but it's nothing memorable really. Not to say that EVERY action film has to be memorable but the Expendables franchise are just a waste of what could be given the talent that is in there.

Whatever worth the characters have are not for the characters. You care cuz of the cast and that's it. Then why even try to add the mediocre attempts at plot if you can't just develop better production towards the action? It's just flash and no bang.

You had a UK bloke in Indonesia make 2 action films w/ much less money and his plots are still better and his action is much more exciting too. Even the narrative takes risks w/ the crazy stuff they play out. And they take risks in those that sold the visual were these films don't. There's no impact. Hell, John Wick had a $20 million budget and it ran circles around The Expendables' action w/ how much quality and care was given to it. Script too was a lot of fun.

I like Sly and want to love this franchise cuz of the cast but why support mediocrity to a genre that is damn near heading, if not there already, Horror standards?

I can't support something like that. That's fine and dandy if you like Sly's franchise but the more you buy in the more it shows what standards they've got to meet. Which apparently are pretty low in quality. They're ambitions to create these things are high but they lack imagination in execution.

[L.J.]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chaverria

No. None of them have had good scripts. 1 had the BEST scripting possibly... which doesn't mean much but still. An Inkling of depth to these characters comes across like a great moment surrounded by mediocrity. The bit w/ Sly and Rourke... that had great depth to it. Gave us emotion, recognition of consequence, etc. Then... we have the rest of the film that doesn't match up. Great scene in a crap film. I liked the action to a degree but it was all soulless. CG looked horrible.

No matter what... Sly getting speared/tackled by Austin looked brutal cuz it was.So that was a nice bit of surprise in the action. It's much more dramaticized in the doc but still...

I LOVE the making of Doc on the BD though. That alone is worth buying the BD.

Inferno is a real good doc. almost as good as the film.

Maybe they could have Sly be the one to send the team on their next mission. Or play a part like Rourke did in 1. Wonder if Carl Weathers will be approched for this.

[Blu-21]

Originally Posted by L.J.

Inferno is a real good doc. almost as good as the film.

Maybe they could have Sly be the one to send the team on their next mission. Or play a part like Rourke did in 1. Wonder if Carl Weathers will be approched for this.

Well it seems last year Weathers and Stallone finally patched things up after a long time, and Weathers is still in good shape. Would love to see him involved.

[Gizz]

I have enjoyed all three so I am looking forward to a another one.

How I rank the series

The Expendables II
The Expendables
The Expendables III