The Expendables” franchise is an action-packed delight that stands unmatched in its intensity and adrenaline rush ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
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“The Expendables” is one of Hollywood’s most famous and successful action franchises ever. It is known for its very dynamic action sequences and a star-studded ensemble cast with actors renowned for their roles in action movies, with a hint of comic relief woven into the mix. The most exciting part about this franchise is that it is directed by the man of action.
Sylvester Stallone created this whole franchise to pay homage to the action films of ‘his time.’ And to prove that, he assembled nearly every prominent actor associated with the action genre. The movies consist of, of course, Sylvester Stallone, in addition to Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Randy Couture in the titular roles. While many other actors come in the four movies on and off, the ones mentioned above are the core figures of the franchise.
Here are “The Expendable” movies ranked back by their IMDb ratings.
The Expendables 2 (2012)
IMDb Ratings: 6.6
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“The Expendables 2” may not be the highest-rated movie ever (well, none of The Expendable Movies mainly are), but it’s very commercially successful. The film is the second franchise installment and is directed by Simon West. And, like all Expendable movies, this one also has ensemble casting, with the ones mentioned above reprising their roles, in addition to Chuck Norris, Liam Hemsworth, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The movie follows The Expendables as they face off against a mercenary named Jean Vilain, seeking revenge for the murder of one of their comrades and saving the world from Vilain’s threat.
“The Expendables 2” can be streamed on Prime Video and Netflix.
The Expendables (2010)
IMDb Ratings: 6.4
This 2010 movie was the franchise’s first film, and its success prompted Stallone to keep working on more films. In addition to the recurring main cast, the film features Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, David Zayas, and several other actors exclusively for this installment. Sylvester Stallone himself directed it, was released in 2010, and follows a group of mercenaries (The Expendables) as they get tasked with taking down a South American dictator.
“The Expendables” can be streamed on Prime Video.
The Expendables 3 (2014)
IMDb Ratings: 6.1
“The Expendables 3” is the franchise’s third installment and replaces Simon West with Patrick Hughes as the director. It’s also the franchise’s first film that does not feature Bruce Willis but has the rest of the gang and some new faces, such as Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson. It was released in 2014 and follows The Expendables as they confront an ex-Expendable turned arms dealer on a mission to eliminate the group.
“The Expendables 3” is also available for streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.
The Expendables 4
IMDb Ratings: 4.8
“The Expendables 4,” also stylized as “Expend4bles,” is the fourth installment of the series and is the least critically and commercially successful. Instead of Patrich Hughes, the movie is directed by Scott Waugh, and it was released quite recently, on September 25, 2023. Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture reprise their roles as the main cast, but we also see new faces like 50 Cent, Megan Fox, and Andy Garcia. The film follows ‘some’ of The Expendables in their quest to deal with a terrorist who plans on starting WWIII by setting off some nuclear warheads in Russia.
“The Expendables 4″ is available on Apple TV and Prime Video.
These movies aren’t conventional “serious” action films and shouldn’t be treated as such. Despite receiving modest ratings, and while the movie did not have significant public reception (later installments have had a laid-back box office performance), the films achieved what Stallone initially planned to do with them — introduce the movie of his time to the modern-day audiences.
