The Expendables 3
2014 · Directed by Patrick Hughes
Original language: English
- action
- adventure
- thriller
The story
Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.
What it’s like
Bright, flat daylight and sweaty interiors give way to hard tungsten and murky night, with the camera mostly locked to the action rather than floating above it. Sylvester Stallone's roving shots of a rain-slicked city alternate with cramped, hot-toned hangars, and gunfire cracks loud and glossy across every set. The score is a bombastic pulse of synth-and-orchestra swells, punctuated by the clank of metal and the pop of revolvers. The pacing is brisk and unbroken, built around training montages, prison breaks and a long, noisy final assault, with little space between one explosion and the next. The tone is nostalgic, cheerfully macho and self-aware in its banter, with the older mercenaries bickering about their age while the younger recruits bring new energy. Violence is frequent and cartoonishly bloody, with many gunfights and hand-to-hand fights, plus brief strong language; there is no sexual content. It suits a loud Friday night with friends or a nostalgic rewatch for fans of 1980s action, not anyone seeking something gentle.
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