class=”alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-33642″ style=”margin: 10px;” title=”The Expendables UK Poster” src=”https://www.heyuguys.com/images/2010/07/The-Expendables-Poster-e1280398769721-220×141.jpg” alt=”” width=”220″ height=”141″ />This Summer, some of the finest actors of a generation have been brought together for a big action movie, with a unique and original plot, and mind bending storyline. But enough about Inception. Also this Summer, Sylvester Stallone brings together either a collection of has-beens and never-weres, or the most impressively assembled collection of action movie icons in the history of cinema, depending on your point of view.
The Expendables tells the story of a team of mercenaries, action men whose lives have been devoted to carnage and mayhem. These Expendables are so called because they are unwanted, unloved, and completely, well, Expendable. Is this just an excuse for one of the most over the top, action heavy movies of all time, or is it a thinly veiled metaphor for the careers of those involved?
Whilst there are several younger ‘actors’ involved, some yet to make a name for themselves, the story of Sly’s summer blockbuster is his attempt to bring together as many action heroes of his era as he could get to sign on the dotted line. All can be considered former box office draws, but most have seen their best days long past. This weekend, it’s going to be interesting to see if these once A-list heavyweights are still able to draw an audience, or if they are now just as disposable as their alter egos in the film.
Some, like Dolph Lundgren, had a very short purple period many years ago with Rocky IV and Masters of the Universe in the eighties, and have now faded into obscurity. Others, like Sly, and Willis and Schwarzenegger (who admittedly only have small parts) are still trucking (though not for a few years now in the case of Arnie), but have been forced to watch their drawing power decline steadily over the last decade. Jet Li could almost be considered a surprise inclusion in the cast, as he has had much more recent success, and has not been around for nearly as long as some of the others. To be categorized alongside the rest of the ageing cast must have been somewhat of an eye opener for him, and it will be interesting to see what kind of effect it has on his movie career in China and Hong Kong.
Mickey Rourke has already mounted a comeback, with an impressive performance in Sin City followed up with his Academy Award nominated work in The Wrestler. One of Rourke’s biggest career weaknesses the first time around was bad role choices. Despite the aforementioned critically acclaimed roles, it is starting to look like he is struggling once again to maintain his profile with the right career decisions, following his underwritten role in Iron Man 2 with a date with career killer Megan Fox in Passion Play. In many ways, Rourke has a lot to lose by associating himself with actors whose careers have gone to seed.
Perhaps the healthiest movie career at stake is that of Jason Statham. He has thrown off the shackles of his mockney crime caper beginnings by carving out a career as one of the new generation of action heroes. Statham has built up a big fanbase with appearances in both the Transporter and Crank series, and should be looking to lift himself up to the next tier. If The Expendables doesn’t work, it could mire him in the same career dire straits as some of his older castmates, which would be a bit of a shame.
One thing is for sure, whatever reputation the eighties stars present currently hold, it could be worse. With the massive fall from grace that has befallen Mel Gibson, and the loss of popularity Tom Cruise’s bizarre behaviour has cost him, Sly and co. are in a far better position to springboard themselves back onto the Hollywood A-list than several of their peers.
So what are The Expendables prospects? And what would success actually look like? No-one is expecting high art, and that’s as it should be. The Expendables was always going to be a mindless action flick, and to over-complicate it would be asking for trouble. The plot does however need to be cohesive, and entertaining, with some spirit and genuine human interest. The Losers was a very similar style of movie, and a lack of compelling emotional drama and interesting plot meant it did not fare well at all. So far, reviews for The Expendables have been mixed, and there is nothing to suggest that it will be a classic of the genre.
I think financial success is far more important to The Expendables than critical plaudits. With a production budget of reportedly around $80m, it isn’t really THAT expensive. An opening weekend of around $30m would be massive, and instant justification for the movie. I think it could actually top that, with the competition from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World possibly a little overestimated. With plans already afoot for a sequel, projections are clearly looking quite good at the moment. However, the era of big names translating into big box office seem to be behind us, and you could argue it is only really Stallone of the principal cast that has the potential to draw in an audience.
This is an important movie for everyone involved. For the big personalities, it is a measure of just how much their star has faded, and an indication of where they stand with action movie fans. For the less well known, younger actors, success could lead to a lucrative action movie career. For Rourke and Statham, it is more of a gamble, and success is really a must to keep them up at the level they are currently at. For the likes of forgotten man Dolph Lundgren, it could lead to a career resurgence, which he must be hoping for, or it may just end up as the last hurrah of a washed-up action hero.
Whatever happens this weekend, The Expendables was an ambitious attempt to put together one of the most star-studded casts in recent history, and has managed to draw the interest of movie fans around the globe. We may be about to find out whether the stars of the past can still be relevant to a modern audience, or if they are obsolete, unwanted and, well, expendable. I hope the movie does do well, and i hope it does turn out to be a fun watch. It’s nice to see stars of yesteryear attempting to force themselves back to the top of the tree, and i’ll be fascinated to read the reviews and box office results at the end of the coming weekend.
Bazmann – You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/baz_mann
