The Expendables 3 Movie Review 0 1458

the-expendables-3-movie-review

The surprising or unsurprising success, depending on how you look at it, of The Expendables back in 2010 meant that sequels were inevitable. While it was never exactly a classic entry into the much-loved genre, the first film found at least some of the right notes to keep action movie junkies happy and begging for more. They followed that with the overly self-aware The Expendables 2, which toned down the on-screen goriness of the action and increased success at the box office as a result of not only building on the first one’s popularity, but also opening it up to a wider (and younger) audience.

Now the gang have returned for a third – but presumably not final – installment in the “geri-action” franchise. The result is no less bombastic than you might expect, but something feels off this time around. It’s neither as bloody as the first one nor as tirelessly self-referential as the second, but rather feels curiously flat and lacking in verve.

The plot follows the group of ageing mercenaries, led by Sylvester Stallone’s snarling Barney Ross, as they come face-to-face with an old friend-turned-foe and arms dealer, the ruthless Conrad Stonebank (Mel Gibson), co-founder of the team way back in the day whom Barney thought he’d killed. Stonebank plans to wipe out the remaining members of the team, so Barney decides to recruit some new, younger blood to help stop him.

It’s an effectively straightforward plot, at least compared to the plutonium and kidnapping nonsense of last time. It should have been a simple layout for some entertainingly over-the-top and, in spite of the age of some of the cast, energetic action to show that you’re never too old to mow down a bunch of bad guys with a giant machine gun. The trouble is the cast just don’t seem to have any passion for the material this time around, almost like they’re getting too old for this crap and really don’t care anymore (surely not!).

Along with most of the usual cast members including Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Terry Crews, we have some new – or rather old – recruits to add to the list of people we remember from other things coming together to kick ass and take names. As the posters have kept reminding us, the film is packed to the brim with famous, and not-so-famous, action heroes. Unfortunately much of the cast is wasted, particularly Wesley Snipes who has a fair bit to do in the first act when the team bust him out of custody aboard a moving freight train, but disappears into the background for most of the rest.

Antonio Banderas seems to think he’s in some sort of pantomime as he leaps around and incessantly chatters. Kelsey Grammer and Jet Li might as well not have turned up. Gibson is basically a giant blade and a space station away from being his character in Machete Kills. Arnold Schwarzenegger, to be fair, seems to be having more fun than most of the others -though he’s provided better action renaissance in other recent films like The Last Stand and Sabotage. The newly added younger cast members, including Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz and MMA fighter Ronda Rousey are extremely forgettable. And as for Harrison Ford, who practically replaces Bruce Willis, he looks utterly bored throughout. “This is the most fun I’ve had in years,” he utters at one point, putting him firmly in the running for least convincing line delivery of the year.

Whereas the first two had a sense of humour about them, this feels far too po-faced for its own good. And when it does attempt humour the timing is way off, particularly disappointing considering the enjoyable banter and half-way witty chemistry between Stallone and Statham up until this one. It throws up the eternal question: where’s Chuck Norris when you need him?

There’s nothing particularly terrible about it when it comes to the nitty-gritty of the action – it’s perfectly okay and just might appeal to fans of the franchise and hardcore action movie lovers that get joy out of the mere sight of their favourite action stars sharing screen-time and fighting random baddies side-by-side. However, by this point, it’s merely going through the motions rather than firing on all cylinders. They should have upped the ante instead of delivering such pedestrian and repetitive action that disappointingly relies too much on CGI. The film is meant to provide old-school no frills action among a sea of superhero and giant robot blockbusters but it just comes off as old hat.

This review was previously published on Scotcampus.

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Tolkien Biopic to Be Released in May 0 5286

10th May, 2019 is when Tolkien will be released to the world, an autobiographical film that will revolve around the early days of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien before he became the literary giant that he is today.

Here on Thoughts on Film we are big fans of his work and the recent films made by Peter Jackson. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), are responsible for originating a universe that has gone on to inspire movies, animation, fiction, and modern media interpretations.



This is why Tolkien is regarded by many as the greatest fantasy author of all time. His creative stamp can be seen nearly everywhere in modern media. There’s the direct reinterpretation of his work in the recently released action roleplaying game Middle Earth: Shadow of War, where players are thrust into a major role in Tolkien’s literary canon. George R.R. Martin, who originated the now globally-popular Game of Thrones series on HBO, openly reveres LOTR as the inspiration for his work, citing the early death of Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring as having a profound effect on his “own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.” On the web, more Tolkien-inspired work can be found on leading slot portal Slingo and its many online titles dedicated to the fantasy genre, including Amazon Queen, Fae Legend Warrior, and Magic Castle, all of which feature elements that can be traced back to the author’s massive body of work. Technically speaking, the same can be said of nearly every major fantasy brand out there today, from Dungeons & Dragons to Magic: the Gathering. In short, almost every type of entertainment that features western fantasy can be traced back to the works of Tolkien.

In the upcoming Tolkien movie, the man will be played by Nicholas Hoult, whom is best known for Mad Max: Fury Road and Hank McCoy in the most recent X-Men movies. And now, the actor’s versatility will be tested as he steps into the shoes of the most iconic fantasy writer of all time. Starring alongside Hoult will be the actress Lily Collins as Edith Bratt – the woman whom Tolkien loved above all and is reportedly the inspiration for all “elven princess characters” in the LOTR series.

Helming the film is director Dome Karukoski whose CV includes 2017’s Tom of Finland, a critically acclaimed chronicle of the life and works of the controversial artist of the same name. And while media outlets haven’t yet heard from either the cast, director, or crew of the film, an official synopsis of the movie has been released via Collider. “Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “Fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.” It sounds like a real treat for film, literature, and Middle Earth fans.

Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4030

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!