German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously said, “When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.” This means that a dark, vacant, void has more utility than Expend4bles, which is also vacant and devoid of any substance. If you think that’s harsh you need to see how the film treats everything good about the franchise.
The Expendables is a self-aware action franchise that derives its strength from being unapologetic about its over-the-top action, cheesy dialogues, and an overstuffed ensemble of action stars. The fourth instalment, however, is like a toddler trying to imitate an elder’s dance moves, and it is so bad that we can’t even give it the customary ‘oh you’re so cute’ smile.
After a key member of the group is killed, and with Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas kicked off the team, The Expendables have to stop the mysterious Ocelot from starting World War III by exploding nuclear weapons next to the Russian border. Every single line of the premise... from seeking revenge for a team member to conflict with Russia, to nuclear warheads, and a potential World War, the story feels like something regurgitated by a rudimentary version of an AI after it was given every single Hollywood action film script to read.
While we don’t walk into an Expendables film expecting nuanced takes on war and violence, the film still stumbles to capture the major strength of the franchise, the action sequences. With logic and stakes, readily out the door, as early as possible, what disappoints us the most is how uninventive the action sequences are.
A handful of kills come off as exciting but only if you’re into the kind of action with plentiful gore and an opulence of CGI blood. The only brutal kill that carries any emotional weight in the Expend4bles is when the credits start rolling and you feel like the film might have killed the franchise. Another curious thing about the film is the conspicuous lack of effort in the visuals. Almost every single exterior scene seems to have been shot on a sound stage. Everything that fills the screen, that is not an actor or a gun, seems like it was made with outdated VFX. A clear lack of budget is evident.
While some might argue that budgetary restraints cannot be held against the film, it is hard to give Expend4bles a pass considering how the story is about a group of elite mercenaries who try to stop World War III. It is possible to make quality action films with a low budget and it is understandable to use artificial digital backgrounds. However, you need to work these constraints into the story and ground it accordingly, which this film clearly fails to do. Some could argue that while the runtime is thankfully short, the fact that the story feels like it was written in the same amount of time was its biggest drawback.
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Another staple of the Expendables franchise is the cheesy one-liners and the lighthearted dialogue. With no wit to back up the writing, The Expend4bles fails to capture the tongue-in-cheek humour of its predecessors and the dialogues are stale as well. With a long list of drawbacks from writing, acting, and action choreography to pull it down from the get-go, the film never fully recovers. However, there are a few redeeming factors. You could sense a healthy amount of self-awareness, and while they might not have met the expectations, they at least had the foresight to shorten the runtime and not let the story affect the franchise in any meaningful way. However, it is certainly difficult for the franchise to survive post this film.
Director: Scott Waugh Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, 50 Cent
