Arnie and Stallone were two of the greatest movie stars of the 80s and 90s – both in terms of box office and physique. They also had a not-so-friendly rivalry that resulted in Arnie even tricking Stallone into making a Stop! Or “My mother will shoot” – to see who can surpass the other in body count, sharpness and muscle. That’s one of the reasons they didn’t team up for a film at the height of their fame.
Schwarzenegger and Stallone also became good friends off-screen after realizing they actually had a lot in common. This eventually led to the duo working together on a series of back-to-back films. Here is a rating of all films by Schwarzenegger and Stallone.
4. The Expendables 3 (2014)
Although Schwarzenegger has appeared in every release of The Expendables films, his role in each of them is reduced to an extended cameo. The Expendables 3 gave him the most support – sadly, this is in the service of the worst outing. The Expendables 3 was aiming for a PG-13 rating, which was a poor fit for a series intended as a throwback to the action movies of yesteryear. The result is a bloated, dull mess with too many characters and action that, while cleverly choreographed, is rarely thrilling.
3. Escape Plan (2013)
Although they first worked together on The Expendables, Escape Plan was marketed as the first feature-length pairing of Schwarzenegger and Stallone. The latter plays a security expert sent to a prison from which it is supposedly impossible to escape, and Arnie is a mysterious prisoner who helps him in this. The problem is, the escape plan is overwhelmingly… OK. It’s a fun joke while it lasts, but it’s also nothing special.
2. The Expendables 2 (2012)
The Expendables 2 kicks off with the best action movie of the trilogy, including vehicular carnage, shootouts, martial arts and a boat chase. Unfortunately, it becomes more routine after this revelation, with the titular team hunting down the villain played by Jean-Claude Van Damme. The second part has some solid action, hampered by both lackluster CGI – especially noticeable in bullet hits – and gruesome jokes. Worst of all, Chuck Norris makes his own joke about Chuck Norris memes, which only proves why he never performed in his own comedy.