When Sylvester Stallone announced The Expendables, he expected his star-studded cast to mix a dash of nostalgia with some extreme stunts. Since the release of The Expendables 4, the franchise has featured an extensive collection of explosions, chase scenes, and old-fashioned fights. In many ways, The Expendables is a B-movie style franchise with a blockbuster budget. The franchise prides itself on delivering thrills and relentless action.
The franchise may not be in the running for any Oscars, but it shows a clear awareness of its strengths. The Expendables shows a cunning mind for pleasing its fans.
10. The Pirate Shootout (The Expendables)
The franchise’s first installment kicks off in characteristically explosive fashion. The team confronts a gang of pirates with multiple civilian hostages. Dolph Lundgren’s character Gunner makes sure that civilized negotiation is off the table by firing a shot that severs the leader of the gang in two. The Expendables does a great job of establishing expectations for the franchise as early as its opening sequence. From then on, there can be no mistaking the movies for what they are. These are all-guns-blazing slugfests with a heavy emphasis on action.RELATED:
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9. Yin Yang Vs. Gunner Jensen (The Expendables)
“The Expendables” features famous action stars. In fact, this was the main advantage of the entire project. While the mouth-watering trio of Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis never got a chance to live up to their potential, the franchise still boasts plenty of other heavy hitters. Pairing five-foot-six Jet Li with six-foot-five Dolph Lundgren seems like an odd choice, but it tests the classic debate about power and skill. Lee’s talent as a martial artist remains generally underutilized, but when given the opportunity, he delivers some of the most eye-popping scenes in the entire franchise.
8. Galgo’s Introduction (The Expendables 3)
The Expendables 3 added another batch of big-name action stars to the franchise, including Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson. It’s Antonio Banderas’ appearance as the motor-heavy Galgo that provides the most compelling scene, however. Ross first meets Galgo at a construction site as he climbs down from the scaffolding. Galgo’s sleek and stylish parkour technique offers something new for a franchise that can be guilty of being repetitive. The parkour, performed by a stuntman rather than by Banderas himself, is one of the few times the film depicts real action rather than simulated violence.
7. Lee Christmas Vs. Suarto Rahmat (The Expendables 4)
Jason Statham takes full control of the final act of The Expendables 4. His character Lee Christmas leads the team in the absence of Barney Ross, who is presumed dead. His final showdown with Suarto Rahmat (Iko Uwais) was noted as stunt coordinator Alan Ng’s favorite moment in The Expendables 4. After the PG-13 rating of The Expendables 3, its sequel ramps up the violence and gore. This is never more evident than when Christmas and Rahmat engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat.
6. The Zip Line Getaway (The Expendables 2)
The Expendables 2 is a contender for being the best film in the franchise, and the cable car scene plays to its strengths. The mercenaries ride on a zipline through the dense jungle, trying to escape Nepalese guards pursuing them on ATVs. The scene combines high-speed stunt driving with the franchise’s love of tactical firearms. The cable puts the team on a fixed path, and the only way to escape is to fight their way out as they race to their rescue vehicles. This is one moment taken from the classic shoot-’em-up movies that The Expendables sang fondly of.
5. The Armored Car Chase (The Expendables 4)
50 Cent is a good source of humor in Antonio Banderas’ absence, and his action sequences were as convincing as anyone else’s. In fact, 50 Cent injured a stuntman in The Expendables 4 if that’s any indication of his dedication and diligence. The armored car chase scene at the beginning of the film introduces it to The Expendables audience in top form. He’s appeared in action films before, but 50 Cent will probably always be better known as a musician. The Expendables 4 even makes a clever meta reference to one of his songs later in the film, as the team uses it to distract some guards.RELATED:
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4. Caesar Jumping A Speedboat Onto A Truck (The Expendables 3)
This gimmick is as ridiculous as it sounds, but the film somehow manages to sell it well. Terry Crews’ character Caesar joins the rest of the team using the only means available to him in one of the third installment’s most memorable scenes. However, the episode almost ended horribly for Crews co-star Jason Statham. The brakes on the truck used for filming caused it to fall off the edge of the pier and into the sea. Statham nearly drowned while filming a scene in The Expendables. Fortunately, he managed to climb out of the window of the sunken truck.
3. The Dam Explosion (The Expendables 2)
When the team successfully rescues a Chinese billionaire hostage as well as Barney’s rival mercenary Ross Trench, they are pursued along a Nepalese river. To say the boat chase starts the film off with a bang would be an understatement, but it picks up even more speed when the crew discovers a dam blocking their seaplane’s takeoff. Unfortunately, behind the grandiose spectacle of the explosion lies a tragic reality. One of the stuntmen, Kong Liu, died during filming. The accident greatly detracts from what could otherwise be the best scene in the franchise. The film’s credits include a dedication to Liu’s memory.
2. Ross Burns The Dock (The Expendables)
At the beginning of the first Expendables movie, Ross and Christmas escape by pouring gasoline on the wooden dock of their plane and setting it on fire. The resulting explosion sets the tone for the entire franchise. When the bad guys fall into the water and the wooden planks fly back and destroy the surrounding buildings. For all its flaws, The Expendables knows what fans want. The action stars who dominated cinema in the 1980s and 1990s are taking one last trip, and this time the explosions are bigger than ever.