The Expendables (2010 film)

Last updated

The Expendables
Expendablesposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sylvester Stallone
Screenplay by
Story byDavid Callaham
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Jeffrey Kimball
Edited by
  • Ken Blackwell
  • Paul Harb
Music by Brian Tyler
Production
companies
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates
  • August 3, 2010 (2010-08-03)(Los Angeles)
  • August 13, 2010 (2010-08-13)(United States)
Running time
103 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80–82 million [2] [3]
Box office$274.5 million [2]

The Expendables is a 2010 American action film directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote it with David Callaham and also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars an ensemble cast of mostly action film actors consisting of Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. The film was released in the United States on August 13, 2010. It is the first installment in The Expendables film series. This was Dolph Lundgren's first theatrically released film since 1995's cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic.

Contents

The film is about a team of elite mercenaries tasked with a mission to overthrow a Latin American dictator whom they soon discover to be a mere puppet controlled by a corrupt ex-CIA agent. It pays tribute to the blockbuster action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was distributed by Lionsgate.

The Expendables received mixed reviews with praise towards the action sequences and cast performances. It was commercially successful, opening at number one at the box office in the United States, [2] the United Kingdom, [4] China [5] and India, [6] and grossed a total of $274 million worldwide. The film spawned the sequels The Expendables 2 (2012), The Expendables 3 (2014), and Expend4bles (2023).

Plot

An elite group of mercenaries named The Expendables, who are based in New Orleans, deploys to the Gulf of Aden to save hostages on a vessel from Somali pirates. The team consists of leader Barney Ross, blade specialist Lee Christmas, martial artist Yin Yang, military veteran Gunner Jensen, weapons specialist Hale Caesar, and demolitions expert Toll Road. Gunner instigates a firefight, causing casualties for the pirates. He then tries to hang a pirate, but Yang stops him when Barney and the team discourage the idea. Barney reluctantly discharges him from the team.

Later, Christmas is upset to discover his girlfriend Lacy has left him for another man. Barney and rival Trench Mauser visit "Mr. Church" for a mission. Trench passes the contract to Barney, which is to overthrow dictator General Garza in Vilena, an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Barney and Christmas fly to Vilena for undercover reconnaissance and meet their contact, Sandra, but are discovered. It is revealed that ex-CIA officer James Munroe is keeping Garza in power as a figurehead for his own profiteering operations, while Sandra is revealed to be Garza's daughter. Barney aborts, but Sandra refuses to leave Vilena.

Meanwhile, Gunner approaches Munroe to help and Garza is angered further when Sandra is waterboarded for information by Munroe. Meanwhile, Lacy has been physically abused by her new man, so Christmas beats him and his friends, revealing what he does for a living. Barney and the group discover that Church is a CIA operative and the real target is Munroe, who has gone rogue and joined forces with Garza to keep the drug money that funds the CIA to himself, but the CIA cannot afford a mission to kill one of their own directly because of bad publicity. Barney meets tattoo expert and friend Tool to express his feelings. Tool makes a confession about letting a woman commit suicide instead of saving her.

Barney is then motivated to go back for Sandra alone, but Yang accompanies him. Gunner and hired men pursue them on the road, ending in an abandoned warehouse, where Yang and Gunner fight a second time. Barney shoots Gunner when he attempts to impale Yang on a pipe. Gunner makes amends and gives the layout of Garza's palace. Barney boards the plane with Yang and finds the rest of the team waiting, and they infiltrate Garza's compound. Thinking Munroe hired the team to kill him, Garza has his soldiers' faces painted, preparing them for a fight. The team plants explosives throughout the site but Barney, while saving Sandra, is captured by Munroe's henchmen.

The team saves him and kills the Brit, but is pinned down by Garza's men as Paine wrestles Barney. Caesar fights back and Paine escapes. Garza finally stands up to Munroe, ordering him out and returning his money. Instead, as Garza rallies his men against the Americans, Munroe kills him and escapes with Paine and Sandra. Garza's men open fire against the team, who fight their way through, detonating the explosives and destroying the compound. Toll kills Paine by burning him alive while Barney and Caesar manage to destroy the helicopter before Munroe can escape. Barney and Christmas catch up to Munroe, where they save Sandra and kill Munroe.

Later, Barney donates his mission reward for Sandra to restore Vilena. The team has returned home and are celebrating at Tool's tattoo parlor with the recovering and now redeemed Gunner. Christmas and Tool play a game of knife throwing during which Christmas composes a mocking poem about Tool and throws a bullseye from outside the building.

Cast

Crews, Austin, Stallone, Lundgren and Couture promoting The Expendables at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International. The Expendables Comic-Con Panel.jpg
Crews, Austin, Stallone, Lundgren and Couture promoting The Expendables at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.

Production

Development

In mid-2005, writer David Callaham submitted the first draft of a mercenary-inspired action film titled "Barrow" to Warner Bros., as part of his "blind commitment" deal with the studio at the time. Callaham revised the script two more times and submitted his third final revision in early 2006. Having expressed interest in doing an ensemble film, Sylvester Stallone reviewed Callaham's third/final revised draft of Barrow and used it as a "starting point" for The Expendables. [8]

Casting

Jean-Claude Van Damme was personally offered a role by Stallone, but turned it down because he felt there was no substance or development to the character. [9] Stallone said that Van Damme told him that he should "be trying to save people in South Central." [10] At the premiere of the film, Stallone claimed to have been speaking to Van Damme over the phone and had said, "I told you!", to which Van Damme concurred and expressed his regret over not participating. [11] Van Damme would later appear as the main antagonist, Jean Vilain, in the film's sequel.

The role of Hale Caesar was initially conceived as a role for Stallone's Demolition Man co-star Wesley Snipes. Snipes turned down the role because of his tax issues, and not able to leave the United States without the court's approval. It was later rewritten for Forest Whitaker. [12] Due to a scheduling conflict prior to filming, Whitaker was replaced by 50 Cent [13] before the part of Hale Caesar finally went to former NFL player Terry Crews. [14]

Steven Seagal was asked to make a cameo appearance, but turned down the offer due to negative experiences with producer Avi Lerner. [15]

Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Ben Kingsley, and Ray Liotta were all considered for the role of James Munroe before Stallone's The Specialist co-star Eric Roberts was eventually cast in the role.

By May 2009, the script had undergone a number of rewrites. Stallone's Demolition Man co-star Sandra Bullock was rumored to have a role in the film, but revealed that she did not even know about the project. Despite the news, she did express interest in working in another action film and would have liked to appear in the film, depending on the storyline. [16]

The role of the man who hires the Expendables, Mr. Church, was difficult to cast. Schwarzenegger was offered that role, but instead appeared as fellow mercenary leader Trench. The role was then offered to Stallone's Tango & Cash co-star Kurt Russell, whose agent replied that he was not interested in "ensemble acting at the moment". [17] Stallone spent several months after principal photography determined to find a big action name for the part. Rumors suggested that the role had been offered to friend and fellow former Planet Hollywood co-owner Bruce Willis, who was busy filming Cop Out . Willis' casting as Mr. Church was confirmed by August 2009, as was that he would appear in a scene with both Stallone and Schwarzenegger. [7]

To cast the soldiers, Stallone knew his filming location, Brazil, was home to many mixed martial arts fighters. He called Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Anderson Silva and brothers Rogerio and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to make casting calls, and had the three cameo as well. [18]

Filming

Film production began on March 3, 2009, with a budget of $82 million. [19]

Principal photography commenced 25 days later in Rio de Janeiro and other locations in Brazil, including Mangaratiba, Niteroi, Guanabara Bay, Colônia Juliano Moreira and Parque Lage. Filming originally ended on April 25 but was continued on May 11, in Elmwood and New Orleans, Louisiana, including the French Quarter, South Peters Street, Fort Macomb, Claiborne Avenue and the Interstate 10 overpass. Filming officially ended on July 1, but on October 27 there was a pick-up scene at a church in Los Angeles, California featuring Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis (the latter two doing the scene without compensation, according to Stallone in the Blu-ray Disc director commentary). On June 2, West Coast Customs Street Customs built three customized 1955 Ford F100s for Sylvester Stallone for the film. One was built for a crash scene, the second for green screen, and the third for Stallone to keep. "The Expendables has a seventy million dollar budget," Stallone's Rocky IV co-star Dolph Lundgren says: "It's an old-school, kick-ass action movie where people are fighting with knives and shooting at each other." [20] The flying boat used for filming is a Grumman HU-16 Albatross and the ship used as a setting in the opening scene was a Russian SA-15 type Arctic cargo ship Igarka.

In Summer 2010, Brazilian company O2 Filmes released a statement saying it was still owed more than US$2 million for its work on the film. [21]

Music

The Expendables: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Film score by
Brian Tyler
ReleasedAugust 10, 2010
Length71:41
Label Lionsgate
Brian Tyler chronology
Law Abiding Citizen
(2009)		The Expendables: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2010)		 Battle: Los Angeles
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [22]

Composer Brian Tyler announced on his official website that he had been hired to write original music for the film. [23] Tyler previously worked with Stallone on Rambo in 2008.

Godsmack vocalist Sully Erna was approached by Stallone himself to write a song for the film. Erna showed him a potential unfinished piece of "Sinners Prayer"; Stallone liked it and wanted to use it in the film. However, during the film's post-production, the scene that "Sinner's Prayer" was originally meant to be used in was reworked and the song was taken off the film and its soundtrack. The American hard rock band Shinedown contributed a brand new track, "Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)", recorded specifically for the film, but the song does not appear in the film nor its official soundtrack. The song was used in the theatrical trailer and the finished piece was released on June 15, 2010. Both songs were finally used for the Extended Director's Cut. [24] One of the alternate trailers uses the song "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses. [25] The song "The Boys Are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy (live version featured on Still Dangerous ) played in TV spots and is played over the credits. [26]

The score for the film was released on August 10. The track lists have been revealed. [27]

All music is composed by Brian Tyler

The Expendables: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."The Expendables"3:22
2."Aerial"2:58
3."Ravens and Skulls"4:49
4."Lee and Lacy"2:15
5."Massive"3:24
6."The Gulf of Aden"6:56
7."Lifeline"4:29
8."Confession"2:56
9."Royal Rumble"3:41
10."Scanning the Enemy"3:47
11."The Contact"1:31
12."Surveillance"3:27
13."Warriors"3:49
14."Trinity"4:19
15."Waterboard"3:01
16."Losing His Mind"2:37
17."Take Your Money"2:41
18."Giant with a Shotgun"3:57
19."Time to Leave"1:55
20."Mayhem and Finale"5:47

Release

Theatrical

The film had an original scheduled release date set at April 23, 2010, but was later pushed back four months until August 13, to extend production time. [28] On March 17, 2010, the official international poster for the film was released. [29] A promo trailer (aimed at industry professionals) was leaked online in August 2009. [30] [31] Sometime in October, nearly two months after the promo trailer was leaked, it was officially released online. The promo trailer was edited by Stallone and it was shown at the Venice Film Festival. On April 1, 2010, the official theatrical trailer for the film was released. The film had its red carpet Hollywood premiere on August 3, 2010. The grand premiere of the film was held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on August 10, 2010.

Home media

The theatrical cut of The Expendables was released on DVD/Blu-ray Disc on November 23, 2010. The Blu-ray Disc is a 3-disc combo pack. [32]

An Extended Director's Cut of the film was meant to be out for an early 2011 DVD/Blu-ray Disc release, but was first released on cable television instead. The Extended Director's Cut was released on Blu-ray Disc on December 13, 2011. [33] [34] A 90-minute documentary called Inferno: The Making of The Expendables was released exclusively to the theatrical cut's Blu-ray release.

Extended Director's Cut

The Extended Director's Cut premiered on Epix on May 30, 2011, for the Memorial Day weekend. [35] The Extended Cut contains roughly 11 minutes of additional footage and reintroduces the Shinedown song "Diamond Eyes" to the soundtrack, both during the climactic shootout and again over the end credits, and the song "Sinners Prayer" by Sully Erna in the new opening credits.

Reception

Box office

The film made its US debut at 3,270 theaters with approximately 4,300 screens, which earned it the #10 spot on the list of the "Biggest Independent Releases of All Time" at Box Office Mojo [36] and the #16 spot on their list of top opening weekends for August. [37] It earned $34.8 million in its opening weekend and took the #1 position in the U.S. box office. [38] On the day of its release, the film earned $13.3 million in sales, exceeding the $9.7 million sum from the debut of the last previous summer action film The A-Team . [39]

Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo stated that the film "took a commanding lead in its debut", compared to competing films Eat Pray Love and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World . [39] Ben Fritz of the Los Angeles Times stated that the "over-the-top shoot-'em-up" opened to a "very strong" reception. As well, he described it as "a crowd-pleaser even if critics didn't take to it." [3] Research by Lionsgate found that between 38% and 40% of the film's viewers were female. The results were unexpected, for a film thought to have limited appeal to female filmgoers. [3] [40]

The Expendables remained at the top position in the U.S. box office during its second weekend, earning a weekend total of nearly $17 million. [41]

The film went on to gross $103.1 million in the United States, and $171.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross to $274.5 million. [2] [42]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 42% based on 210 reviews and an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It makes good on the old-school action it promises, but given all the talent on display, The Expendables should hit harder." [43] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a mean score of 45 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [44] On CinemaScore polls, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [45]

Some reviews praised the film highly. The Hollywood Reporter stated that "the body count is high and the personalities click in this old-school testosterone fest", [46] and Boxoffice Magazine stated that "it's filled with literally explosive excitement" and that "a who's who of classic action stars light up the screen for pure combustible entertainment in Sly Stallone's The Expendables, a sort of Dirty Dozen meets Inglourious Basterds —and then some…" [47] Richard Corliss of Time added that "what you will find is both familiar in its contours and unique in its casting." [48] Peter Paras of E! Online said that the film is "peppered with funny dialogue, epic brawls and supersize explosions", and that "The Expendables is the adrenaline shot the summer of 2010 needs", [49] and the Boston Globe stated that the film is "a lot of unholy fun". [50] Empire 's Genevieve Harrison gave the film a 3/5 stars rating and remarked, "More The Wild Geese than The Wild Bunch , The Expendables is not a wasted opportunity, but more one not fully exploited. For action fans raised on Commando and Cobra , the ensemble cast and '80s-style violence will be pure wish-fulfilment—but even they could have wished for something better." [51]

Some highly negative reviews appeared. In The New Yorker , Anthony Lane called it "breathtakingly sleazy in its lack of imagination". [52] Peter Travers, writing for Rolling Stone , said, "Stallone forgets to include non-spazzy direction, a coherent plot, dialogue that actors can speak without cringing, stunts that don't fizzle, blood that isn't digital and an animating spirit that might convince us to give a damn." [53] Claudia Puig, writing the review for USA Today , summed the film up as a "sadistic mess of a movie". [54]

Rourke's performance was given special recognition by some critics. In the Chicago Tribune , Michael Phillips said, "Rourke delivers a monologue about his time in Bosnia, and the conviction the actor brings to the occasion throws the movie completely out of whack. What's actual acting doing in a movie like this?" [55] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle praised Rourke for the same scene, stating, "He's amazing…a great actor." [56]

Accolades

DateAwardCategoryRecipientsResultRef.
February 1, 2011 Visual Effects Society Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture Gene Warren Jr., Christopher Warren, Gene Warren III – "The Palace Explodes"Nominated [57]
February 26, 2011 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Director Sylvester Stallone Nominated [58]
June 23, 2011 Saturn Awards Best Action or Adventure Film The ExpendablesNominated [59]

Sequels

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvester Stallone</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1946)

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards. Stallone is one of only two actors in history to have starred in a box-office No. 1 film across six consecutive decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Claude Van Damme</span> Belgian actor and martial artist (born 1960)

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in martial arts classes at the age of ten, which led Van Damme to hold the rank of 2nd-dan black belt in karate, and compete in several karate and kickboxing competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).

<i>Rocky IV</i> 1985 American boxing film directed by Sylvester Stallone

Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to Rocky III (1982) and the fourth installment in the Rocky film series. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dolph Lundgren. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) confronts Ivan Drago (Lundgren), a Soviet boxer responsible for a personal tragedy in Balboa's life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolph Lundgren</span> Swedish actor and martial artist (born 1957)

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish-American actor, filmmaker and martial artist. Born in Spånga, Sweden, Lundgren became interested in martial arts at a young age. This would lead him to hold the rank of 4th dan black belt in Kyokushin karate and become European champion in 1980 and 1981. In 1982, while studying to get a master's degree, he became the boyfriend of singer Grace Jones. With her, he moved to New York City and started to take acting classes. In 1985, Lundgren had a breakthrough role playing the lead villain as an imposing Soviet boxer named Ivan Drago in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Statham</span> English actor (born 1967)

Jason Statham is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, gritty, or violent. Statham has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2010s. His film career through 2017 generated over $1.5 billion in ticket sales, making him one of the film industry's most bankable stars.

<i>Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot</i> 1992 American film by Roger Spottiswoode

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is a 1992 American buddy cop action comedy directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Sylvester Stallone and Estelle Getty. The film was released in the United States on February 21, 1992. The film received highly negative reviews upon release but grossed $70.6 million worldwide.

<i>Universal Soldier</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Roland Emmerich

Universal Soldier is a 1992 American military science-fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich, produced by Allen Shapiro, Craig Baumgarten, and Joel B. Michaels, and written by Richard Rothstein, Christopher Leitch, and Dean Devlin. The film tells the story of Luc Deveraux, portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme, a former U.S. Army soldier who was killed in the Vietnam War in 1969, and returned to life following a secret military project called the "Universal Soldier" program. However, he finds out about his past, though his memory was erased, and escapes alongside a young TV journalist. Along the way, they have to deal with the return of his archenemy, Sgt. Andrew Scott, who had lost his sanity in the Vietnam War, and became a psychotic megalomaniac, intent on killing him and leading the Universal Soldiers.

Rocky is an American sports drama multimedia franchise created by Sylvester Stallone, based on the life of Chuck Wepner, which began with the eponymous 1976 film and has since become a cultural phenomenon, centered on the boxing careers of Rocky Balboa and his protégé Adonis Creed.

<i>Rambo</i> (2008 film) Film by Sylvester Stallone

Rambo is a 2008 American action film directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, based on the character John Rambo created by author David Morrell for his novel First Blood. A sequel to Rambo III (1988), it is the fourth installment in the Rambo franchise and co-stars Julie Benz, Paul Schulze, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Rey Gallegos, Tim Kang, Jake La Botz, Maung Maung Khin, and Ken Howard. The film is dedicated to the memory of Richard Crenna, who died in 2003. Crenna had played Colonel Sam Trautman in the previous films. In the film, Rambo leads a group of mercenaries into Burma to rescue Christian missionaries, who have been kidnapped by a local infantry unit.

<i>Universal Soldier: Regeneration</i> 2010 film by John Hyams

Universal Soldier: Regeneration is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed and co-edited by John Hyams, written by Victor Ostrovsky, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. It is the fifth installment in the Universal Soldier franchise and the alternative sequel to the original Universal Soldier (1992), ignores the events from the 1999 theatrical sequel Universal Soldier: The Return and the two made for television sequels that were produced in 1998.

<i>Icarus</i> (2010 film) 2010 Canadian film

Icarus is a 2010 Canadian action film starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren. The script was written by Raul Inglis. The film co-stars David Lewis, Samantha Ferris, and Bo Svenson. The film centers around Edward Genn, a former Soviet hitman known as "Icarus". After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he has moved to the United States to begin a new life, but his past catches up to him.

<i>The Expendables 2</i> 2012 American action film by Simon West

The Expendables 2 is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel to The Expendables (2010), and is the second installment in The Expendables film series. The film stars an ensemble cast of largely action film actors consisting of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the film, The Expendables undertakes a mission which evolves into a quest for revenge against rival mercenary Jean Vilain, who murders one of their own men and threatens the world with a deadly weapon.

<i>Escape Plan</i> (film) 2013 American prison action thriller film by Mikael Håfström

Escape Plan is a 2013 American prison action thriller film starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and co-starring Jim Caviezel, 50 Cent, Vinnie Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio and Amy Ryan. It was directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström, and written by Miles Chapman and Jason Keller. The first film to pair up Stallone and Schwarzenegger as co-leads, it follows Stallone's character Ray Breslin, a lawyer turned prison security tester who is incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, and recruits fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer, portrayed by Schwarzenegger, to stage a breakout. The film is the first installment of the Escape Plan film series.

<i>The Expendables 3</i> 2014 American action film by Patrick Hughes

The Expendables 3 is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone. It is the third installment in The Expendables franchise and the sequel to The Expendables (2010) and The Expendables 2 (2012). The film features an ensemble cast of largely action film stars including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Randy Couture, Jet Li, Ronda Rousey, Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson.

<i>The Expendables</i> (franchise) 2010s action film series by Sylvester Stallone

The Expendables is an American ensemble action thriller franchise conceived by David Callaham, spanning a film series, written by Sylvester Stallone and additional media. The films star an ensemble cast, notably Stallone and Jason Statham, and are produced by Avi Lerner and Kevin King-Templeton. The film series, an acknowledgement of former blockbuster action films made in the 1980s and 1990s, also pays homage to action stars of former decades, and the more recent stars in action. The series consists of the films The Expendables (2010), The Expendables 2 (2012), The Expendables 3 (2014), Expend4bles (2023), and an ongoing comic book series, The Expendables Go to Hell (2021). Though criticism with regard to plot and dialogue between characters has been expressed, critics praised the use of comic relief in between action.

<i>Black Water</i> (2018 film) 2018 American action thriller film directed by Pasha Patriki

Black Water is an American action thriller film directed by Pasha Patriki. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in their fifth collaboration, specifically the second time they appear as on-screen allies. The film was released direct-to-video in the US on May 25, 2018.

Balboa Productions is an American film and television production company founded and led by Sylvester Stallone. The studio is named after his character Rocky Balboa from the Rocky franchise.

<i>Expend4bles</i> 2023 film by Scott Waugh

Expend4bles is a 2023 American action comedy film that is the fourth installment in The Expendables franchise, following The Expendables 3 (2014). The film stars an ensemble cast including Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture reprising their roles from previous films, with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Andy García joining the cast. It is directed by Scott Waugh from a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams, based on a story by Spenser Cohen, Wimmer, and Daggerhart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolph Lundgren on screen and stage</span>

Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish-American actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren's breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in Rocky IV as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, he has starred in more than 69 films, almost all of them in the action genre.

References

  1. ↑ "THE EXPENDABLES (15) (!)". British Board of Film Classification . July 6, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Expendables". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Fritz, Ben (August 15, 2010). "Box office: 'Expendables' blows up, 'Scott Pilgrim' out of tune, 'Eat Pray Love' has decent first bite". Los Angeles Times . Company Town (blog). Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Expendables Takes No. 1 Spot".
  5. ↑ Segers, Frank. "'Airbender,' 'Expendables' fight for o'seas No. 1". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  6. ↑ Ray, Ashna. "'Expendables' beats 'Eat Pray Love' over fight for o'seas No. 1 in India". The Glamsham. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 "Bruce Willis Will Join Sylvester Stallone And Arnold Schwarzenegger On Screen In 'The Expendables'". Moviesblog.mtv.com. Viacom. August 17, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Webb vs. Stallone" (PDF). United States District Court Southern District of New York. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  9. ↑ Brunton, Richard (November 29, 2008). "Van Damme turned down Stallone's The Expendables". Filmstalker.co.uk. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  10. ↑ Michael Cieply (June 28, 2010). "The Return of the Action Flick All-Stars". The New York Times .
  11. ↑ "Jean-Claude Van Damme in "The Expendables" Sequel?".
  12. ↑ "Couture signs on to Stallone action film". NBC Sports. December 16, 2008. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  13. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (March 19, 2009). "50 Cent To Star In Sylvester Stallone Action Film". MTV News . Viacom . Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  14. ↑ "50 Cent is out! Who is in THE EXPENDABLES? Stallone says..." Aintitcool.com. March 21, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
  15. ↑ Clint Morris (June 7, 2009). "Exclusive : Expendables Under Siege". Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  16. ↑ Alex Fletcher (July 3, 2009). "Bullock denies 'Expendables' rumour". Digital Spy .
  17. ↑ "Kurt Russell is Not Expendable". Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
  18. ↑ Sylvester Stallone talks about using MMA fighters in The Expendables
  19. ↑ Fritz, Ben (August 12, 2010). "Movie projector: Stallone's 'Expendables' to blow away 'Eat Pray Love' and 'Scott Pilgrim'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 30, 2010. "The Expendables" cost $82 million to produce
  20. ↑ "Dolph Lundgren: Direct Contact". SuicideGirls.com. May 31, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
  21. ↑ Tom Phillips (August 2, 2010). "Sylvester Stallone pursued Brazilians debts". The Guardian . London.
  22. ↑ William Ruhlmann. "The Expendables [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic.
  23. ↑ "Credits". Brian Tyler.com. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Shinedown's Unreleased Song Featured In The Expendables Movie Trailer!". Atlantic Records. April 1, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  25. ↑ The Expendables Trailer 3 on YouTube Google Retrieved2010-08-22.
  26. ↑ The Expendables – Sneak Peek on YouTube Google Retrieved2010-08-22.
  27. ↑ "The Expendables by Brian Tyler". Archived from the original on July 19, 2010.
  28. ↑ ""The Expendables" Movies push back to August 20, 2010 – Sylvester Stallone, Celebrity Gossip". Showhype.com. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Official Poster for The Expendables". Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  30. ↑ Expendables, The (September 14, 2009). "The Expendables Trailer Leaked | Expendables Trailer". Expendables-movie-trailer.blogspot.com. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  31. ↑ "The Expendables Trailer". Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  32. ↑ Wampler, Scott (December 26, 2011). "The Expendables Director's Cut Blu-ray Review". Collider . Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  33. ↑ "The Expendables: Extended Director's Cut Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  34. ↑ "The Expendables (Extended Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]". Amazon. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  35. ↑ "The Expendables: The Extended Cut". EpixHD. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  36. ↑ "Widest Independent Releases at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Top opening weekends in August at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  38. ↑ Gray, Brandon (August 16, 2010). "'Expendables' Pump Up, 'Eat Pray Love' Pigs Out, 'Scott Pilgrim' Powers Down". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  39. 1 2 Gray, Brandon (August 14, 2010). "Friday Report: 'Expendables' Rock It on Opening Day". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  40. ↑ Horn, John (August 23, 2010). "Company Town: 'The Expendables' still No. 1 at box office". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  41. ↑ "'Expendables' Endures at No. 1 with $17 Million". The Washington Times . Associated Press. August 23, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  42. ↑ "The Expendables – Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  43. ↑ "The Expendables". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  44. ↑ "The Expendables (2010): Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 4, 2010.
  45. ↑ "Box Office: 'Expendables' Blow Up". Los Angeles Times. August 15, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  46. ↑ Linden, Sheri (August 4, 2010). "The Expendables – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on August 5, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  47. ↑ Hammond, Pete (August 4, 2010). "THE EXPENDABLES: Action of (and with) the "Old Guard"". Box Office Magazine . Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  48. ↑ Corliss, Richard (August 13, 2010). "The Expendables: Sly and the Family Clones". Time Magazine . Archived from the original on August 18, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  49. ↑ Paras, Peter (August 12, 2010). "Review: The Expendables Packs the Ultimate Adrenaline Shot for Summer". E! Online . Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  50. ↑ Burr, Ty (August 13, 2010). "The Expendables – Stallone and his band of macho men". E! Online. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  51. ↑ "Empire's The Expendables Movie Review". empireonline.com.
  52. ↑ Lane, Anthony. "Tough Guys". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  53. ↑ Peter Travers (August 12, 2010). "The Expendables". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on August 15, 2010.Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  54. ↑ Claudia Puig (August 14, 2010). "Don't spend your time or money on 'The Expendables'". USA Today.
  55. ↑ Phillips, Michael (August 12, 2010). "3 words about 'The Expendables': Not enough fun". Chicago Tribune.
  56. ↑ LaSalle, Mick (August 13, 2010). "Review: 'Expendables' a routine action film". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  57. ↑ "9th Annual VES Awards". Visual Effects Society. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  58. ↑ "The 31st Annual Razzie Awards". The Razzies. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  59. ↑ Adam Chitwood (June 24, 2011). "Inception wins big at 2011 Saturn Awards". Collider. Archived from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.