Whether what side you are on, this franchise has boasted some remarkable moments from most of the cast members, to the point where you just can’t believe how any them survived.
If you are considering checking this franchise out then perhaps these 5 moments may convince you or give you a better idea of what to expect next.
It’s true that these films have never been rewarded for character development and writing, but the iconography alone is still entertaining enough.
Most importantly, the action set pieces have been well put together in each film, with director Simon West (Con Air, Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) and Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard) both having their say on how the film should look and feel.
To this day, I still don’t know whether some of the kills are supposed to have a sense of self-aware humor to them or if they are meant to be just plain violent.
Here we go!
Starting off with number 5.
5. Ride and Die. Cathcing a Flight.
This scene is pulled straight out of the first film. This had all the makings to be an interesting action scene on paper. Sylvester Stallone and his crew definitely thought of several ways of how they can destroy enemies on a large scale, and this method seems to be very effective. For any die-hard fans of planes out there, I will tu say, that the plane they use is a Grumman HU-16A Albatross. This scene will be especially problematic to execute in real life, but Statham and Stallone pull it off. They would later use it in the sequel.
4. The Airport Scene.
This scene comes from the second film, where newcomers great actors Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme were added. However, we see Bruce Willis make a comeback as well as more screen time with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s corny in places but it has the visual literacy of action icons at its peak. We get to hear several dialogue exchanges from their previous work. Some of the lines work and some don’t. The highlight is Bruce Willis driving a small car with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the passenger.
3. Mel Vs Stallone.
Giving the critical and financial reception of this film, some would be surprised it’s this high on the list, but this fight is pretty cool. They both had stunt doubles for some of this sequence, but a lot of it looks real for the most part. These are two actors who are in their sixties and are still giving convincing action. Mad Max vs Rambo. Harrison Ford will also get some screen time in the final act. Hovering above in a helicopter but not the Millenium Falcon.
2. Stallone Vs Van Damme.
In terms of pure brutality, this scene packs it. The physical nature of this fight scene is on par with some of the action scenes from The Raid (2011). You can feel every crunch and bump. Both of these legendary actors have very different physiques, making this scene worth watching. The two styles clashed together and the result was intense. Both clearly know how to prepare physically, which actually makes the scene even more realistic. Unlike the Mel Gibson vs. Sylvester Stallone fight, this installment was given a hard R rating and the third one was rated PG-13.RELATED:
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1. The Final Act.
For my first place, I wanted to focus on the first film. Personally, for me, this is the most outstanding iconic moment of all the best action scenes in The Expendables. Given that a little more than 10 years have already passed since the release. the final act of the first movie is everything you want from this type of genre. You see explosions, knives, bombs and more using the AA12. To me, the tone of this final act seems to be the most realistic compared to the sequels, which sounds a bit ridiculous, but it has a sense of solidity. The entire sequence is about 25-30 minutes long and it never felt too long or too short. This is a group of 6 people fighting an entire army. The cinematography and stunts are top notch, and the physical combat is widely used. In particular, look out for the characters of Jason Statham and Jet Li, as both have moments of great weaponry.