Movie: Expendables 3
I should qualify this first of all that I watched this movie out of a sense of family bonding tradition, and not necessarily for its significance in the pantheon of cinematic choices.
Stallone is back, with a range of 1980’s movie stars from the action genre, with another series of set pieces. To try and reach a broader audience, everything has been edited back to a PG-13 rating (M in Australia, vs MA for previous films in the franchise), which changes the way that the action is perceived.
The best thing about the film is the Antonio Banderas character, who (along with Kelsey Grammer) brings a sense of humour to the film, which is otherwise waiting for popular one-liners to be rehashed. Other high points are the Harrison Ford role, and the Mel Gibson – the villain of the film.
It’s a passable action film, certainly, and there’s plenty for fans of the 1980’s action films, but it’s probably 30 minutes too long.