Almost a decade ago, The Expendables 3 left us wondering how much gas action cinema’s most iconic geezers had left in the tank. This year, we’re on track to receive yet another $100 million sequel in The Expendables 4 (also known as Expend4bles), and as the trailer has made perfectly clear: “They’ll die when they’re dead.”
Granted, the ongoing saga is essentially the Fast & Furious franchise in a slightly different font. But based on the footage previewed today, there’s just enough fresh blood – and enough appetite for unpretentious, easy-to-digest popcorn flicks – to convince us we need another instalment.
As for the story, well… it’s best to approach this with the same mindset as when you’re viewing a porno. This isn’t about character progression, so leave all expectations at the door. This is about watching all the actors you know and love put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertainment.
But if you really must know, the Expendables task force have been drawn into some kind of international conspiracy that’ll apparently trigger a nuclear conflict/WWIII between – get this – the US and Russia (spare us).
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Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and former UFC champion Randy Couture reprise their roles as certified hardmen Barney Ross, Lee Christmas, Gunner Jensen, and Toll Road, respectively. Side note: The Expendables 4 is set to be Sly’s swan song from the film series with Statham expected to take over as franchise lead, hence the Lee Christmas-focused plot.
Newcomers range from Megan Fox as Lee’s ex-girlfriend and CIA agent Gina, 50 Cent (real name: Curtis Jackson) as Expendables recruit Easy, alongside Andy Garcia as CIA agent Marsh, to heavyweight action stars Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais. Plus famed strongman Eddie Hall for some reason.
The Expendables 4 (also known as Expend4bles) has been directed by Scott Waugh of Need For Speed and Act of Valor fame; while the screenplay has been co-written by veteran Hollywood scribe Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams.
As for a release date, this cinematic milestone is scheduled to hit theatres later this year on September 22nd – check out The Expendables 4 trailer above.
