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

10s Movie Review - Den of Thieves

Director: Christian Gudegast
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson, 50 Cent, Meadow Williams, Maurice Compte, Brian van Holt, Evan Jones, Mo McRae, Kaiwi Lyman, Dawn Olivieri, Eric Braeden, Jordan Bridges, Lewis Tan, Cooper Andrews

Description: An elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew clash as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.

Review: “Den of Thieves” looks in everything like a simple interlude, but with its running time of almost two and a half hours and ambitious tendencies, it hardly first as an average and standard film. The question thus arises as to why director Christian Gudagast was appointed to this film, with being a debutant.
The aforementioned length of the film is the main problem for “Den of Thieves”. You could say the same about a similar type movie like “Heat”, which is another half hour longer. But “Heat” is a classic an lives up to its pretensions. And while the “Den of Thieves” succeeds, it only does this on a basic level. “Heat” is not just about muggers and the cops who hunt them down, but focuses on the similar lifestyles of protagonist and antagonist. “Den of Thieves” attempts to follow up “Heat” with virtually the same plot elements, structure and theme, but fumbles in the first hour with numerous scenes that are far too thickly plotted and lead nowhere.
For example, protagonist Nick is shown smoking, boozing, cursing and hanging out in strip clubs whenever possible; preferably all at one. It is clear soon enough that we should see him as a type of antihero: a self-destructive type who likes to antagonize people, but who still has his heart in the right place and is particularly good at his job. Gerard Butler goes way over the top e few times. Gudagast seems to want to emphasize how rugged this character is, but is also trying to keep his family together. But Nick’s troubled private life is completely ignored in the second half of the film
The first half of the film is very different from the second half. All of a sudden it turns into a straightforward action thriller with a cleverly thought out heist and a tough confrontation between criminals and cops. And Gudagast does a good job here. The action is well portrayed. And the actual heist is really exciting, with a strong twist towards the end of the film.
The second half of the film saved “Den of Thieves” and does make it worth checking out.

Rating: 3/ 5