Review: Expendables 4
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film Expendables 4. Keep in mind this is but one of the many movies I watch every year, and that whatever initial grade I come up for this film could change for better or worse with time. To better keep up to date with both my thoughts on other movies and if my feelings on this film changed, follow me on Letterboxd.
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THE PLOT
Via Letterboxd: Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.
QUICK REVIEW
How do you feel about The Expendables franchise? Save for an okay received second film, its not the most well reviewed trilogy of films. Even audience scores for it have been at best mediocre.
Me? I actually like the movies. Over the top macho-action, an ensemble of A-lister action stars that may or may not end up being glorified cameos, and one-liners? Sign me up. Granted I never claimed them to be great pieces of art, but I got what I wanted from them which were dumb, turn your brain off, popcorn flicks that all get a B- from me.
So when I saw the newest entry into the series was getting awful reviews and audience scores I figured it was going to be the same old situation here. Plenty of haters, but I would not be one of them.
Boy was I wrong. Horribly wrong.
Expendables 4 is a full blown disaster. The ensemble is the weakest yet, the villain is even weaker than the previous ones which is saying something, the one-liners and the chemistry between the characters is nowhere to be found, it does something incredibly ballsy towards the start only for it to mock you with a twist at the end, and this has what may just be the worst CGI and green screen use I’ve seen this year - especially from a big blockbuster movie.
Instead of the dumb, turn your brain off, popcorn flick that I could have goofy fun with, I got a boring and stale action film of the type that I usually get from Netflix. For someone who like me has enjoyed the last three films at some level, save your money and pretend this fourth one doesn’t exist. A lowly and almost D-tier C- for Expendables 4. A complete waste of ninety plus minutes in my time on this planet.
INTIAL GRADING
