20s Movie Review - Expendables 4

Director: Scott Waugh
Genre: Action
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Megan Fox, 50 Cent, Anday Garcia

Description: Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team gets called when all other options are off the table.

Review: The “Expendables” were never really good, but at least they managed to give the impression that they would be good. Posters filled with big names like Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Jason Stathman and many others made it clear that plenty of Hollywood stars were happy to show up for them, so that had to be some sign of quality. Part four, however, has to make do with… Megan Fox and 50 Cent?

Okay, Fox is an easy headline, because the problems of “Expendables 4” are bigger than one mismatched actress. But her presence is somewhat exemplary of how the source has dried up nicely. The previous volumes packed in plenty of action heroes of yesteryear, but now we have apparently arrived at actors we know mostly from modern blockbusters. That’s remarkable for a film series meant to capitalize on nostalgia for a time when action movies were a lot rougher and simpler than the ones Fox is known for.

Regulars like Jet Li, Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger are nowhere to be found, while the newcomers from the previous installment also proved completely expandable. Initiator Sylvester Stallone also seems to be a bit don with it, and Jason Statham is upgraded to lead actor in this fourth installment.

This movie is really bad. No memorable one-liners, the new characters are forgettable and uninteresting, and this film is just no fun. The other three were so much fun, they didn’t take themselves serious. “Expendables 4” looks like it does. If all these previous action stars that weren’t in this fourth film said no to it, I understand why and they should be happy about it. I’m just going to pretend this film never happened and I will stick with the other three films.

Rating: 1/ 5