EXPENDABLES 3 REVIEW

The Expendables are back! and this time with more movie legends, a better storyline, and a down graded PG-13 rating. I have to admit when I saw the teasers and trailers for this movie I got excited. Stallone, Snipes, Statham, AND Harrison Ford? It was bound to be good. And while not the greatest "Expendables" it certainly did not disappoint me! Now on to the story....

Starting a year after the last "Expendables" left off, the Expendables team find themselves breaking a highly secure prisoner off a train. The Prisoner turns out to be Wesley Snipes. A knife expert named Doc who was a former expendable before he was taken by the Russian Army. The first job they get from Ford's CIA handler, is a capture of a high end arms dealer. When Stallone discovers the dealer is Mel Gibson, a former "Expendable," himself, the job changes and becomes about capturing Gibson before he hurts anyone else. It's personal for Stallone. He hires younger expendables, and begins to learn the lesson of trusting your comrades to do their jobs.

I hate the fact that this had a PG-13 rating cause I believe it messed up with the story. The action scenes are decent, including a pretty good motorcycle stunt with Kellan Lutz, but the editing is sort of boring. The violence seems tame, and while I am not all about the violence, when you are going after a whole army, you can assume you will see some blood. That really didn't happen here, so some of the action scenes seemed tame.  The older action stars are great in in, but I really didn't like any of the newer "Expendables." They were annoying. Like, "Look how cool and hip I am. I know how to use cool social media things." Some of the roles are really small. Jet Li appears for about five minutes, and I have to wonder why put him in at all? Kelsey Gramner portrays a "procurer" of fighters, is only on the screen for a few minutes, and three of them take place in front of the worst green screen job I have ever seen. You just wish they were on screen more.  Antonion Banderas makes an appearance as a Spanish assasin and he was very funny, but really my favorite small part was from Harrison Ford. I was so glad to see him in this movie. But really without a doubt, the best actor in the movie is Gibson, as the arms dealer. He steals the show. Like him or hate him for his personal problems, Gibson is a good actor, and he understands how to play the comedy in every moment.   He's actually the best Expendables villain. Because,  lets be honest guys.. Eric Roberts just wanted a pay check and Jean Claude Van-Damme can't act. Overall, the film, while kinda silly, is fun.  I'd say, go to a matinee. Its a fun popcorn action film.

THE VERDICT
The Expendables 3 may not have been as great as I had wanted it to be, but it still has some great action scenes and terrific acting from Gibson and Ford,  and most of all an entertaining story. Expendables 3 gets a B.