The Expendables (Be Ye Warned)

[mcibear]

So last night I went out with my brother and saw The Expendables.  So I went to the movie expecting it to not be the highest quality film.  Lets face it, the movie is filled with action actors that are past thier physical prime, and in some cases calling them actors is generious.  So I get into the thater, turn off my brain, and expect to see a movie with a lot of kicking ass and not too much more.  I have to admit though that in recent years action movies have surpised me, they have had plots that at least made sence, and flowed well.  I guess though there is always the exception to the rule.

I expected there to be little to no deep plot and as the movie started it didnt dissapoint, in fact the first bit was good.  It was easy to fallow, had some well done action, and set up some good potential in the charactors.  After that the movie just seems to go off the rails and be one big train wreck, that gets more horrific as it goes along.  All the various parts of the movie, plot, continuity, acting, charactor development, directing, action and the way the movie was shot just where horrific by the end.

In regards ot how the film was written the most covincing sceen with the best acting could have been competly cut from the movie and you would have lost nothing in regards to the plot.  The movie then just keeps gong bad when it starts building to the final climatic action sequence by just cuting to the start of it without explaing how the charactors got from A to (in this case) D.  It honestly seems like about 2 sceens where missing entierly and the movie goes strait to a 3 minute we are setting explosive montouge, with me wonder why.  Literaly you have fivve guys just running around plaing explosives all over the place and know clue why they are bothering.  Another charactor that realy should have been killed right off the top of the film kept poping up.  Our cast was given a second chance to kill him, and in regards to the fact the he betrays them again, they still dont kill him, and should have.  At the end of the movie this guy shows up once more as a redeemed person with no reason why they are actepting him back.

Know all this weak plot would have been forgivale if the action had been strong the eniter movie, but they way it was shot, cut, and the lack of lighting made it just imposible to fallow so you had no clue who was winning or losing.  I found that most of the action was just to dark, and even though the fights are happening at night sould have been brighter.  There was much too much camer shake and with the realy quicke catting that was used it just made me wonder what was going on.

Over all I felt there was a lot of missed potential in this fill that could have redeemed it and made it a good solid film, but poor writing, acting, directing, filming and editing just made it a terrible film.  Sadly the best acting with solid emotion and skill didnt even realy blong in the film.  So if you are thinking of seeing this film, think again, go out and watch Space Trukers, and then ask yourself, do I want to watch a movie worse then what I just watched?  If the answer its yes, then got and watch the Expendables.

Space Truckers (1997)

[Danee]

Impressed!  I am!

What a nicely presented review!

Thank-you, Canudie!

[mcibear]

Thanks.  Im a bit of a movie buff, ive only got about 200+.  I tend to look at them from a bit more of a techincal point of veiw, and dont get wraped up too much by who is doing the acting.  As a result I never seem to remeber the actors names.

[mcibear]

I guess the TL-DR of my review is that the movie had potential, but seemed to fall short of what it could have in about every way.

[Turtlejosh]

Nice review

I was worried about this. It could either be great, or meh ish. Looks like it was the latter, which is such a shame

[nnguy]

Wow, you take things too seriously. I'm pretty sure they weren't aiming for an Oscar nomination for screenplay, acting, best picture.  They were aiming for fun, and that's what it was.  I'd recommend it if you enjoy action movies.

[Karla]

Space Truckers (1997)

What .. the hell ... is that??

Space Truckers??

What next? Space bus drivers?

Please tell me that's a spoof!

[mcibear]

Space Trukers is real.  I did watch it in 1998.  Ah to be 12 again, so much younger and not the best concept of what makes bad story telling.

[Arsonist]

The movie was not exactly a movie.. More of a get-together. Like a "Oh hey! I know you! You were in movies. That's cool. Now go shoot something and make something else explode!" kind of thing.
That's really all I have to say about The Expendables.

[Daft]

I really liked it, seeing some of my favorite actores together in a movie was very nice.
And thoses scenes on the Vilena island were filmed here in Brazil, which gives the movie a special flavor.

[RD]

I took this movie to be a completely "switch-off" movie. Just sit back, laugh at the cheesy writing, and stare in awe at the action scenes. And that's exactly what it delivered. There was no special acting or anything like that, but the producers never planned it to be. They just made a movie to bring together all of the current and old action stars to bring us amazing action. Exactly what it said on the tin

[Daft]

Sly, please bring Wesley Snipes, Van Damme, Steven Seagal and Cynthia Rothrock for the sequel!