If you’re anunapologetic fan of noisy, neck-snapping ’80s action movies like me, the slowdribble of plot tidbits and casting crumbs for 2010’s The Expendableshas no doubt whet your appetite for what’s shaping up to be quite possibly thegreatest flick of all time. If you’re late to the red-meat, rat-a-tat,Reagan-era party, here’s what all the excitement is about:
Sylvester Stallonehas written and, starting next month, will be directing a throw-back action extravaganzaabout a lethal posse of ruthless mercenaries who are hired on the sly by theCIA to topple a South American dictator. So far, so good, right? I know whatyou’re thinking: this guy should have retired years ago—some time around CopLand. But if you coughed up ten bucks to see last year’s Rambo (andguessing from its disappointing haul at the box office, I was only one of abouta dozen people who did), then you know that Sly can still exterminate withextreme prejudice.
But what really has my inner-13 year old really geeked up is the cast.According to Variety, Stallone will topline the band of not-so-merryhe-men along with Jet Li, Jason Statham, UFC goon Randy Couture, and freshlyminted Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke. Other possible names being knocked aroundinclude Ben Kingsley, who, anyone who’s seen Sexy Beast will recall, canplay a hair-trigger psycho. Not drooling yet? Ok, here’s five more reasons whyI’m counting down till The Expendables.
1. Stallone looks scary…ina good way. There are already pre-production photos of Sly floating around theInternet. And he looks totally yoked, covered in tattoos. Yes, the dude may be62, but in these pics he looks like he could snap Rambo’s neck like a dry twig.
2. Statham Unleashed.Has there been a better Cockney tough guy since the Get Carter-eraMichael Caine? Granted, his Transporter movies are a little too PG-13for my sweet tooth, but if you’ve seen Crank, Death Race, or Snatch,you know there’s more mature-audience mayhem simmering inside of him just dyingto get out. Hopefully, this is the venue for letting that particular genie outof the bottle.
3. Will MickeyRourke’s comeback continue? Who doesn’t want to see what he does next? Afterdestroying his career—and his once-handsome face— his resurrection in TheWrestler has made Rourke one of the most compelling figures in Hollywood.What will he do with his new-found capital? I, for one, think this kind ofmovie is exactly what he should be doing. I’d rather see him bust someskulls than make a movie with Kate Winslet or Dame Judi Dench.
4. The long-awaited RockyIV rematch. Stallone and Dolph Lundgren together again! I’ve been waitingyears to write that sentence. Say what you want about Lundgren’s direct-to-DVDresume of late (I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve kept up with theselow-budget cheapies and some of them are surprisingly good), the one-timeonscreen knuckle-bruiser and Italian Stallion foe, Ivan Drago, deserves to bethe next Mickey Rourke-style reclamation project.
5. The return of thebuddy action flick. As Quentin Tarantino cobbles together his intentionallymisspelled WWII guys-on-a-mission homage-a-palooza, Inglourious Basterds,Stallone’s entry has the benefit of being the stealthy bottom-half of a DirtyDozen-style double feature. As much as I love watching Jason Bourne takingon the world single-handedly, there’s nothing like watching a brawny band ofbrothers getting their hands covered in blood (think Schwarzenegger’s Predator).The world is a dangerous place these days. Maybe, just maybe, it takes a ragtagvillage of expendable badasses to sort it out.
We’ll keep you postedas more news Expendables news comes out, but until then, what do youthink? Will this thing rock or what?
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ususally i’m disgusted by 62-year-olds without any clothes on. This one, not so much.
Stallone is the KING! He is the mad note! That movie is going to be bigity BAM! IN YO FACE ACTION! No one better ever mention an unkind word about Stallone otherewise…SNAP!
This has potential to be AMAZING. Too bad Couture will become a big star and probably retire from MMA.
Too bad he’s like 5 foot 2.
I heard Sly was trying to get Sandra Bullock to be in this. That would be odd.
I am an unashamedly stallone fan. I too saw last Rambo film. I wish most 60 plus year olds would attempt to look half as good!!
i saw rambo and Stallone was hottttt then and he is still hottttt now!
Nashawaty, well played sir. you’ve just leapfrogged everyone at EW to become the most crucial, significant, and important writer in the pop culture world.
i thought i’d have to practically dredge over sprawling and suspect message boards for scraps of details on this sure thing cult classic in the making. but, Nashawaty, you’ve undoubtedly streamlined my quest with your canny recognition of the expendables. you ought to start a weekly section devoted completely to it, and another one devoted to Lundgren himself.
and may i introduce you to another sparkling jewel in the calender release rough: Damage. it stars stone cold and detective shane vendrell of the Shield. next january or february it’ll be direct to DVD, sure, but that’s actually a blessing in disguise because it doesn’t make it necessary to wait for the requisite booming explosions to disguise that piercing sound as we covertly crack open our smuggled beer cans in the dark of the theatre with our high-fiving buddies!
You know when you think about Mickey Rourke, he isn’t really a “comeback”…he’s been working for several years…it’s an overstatement. He was was in Sin City and Domino. And some other movies. Maybe the comeback as the “lead” in a movie, but he’s always been acting.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this film is being produced by heavyweight indie film company Millennium. So despite the fact that the on-screen pedigree is so tantalizing, it will almost certainly turn out to be crap. Though, Rambo was also a Millennium film and that was solid . . . Still, I’d brace yourself for disappointment. Millennium = hacks.
um….im pretty sure Millenium are just coughing up the $$ for this….(with lionsgate releasing like with RAMBO)….stallone wrote/direct/star just like rambo….how does that = bad just because of the company producing??
anyways, looks like Robert Knepper and Scott adkins, and forest whitaker might be adding to the cast as well..
such a great cast…a mix of martial artists, mma fighters, 80s action stars, modern action stars, oscar winners..
Dude, did you just jizz in your pants when you wrote this glowing piece of cr*p?
Stallone can suck. Badly. The jury’s still out, and I’m skeptical.
he looks good
he suck as an actor he and arnold cheesburger man what happen we need young action stars like vin diesel or paul walker those guys are good.
gonna be an awesome movie….. wat all hardcore action buffs want…. not some know-all bourne types .. but just lota big guy blowing things off..
i think sly is a very good actor in wat he does ive been a fan of his since i was 12 years old im now 38 my birthday is on 30 0f this month thanks
Crap. I’m going to have to see this. All you had to say was “Jason Statham” (my husband’s man-crush) and he was sold. Crap.
Ewww. Nothing attractive about that. All that plastic surgery and steroids. No thanks.
Its my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
He looks awful and those tattoos are
definitely fake. His steriods are to
the extreme, and let’s face it, his
acting leaves alot to be desired. The
guy needs to say by by, and as for his
personal life, his life is a lie. He
is not really married to Jennifer Flavin and those kids aren’t his. The
kids look exactly like his brother,
Frank, and none of them look like her.
She is a lesbian and just does guys
once in a while. I know all of this
for a fact and to be true. Stallone
is impotent and sterile and has been’
for years and years. It all a sham!!!
He’s looks like a joke and what’s with
the viens coming from his dick which
I heard was really tiny.
Ewww. Who would actually want to look
like that and I agree with Alana, those tattoos look so fake and what
is with those veins coming up from his
private parts. Really ugly and I heard that he was sterile way back on
Geraldo Show years ago. The kids have
brown hair like Frank Stallone and the
facial features do look like Frank more than Sly Stallone. Weird and I
do think it’s odd that I’ve never seen
Sly and Flavin look like they are a
couple. Jennifer Flavin and Frank
Stallone were in Vegas alone the other
week….something isn’t right there!!
Won’t go see the movie.
lol all you people are jealous of stallone….at 62 the guy is in better shape than most people half his age…
and ya know what, the guys a legend….hes made some great movies, and continues to…the only people who need to say “by by” are those who never were fans that feel the need to comment and criticize
and LOL…those kids ARE his…hes married to Jennifer Flavin….jeez…Do idiots frequent EW?? oh wait nevermind…no need to ask
bwahaha to the guy who said Vin Diesel/paul walker are better than Arnold/Stallone….you obviously are about 12years old…because that junk Diesel makes doesnt come close to movies like Predator, First blood, terminator etc…
I offered Stallone’s involvement as a possible mitigating factor in The Expendables’ eventual quality. He did well with Rambo. And with Rocky. But he also wrote and directed Drive, which was ridiculous. And I’m sure you’re right about Millennium ponying up the cash here – they always do for stars. But Millennium – with very few exceptions constituting a small percentage of the films they make – produce bad movies: Righteous Kill, Wicker Man, 88 Minutes, just to name a few that got theatrical releases. (Most don’t.) Don’t discount the role of producers in filmmaking. They absolutely can make or break a film by understanding and nurturing a film’s vision, or failing to. (By which I don’t mean to sound like a pretentious ass. Even action movies with no intent other than to entertain can be failed in this way.) I think Millennium’s involvement means we cut our optimism with a dollop of caution. But, of course, we don’t know how good the movie is until we see it.
my point is hoolyweird should look for younger action stars who brings the money like shaia lebouf or like i said earlier paul walker or even bad actor will smith.
i think he shuld do like tom hanks succesfull actor now awesome producer/director.
his only good movies where oscar,demolition man and judge dredd this movie is going to suck.
Stallone didnt direct Driven…Rocky balboa was the first film he directed since Rocky 4..the last 2 films he did were good….I agree that millenium pretty much known for bad flicks….but rambo was good…and that was under millenium…sly pretty much has his way with millenium..
and to javi, how old are you? 15? shia lebouf/paul walker are action stars?? better than stallone/Arnold?? give me a break….let alone action stars?? the fact that guys like Bruce willis/Stallone are still action heroes says somethign about the current cast of actors out there…
After rocky balboa I gained respect for sly. He was really good in that and the film was well done.
With forest whitaker, ben kingsly, and stallone thats 3 oscar winning stars in one movie… kinda cool.
I’d definitely go see this movie and since teh article brings up copland I wanted to say that movie was totally underrated. Along with the action thrillers Sly should do more movies like that.