Os Mercenários 4

This sequel nearly a decade in the making clearly isn't made for long-suffering fans of this franchise, as most of the iconic cast barely has any screen time. The title should've been "Jason Statham and some of the Expendables."

And this also isn't made for people who like dumb cheesy action movies, as this movie plays it completely straight most of the time, rarely allowing campiness to show.

It also isn't made for people who like slick, cool action movies, as director Scott Waugh continues this series' streak of having directors who can barely string a coherent series of shots together to tell a story. Nearly every shot looks cheap and the progression of events is clunky as hell.

Woeful incompetence is how I'd describe most of what's seen in this film. It truly has some of the worst special effects I've ever seen put to screen. And it still cost $100 million.

So, I ask again, who is this for? Whose idea was it to make an action sequel that will appeal to absolutely NONE of its potential audiences?

If it weren't for the fact that this movie does have a half-decent third act and one impressive fight scene, I'd be saying that this is easily the worst of these movies.

But it's a contender for that title, and even so, I can still say this is one of the worst action movies I've ever seen in theatres.

I was a little excited in this; after all I'd spent my teenage years watching The Expendables, especially since the first three movies had come out during high school for me. So, it was somewhat surprising to hear about its revival a decade later, although not entirely unexpected given the trend of remakes and sequels these days.

The humor in the movie isn't the greatest, but it becomes a central theme after the action scenes. It's not its strongest quality, but I didn't watch it for that; I was in it for the action. Sylvester Stallone seemed like a bored retiree, Iko Uwais as Rahmat acted overly tough and full of himself. And then there's 50 Cent, who displayed Herculean strength (which, I must admit, I kinda liked). The highlight was definitely when they played 50 Cent's song "Pimp"; I wish they had played it longer. It felt like a throwback to the old Expendables, where the movie paid homage to all the actors' previous iconic works.

The film came across as a B-list action movie with big-name actors, rather than a big studio blockbuster. However, in comparison to the first three films, the cast was a huge downgrade. Could've been better with more of the original cast, or even the younger actors from the previous 3rd installment. Despite it tanking at box office, I still enjoyed expendables 3. I had believed that the introduction of the young cast was setting the stage for the franchise's future, so it was a shock to see some of the old familiar faces return again, along with a few new additions. Megan fox and 50 Cent made it feel even more like a B-list movie, and the returning members from the original cast seemed past their prime. What was once a star-studded ensemble now appeared to be filled with well-known B-list actors at best. Remembering that this franchise has seen Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Scott Adkins and Steve Austin.

Action scenes were good but not spectacular, which felt mediocre in today's standards. This was made worse because some of the CGI wasn't great, causing the big action sequences to pale in comparison to the hand-to-hand combat scenes that required fewer effects. They clearly didn't have an unlimited budget, some CGI scenes looked okay, while most seemed rushed.

I think the first half of the film tried too hard, overemphasizing building connections between the characters. We already loved for these characters from three previous movies, so this additional attempt in the first 30 minutes somewhat undermined the preexisting chemistry, which sucked, especially considering the significant plot twist that followed.

The story wasn't great, at best tolerable, and it didn't offer any remarkable moments, progressing rather generically. It could have been paced a bit quicker. And for dumb action movies like this, it doesn't even need a complex story; just good old dumb action done right. I also wished the deceased character had stayed dead, as it would have made the emotions the movie tried and failed to invoke in the first act seem even more pointless. The accents felt forced, and I think some of the conversations, especially among the henchmen, should've been in their native languages. Could've been more believable that way.

I was excited for this, but not surprised it was a disappointment. Most recent sequels, like Shazam, Transformers, Fast X, and Indiana Jones, haven't impressed much. The early Expendables films were so good because they brought together legendary action stars, and I believe that if they had stuck with that formula, featuring the new action stars of our time, along with a solid plot and budget, this movie could have had a fighting chance.

Here I thought Meg 2 was the worst movie of the year; then comes Expend4ables 4, a geriatric actioner whose digital work alone is so pedestrian as to instill disbelief rather than fear. Major players Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone head a loose crew engaged to stop very bad guys from getting nuclear weapons.

If you were able to hear all the dialogue over the din of rapidly firing guns, you would know that there's not a speck of dialogue worth remembering. Of course, there's macho male joking often relating to sex, no better than locker room raunch from a presidential hopeful.

The rest of the conversation is not so much about how the arsenal could destroy the world as it is about getting revenge on rivals.

Stallone and Statham have a few minutes of banter that make you wish for much more. They are better than a film that was PG-13 until it ramped up the violence to the current R, a strategy with no distinction because John Wick does it with style and Equalizer with class.

For Expend4bles, violence is a money grab with no aesthetic value. Gone is the talented writer Stallone credited in the first three and director in the first. For that matter, not even the energy and creative contributions of Norris, Ford, Willis, and Li. The franchise is going to Statham, an always charismatic presence lost in his flat hat, scowl, and innumerable easy targets, who apparently haven't yet figured out how the guns work because Christmas (Statham) delivers his presents much before they have figured out how to shoot.

With a sometimes-promising new cast that includes a randy Megan Fox as a CIA operative, little time is given for character development with time-consuming bullets. Even more outrageous is the cheesy CGI with backgrounds that look to be from the silent era. The giant airline transport plane looks like a toy in a cloud background fashioned by Pee Wee Herman. The $100 million cost of this lost labor is hidden, and the hidden CGI is lost in chaotic closeups where you can barely tell, for instance, if it's Megan Fox, and believe me I looked for her.

I have a nostalgic spot for Stallone's remarkable career and respect for Statham's tough exterior/warm interior characters, but Expend4bles is no advance for either. Here is a comic thriller that embarrasses an industry with a history of getting better all the time. Not this time.

After this discussion, I have decided Expend4bles is the worst movie of the year.

I am a big fan of Stallone's movies and Statham too. So, consequently I love the first two Expendables. Great action masterpieces. Third one was bland because a great mistake: PG-13. Then we got this abomination that has nothing to do with the spirit of the Expendables movies. I don't know how to start but I'll try.

First, the Fx's are horrible. Why? The movie has the graphics of my PC from 1996. I mean VGA level. How is it possible to approve an action movie that looks so cheap?... Stallone's action movies are always great in action, Fx's and choreographies. What happened here?...

Second, the cast looks more tired than my grandmother, she is 92. Dolph Lundgren is excusable because his illness, but what about the others?... Anyway, I can keep going but it is not necessary. If you love the first two Expendables just watch it again. Avoid this cr@p. The franchise is absolutely destroyed.

The rug has finally been pulled out from under the expendables, a film that cost close to a hundred million has hardly made a third of it back. A franchise that should have stopped after the first and is rumoured to continue for another trilogy should, for its own good, be put to rest. The original expendables was good fun and full of outrageous quotes and enjoyment but each passing sequel has suffered from declining plot and acting performance. I would have more tolerance for the movie if it didn't see to treat the audience as if they were brain dead at every turn. There's no creativity or thrill with the expendables anymore, if they never make another we will all be better off.