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When it comes to gritty action movies, it is hard to exclude The Expendables franchise. In Hollywood, there are certain names that have the tag of "action stars" attached to them. While some of the said stars have been around since the 70's or 80s, others are relatively new. However, irrespective of age, it is evident that the best of the best in the genre have been given a spot on The Expendables team.
It is common knowledge that high box office collections often lead to the possibility of sequels. With The Expendables, it was a similar story. Heavily focussed on violent action sequences, the first installment made over $250 million, which is no small feat given its estimated budget was only around $82 million.
The response was understandable because fans were excited to see the star-studded cast in a high-stakes, action-packed environment in which the stars usually thrive. Plus, with action star Sylvester Stallone leading the pack, there was little doubt about whether or not the film would deliver.
Simon West took over the helm from Stallone and kept the momentum going. He gave The Expendables 2 a spin of his own and made it look sharper and sleeker as opposed to the hard-hitting grittiness of the first installment, and fans still enjoyed the approach. However, when Patrick Hughes came on to direct The Expendables 3, he also tried to bring in new elements to the franchise, but it didn't have the impact he was hoping for.
Fans will be hoping that the fourth installment, which is directed by Scott Waugh, will be able to recreate the initial magic that attracted viewers to the franchise in the first place. Slated to release on September 22, 2023, it will see the return of quite a few old faces along with a few new names.
All The Expendables movies ranked as per their popularity among fans of the franchise
3) The Expendables 3 (2014)
It is a big blow for any movie team when a film gets leaked because it spells bad news for box office numbers. Forget a day or two, this movie was leaked a whole three weeks before the release. It was unable to match its predecessors with regard to box office collections. Earning a little over $214 million worldwide, it is the lowest grossing Expendables film.
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and more, the audience had big expectations from the movie. However, fans felt the violence and action that were kind of the highlights of the franchise had been watered down, and it wasn't as adrenaline pumping as before.
As expected, the PG-13 rating wasn't helping much with bringing in more viewers to the theatres, but instead steering many of the old fans away.
2) The Expendables 2 (2012)
Simon West steered a bit differently as compared to Stallone. Taking inspiration from action films of the 90s, he gave the movie a more sophisticated and sleeker feel and injected flashier sequences at the same time. These elements combined perfectly to create a thoroughly entertaining movie that fans enjoyed watching from start to finish.
In addition to the old faces, viewers were delighted to see Chuck Norris, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and more. Action fans are used to seeing Van Damme as the unstoppable action hero, but it isn't often when he portrays a character who plays for the opposite team. A strong villain is at the heart of every good action movie, and Van Damme definitely fits the bill.
1) The Expendables (2010)
This first installment is the OG for a reason. Stallone clearly knew what he was doing when he took charge as the director. It has a similar feel to Rocky and Rambo in the sense that it is more hardcore and gritty than suave or polished, something that viewers have come to expect of action movies today.
It had everything that fans could have asked for and more, including hardcore characters, excessive violence and blood, raw and elaborate action sequences, witty one-liners, and mind-blowing explosions. The vibe of the movie reminded viewers of how movies were back in the day and had a nostalgic feel that resonated with older action fans.
Although some movies in The Expendables franchise fare better than others, all of them are still entertaining action movies that one can re-watch before the anticipated release of the fourth installment.
