Fans of cheesy action flicks everywhere collectively groaned when Sylvester Stallone announced that the third Expendables movie would be getting a PG-13 rating in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience, while also introducing a gang of younger Expendables characters to that end. Expectations as such weren't high from the outset, and unsurprisingly, the results weren't pretty. The final movie, which also leaked online three weeks before release, was disastrous: despite game new actors like Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford and Antonio Banderas giving it their all, the PG-13 was lame and bloodless (which is stupid when there's so many brutal deaths in the movie), and there's far too much of a focus on the younger characters, most of whom are played by up-and-comers without much acting talent at all. The movie posted the worst reviews and lowest revenues of the series, because a) hardcore action fans aren't interested in PG-13 and b) teenage kids have no interest in watching 65-year-old men running around pretending they're half their age. Thankfully, at least, Stallone has promised that the next Expendables movie will be back to R-rated glory, though they may have already lost a significant portion of their audience for good. Given how Stallone criticised Bruce Willis for being greedy by asking for too much money to star in this movie, it seems rather hypocritical that he and Lionsgate were attempting such a dishonest cash grab with EX3.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
