6 The Expendables Details That Prove Sylvester Stallone's Franch..

Even though The Expendables is best known for its ridiculous fight scenes, there are a few details that prove the show is smarter than most people think. With the release of The Expendables 4, although it performed poorly at the box office worldwide, he still managed to try something new with his favorite characters. Often criticized for its absurd and bombastic depictions of paramilitaries, what made The Expendables a successful franchise in the first place was its over-the-top depictions of hyper-masculine action stars. The franchise has retained a few nuggets of brilliance that make The Expendables a little smarter than your average action movie.

6. The Expendables’ Character Names Are Clever References

Each character’s name says something meaningful about them. In the case of Yin Yang (played by Jet Li) or Hale Caesar (played by Terry Crews), the references become a little more haunting after a little research. Yin Yang is a Chinese philosophy that promotes concepts such as good and evil or light and darkness. Yin-Yang Lee is portrayed as a personality that reflects this idea: he is sour and friendly one minute, the next. When one thinks of Caesar or anyone else from the Roman Empire, they may associate this time with warriors fighting to the death for the amusement of the king. In the case of The Expendables, Hale Caesar is like a modern version of this trope and acts very much like one of the soldiers from that era.

Steven Seagal Never Appeared In ‘The Expendables’ Because Of His Feud With Van Damme

5. The CGI Blood Contributes To The Expendables’ B-Movie Feel

Another common criticism of Stallone’s Expendables franchise was that it relied on CGI gore rather than the use of squibs, blood bags, and other practical effects appropriate for a John Woo film. Among the most critical comments about the CGI were claims that it immediately made the franchise’s films feel like something more suited to mid-2000s B-movies. In addition to the CGI, almost every character is over-acted and delivers ridiculous one-liners before or after taking out an enemy. All of these elements are very B-movie-esque, and The Expendables is very different from its competitors because of this approach.

4. Stallone, Schwarzenegger, And Willis’ Roles Reference Planet Hollywood’s Failure

One of the biggest selling points for audiences was the promise of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis teaming up. This was hyped up with a stinger near the end of the Expendables trailer showing the three action movie icons meeting up inside a church and exchanging knowing glances right before it ends. In reality, the roles for Schwarzenegger and Willis would amount to glorified cameos, but it was still exciting seeing them on the screen together in The Expendables 2. As disappointing as the execution was, it might have been a clever reference to the three stars’ failed plans to launch a chain of Planet Hollywood restaurants worldwide despite the hype surrounding the promotion in the 1990s.

3. Gunner Jensen Is One Big Dolph Lundgren Joke

Gunner Jensen was played by Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren and was one of the most popular characters in the franchise. The actor played a prominent role in a film full of screen legends and egos. However, one thing about Gunner was his penchant for creating deadly explosives and in general he knew more about them than his comrades. Given that Lundgren received a master’s degree in chemistry and even received a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stallone made a seemingly dumb character smart for a reason.

2. Using Real Martial Artists From Around The World Was Brilliant

Arguably one of the best decisions the producers of The Expendables made was to not only hire onscreen action legends, but real-life martial artists as well. From Randy Couture and Rhonda Rousey to Wesley Snipes and Victor Ortiz, The Expendables franchise has always prided itself in hiring the right people for the right job. Interestingly enough, in the case of Rousey and Ortiz, their lack of acting experience meshed perfectly with the franchise’s B-movie aesthetic while also ensuring authenticity in their respective action scenes.

1. The Expendables Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously

The greatest sign of The Expendables’ secret genius is the simple fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Each film is filled to the brim with flamboyant and corny B-movie fare, so it would be a sin to think of these films as anything other than dumb fun. In The Expendables 3, Snipes proved he’s a good sport when his character’s backstory referenced his conviction for tax evasion. For better or worse, The Expendables is a more self-aware series than many might assume because it knows exactly who its audience is and how to appeal to them.