Watch The Expendables

The Expendables is a 2010 American action thriller film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, who stars in the lead role alongside Jason Statham and Jet Li. The film also features a star-studded cast of action movie icons including Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke. The film follows a team of highly skilled mercenaries known as the Expendables, who are hired by a CIA operative named Mr. Church to overthrow a dictator in the fictional South American island of Vilena. The crew of the Expendables consists of the charismatic leader Barney Ross (Stallone), the knife-throwing expert Lee Christmas (Statham), the hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang (Li), the psychotic ex-wrestler Gunner Jensen (Lundgren), the sniper master Hale Caesar (Crews), and the demolitions expert Toll Road (Couture). The film opens with the Expendables successfully completing a mission to rescue a group of hostages held captive on a ship by Somali pirates. After returning to their base in New Orleans, Ross is approached by Church, who offers him a lucrative mission to overthrow a dictator occupying the South American island of Vilena. Ross and his team travel to Vilena and are met with resistance from the dictator's army. The Expendables begin to gather valuable intelligence with the help of a local girl named Sandra, who becomes the love interest of Ross. They also discover that Vilena is being used as a base for a group of American mercenaries led by a rogue CIA agent named James Munroe (Austin). Munroe is planning to smuggle a large amount of refined plutonium into the United States via an underground tunnel. To prevent this, the Expendables engage in a final battle against Munroe and his men, leading to a typical action-packed finale that includes explosions, gun fights, and hand-to-hand combat. The Expendables was met with mixed reviews from critics, with many praising the film's impressively stacked cast of action movie legends but criticizing the writing and direction. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $274 million worldwide. The film is known for its high level of violence and action, which is typical of the '80s and '90s action movies that the film's cast was famous for starring in. The film also pays tribute to classic action movies through its use of scenes and archetypes, such as the "big guns" montage and the final battle scene that takes place in an abandoned mine. The Expendables kicked off a franchise that has since released two sequels, with the final entry in the series to be released in 2021. The sequels featured an even more impressive cast of action movie legends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes, and Mel Gibson. In conclusion, The Expendables is a throwback to the classic action movies of the '80s and '90s, featuring a cast of action movie icons and a high level of violence and action. While the film is not a critical darling, its commercial success and cult following have helped to solidify its place in the realm of modern action movies.