What Do The Critics Say?

"One-third of the easygoing, blow-it-up pizzazz exhibited here could have kept "The A-Team" from being a disaster, and while Stallone's film won't win any Oscars, it gives off a dopey genre high that's hard not to catch. The goofy plot is just an excuse for brawny bonhomie. Everyone gets their solos: first an action beat, then a soliloquy that's usually about female trouble; until the grand finale erupts, a symphony of skull-crunching and dismemberment." Joe Neumaier NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "It’s a pleasant change, especially for movie fans who left "The A-Team" with a headache. The fight scenes are cleanly shot, tightly edited and imaginatively lit. Chases have a clear sense of geography. It’s not art, and it doesn’t take itself seriously. If you accept The Expendables for what it is: Stallone having some simple, stupid fun; you may be surprised to find yourself joining him." Stephen Whitty NEWARK STAR-LEDGER "The final third or so is wall to wall brawling, shootings and explosions." Jeff Vice DESERET NEWS "The characters Stallone envisions for himself often have a monosyllabic appreciation of the fairer sex. Boneheaded as it is, we trust it as authentic, sweet and sort of quaint. Sylvester Stallone's gun-emptying, blade-tossing, clandestine action flick "The Expendables" is great fun. Priceless '80s action." Lisa Kennedy DENVER POST "These action heroes take their fun seriously without taking themselves seriously." Nell Minnow BELIEFNET "In the realm of action movies, the concept for "The Expendables" is genius. Let’s get all these iconic action stars together, arm them to the teeth, and let them loose on a balls to the wall, to hell and back mission. Stallone’s big score of course is the cast. Getting this much brawn and testosterone on the screen is an accomplishment. Then add in Willis and Arnold for cameos and it’s pretty darn impressive. This is definitely a check your brains at the door film and has nothing on its mind but wanting to deliver a fun ride. And on that count it succeeds." Beth Accomando PRI'S THE WORLD

"Peppered with funny dialogue, epic brawls and supersize explosions, The Expendables is the adrenaline shot the summer of 2010 needs. The action scenes are spectacular. Seeing this crew dispatch faceless hordes of soldiers is all kinds of hard-R awesome and never gets old. Director Stallone (who cowrote the script with David Callaham) knows the real reason to see this movie is the chance to witness some of the biggest action stars of '80s, '90s and '00s mix it up. And the jam-packed 100 minutes allows each member a scene that kills:literally." Peter Paras E!ONLINE "A down and dirty action adventure, and the best escapist entertainment around. Check your brain at the door for non-stop rowdy, riotous and raucous fun." Avi Offer NYC MOVIE GURU "Expendables is the closest thing to movie Viagra yet invented. It’s reprehensible. It’s stoopid violent. It’s a lot of unholy fun." Ty Burr BOSTON GLOBE A delightfully old-school, '80s-style action blowout, in which everything from the acting to the action is hilariously over the top. It's the closest a real movie has ever gotten to Seinfeld's "Death Blow." Also earning bonus points: there's next to no politics, and it doesn't make the mistake of taking itself too seriously. A lot of stuff gets blown up real, real good and the fight scenes are a delight." Stephen Silver THE TREND "Among the explosions and the blood, a forceful melancholy infects the characters and puts a dark tinge to even the most jocular banter." Jason Di Rosso ABC RADIO NATIONAL AUST "Delivers pretty much exactly what its audience wants and expects: big, dumb, campy fun so deliriously, comically macho." Nathan Rabin AV CLUB "The Expendables is about bros and the bros who love them and, in the case of Stallone and Statham, the old dogs of action passing the baton to a younger generation. Bullets, knives and bare hands fly in an incomprehensible vortex as arms and heads and body parts get thrown into the melee." Ann Hornaday WASHINGTON POST

The Inside Story When Sylvester Stallone put pen to paper, (he writes long hand, no typewriter or computer) he envisioned "The Expendables" as a teeth grinding action film that was both relevant and poignant; a story with a theme the audience would respond to. "I wanted to revisit a certain kind of feeling, a certain kind of film making, a certain kind of mentality," Stallone explained. "A story about men that were out of sync with the world but who lived their lives by a certain code. They don't have families, their personal lives are a train wreck: all they have is each other. I wanted to give the audience a glimpse into the hearts of these men." For inspiration, Stallone, who played Sgt Joe Bomowski in Roger Spottiswoode's "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot", used old school action films like "The Dirty Dozen" (1967) and "Dogs of War" (1980) as his model. Movies where men were men, combat was mano a mano and the story was believable. "Action is secondary for Sly," Kevin King, Stallone’s long time producer and confidant revealed. "For him the script must have heart and story. Those are the two main things he has taught me. If you don’t have heart, you don’t have story which means you don’t have a movie. For Sly it’s not just blowing something up." And while the action in a Stallone film can hit critical mass, in "The Expendables" the story trumped all. Over the next several months, as Sly continued to flush out the story he kept coming back to theme of redemption and the need to reveal the emotional core of each character. He wanted to explore the pathos of living life on the precipice by exposing their fears and weaknesses. But Stallone also was keenly aware that as a writer and director he was entering uncharted territory with this script. He didn’t have a known entity like a Rambo or Rocky character to draw upon, therefore the mythology of "The Expendables" had to build from the ground up. He was also writing for an ensemble cast, the likes, which has rarely been captured on film. On top of it all, his role of Barney Ross, was both physically and emotionally challenging. Producer Avi Lerner, whose career spans three decades, saw the making of The Expendables as yet another formidable challenge in a career defined by them. "Sly is a risk-taker and he always has been," says Lerner ("The Last Winter" & "The Code"). "The first Rocky was a risk for him. So was the first Rambo. And now, to create a new character, to get into the physical condition he’s in, to direct and handle this amazing cast and difficult locations; they're all risks. His career is full of taking risks and that's what makes him such an icon. He's not afraid." By the time Stallone had a shooting script he was happy with, he'd written over one hundred drafts, completely reworked the direction of the film and either cut or drastically reworked major characters. Throughout the writing process, Stallone had Jet Li ("Rogue Assassin") and Jason Statham ("Rogue Assassin") in mind for the roles of Yang and Christmas. He hadn’t worked with either one of them but was a fan of their work and knew what they were capable of. For Sly, having martial arts icon Jet Li in the film was a no brainer. Without ever meeting Stallone face to face, Li signed on to play 'Expendable' Yin Yang, a Vietnamese-American trying to live a skewed version of the American Dream. A close quarter combatant who could fly through the air in attack mode, before his opponents knew what hit them, Li plays Yang with quiet intensity. "My character is very straight forward, very simple," says2008 Hong Kong Film Award winner, Li ("The Warlords"). "He constantly thinks about making money so that he can have a real life with a real family. He has a dream." In Statham (an international action star in his own right), Stallone saw untapped potential. "It was a bit of a gamble to cast Jason," Stallone admits, "because you never know if the chemistry is going to work. He comes from a totally different culture than me and he is certainly a lot younger. Privately, I saw a side to him that had not been tapped on film and I wanted to use that to expand his character. I wanted him to have a sense of optimism." Even though Christmas is a knife wielding killing machine, he wears his heart on his sleeve and struggles as his relationship with girlfriend Lacey, played by Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase in ninety episodes of "Angel"), goes up in flames. "I really liked the concept of these regular guys with all these insecurities and problems of their own," Statham ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" & "The Bank Job") pointed out, "and at the same time when they’re put in these situations, they need to be focused and kick ass, as they say." From that point on casting became pretty free form as Stallone looked for interesting and unique individuals with unique talents. Oscar winning actors Forest Whitaker and Sir Ben Kingsley were tapped for key roles but as the story and characters continued to take on a life of their own, changes were made. At one point, rapper Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson was considered until Stallone became concerned he may be going too far in the wrong direction and once again changed course. In the end, Eric Roberts and Terry Crews won the roles. Crews, best known for his comedic roles in film and television shows such as "Everybody Hates Chris", clearly remembers the day he got the call that Sylvester Stallone wanted to meet with him for a role. "I was flabbergasted and excited. For me, working with Stallone was the realization of a childhood fantasy. I was honored." For Dolph Lundgren, winning the role of Gunnar Jensen was a homecoming of sorts. Twenty five years after tearing up the screen as Russian fighter Ivan Drago, in Rocky IV (for which he received the 1985 Marshall Trophy), Lundgren found himself once again going toe to toe with Stallone. And while he has enjoyed a long and varied career including directing his own features, Lundgren (who has a master's degree in chemical engineering) saw the role of Gunnar as a way of reinventing himself. "Stallone created my career with the Ivan Drago character. Now here I am, a little bit older and once again Sly has created a multi-faceted character who is larger than life and kind of iconic. A more complex character that will hopefully allow the audience a chance to see me in a different light." Looking for an athlete with fighting skills and star presence was utmost in Stallone’s mind when casting the role of Toll Road, the thinker of the group who exudes sheer brute force. He found all of it and more in Mixed Martial Arts champion, Randy Couture. "Randy provided a face and a look that is a roadmap to confrontation, battle, discipline, pain," says David di Donatello Award winner, Stallone. "Masculine with a glimpse of sensitivity in the eyes." Stallone then turned to his old friend, 2009 Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award winner Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler"), to play the small but pivotal role of Tool, the weary former Expendable who now runs the business of brokering clandestine missions out of his storefront tattoo shop. The shop serves as the de facto headquarters for the guys, a place where souls are bared, truths are told and where a sense of camaraderie and belonging prevails. It is also where the team begins to unravel after Barney decides to take a job the rest of the team sees as suicide. Mickey Rourke (who reinvented himself 2008 with a tour de force turn in "The Wrestler") and Stallone go back a long way. "I’m a little older than him, but we sort of grew up in the business together," Stallone explained. "We’ve had our ups and downs, know the ins and outs of our lives. He’s a very sensitive and unique guy, and I thought if he could bring some of that uniqueness to the character of Tool, it would be off the charts." The Expendables was finally taking shape. As an actor, Stallone knew he had to allow the cast to bring their individuality to each role. As a director, he also understood the importance of tailoring ideas to maximize the skills and talents of each individual actor. "Each of them were stars in their own right and needed to be served equally. But, I have to say they all came to the table and put their egos aside. Everyone was on board to give one hundred percent to the role. They made my job easy." The last piece of the puzzle was filling the role of Sandra, the woman Barney and Christmas leave in jeopardy in Vilena when their reconnaissance mission turns bad. Sandra, who unknowingly becomes the catalyst for Barney’s change of heart had to be tough, intelligent, beautiful and able to hold her own in a film dominated by testosterone. Brazilian actress, Giselle Itie (pronounced Eet she), who had studied boxing and jiu jitsu but had never done an action film, won the role after a worldwide casting call. For the all-important supporting roles, Stallone called on the versatility of actor Eric Roberts for rogue ex-CIA agent Monroe, a man caught up in a trap of his own design. For the role of henchman and Monroe sidekick, Paine, Stallone brought in former pro wrestler Steve Austin. When shooting a film of this size and scope like The Expendables there were bound to be some problems; those problems can multiply when shooting in a foreign country. Producer Les Weldon ("The Contract", "War, Inc." & "The Code") emphasized that Brazil provided a great backdrop and just the look the filmmakers needed to create the fictitious island of Vilena. "Filming in Brazil is without question a challenging experience on many levels, but the architecture, the landscape with the fishing villages and jungles and the uniqueness of the people provided us a look we couldn’t find anywhere else." Brazil also provided Production Designer Franco Carbone ("Hostel" & "Rocky Balboa") with a facade matching Stallone’s vision of General Garza’s palace. Carbone scouted hundreds of locations looking for a majestic piece of architecture before he settled on the 1920s chateau style mansion that serves as the centerpiece for Parque Lage, a public park situated at the base of the Corcovado, the mountain where the statue of Christ stands. This beautiful park, with its English-style gardens and little lakes provided the perfect backdrop for Garza, the villainous dictator played by character actor, David Zayas (TV'S "Dexter"). After a month of shooting in Brazil and a two week hiatus, the company moved to New Orleans where filming commenced at the Louisiana Film Studios in Harahan. "New Orleans is an interesting location," says Lerner. "It has culture, history and excellent talent to draw from. It was the perfect fit for us." Producer John Thompson ("16 Blocks") believes Stallone is a visionary, because he doesn’t use shot lists. He decides what he wants to do on the day, which makes it a very fluid process. I have never seen somebody with that level of detail." To choreograph and implement the complicated and often dangerous stunts, Sly brought in Supervising Stunt Coordinator Chad Stahelski ("300" & "Die Hard 4.0"). he says, "Sly is very creative on the day and very collaborative." What's It All About?

Barney Ross and his team have just completed a rescue mission off the African coast, when the mysterious Church offers him a job no one else would take. A routine mission to over throw General Gaza , the murderous dictator of the small island country of Vilena. Church wants the expendables to end the years of death and destruction the General has inflicted on his own people people. On a reconnaissance mission to Vilena, Barney and Christmas meet their contact, Sandra, a local freedom fighter with a dark secret. They also come to learn who their true enemy is; rogue ex-CIA operative James Monroe and his henchman Paine. When things go terribly wrong, Barney and Christmas are forced to leave Sandra behind, essentially giving her a death sentence. Haunted by failure Barney decides to return to Vilena, rescue the hostage, finish the job he started and perhaps save her soul.

The Verdict "For many, the prospect of seeing tough guys like Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Jason Statham, UFC Champion Randy Couture, WWF Champion Steve Austin, Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone all together in one, muscle-bound, testosterone charged, explosive, boys-own adventure, will be (to state the bleeding obvious), more than tempting. Those who aren't fooled by the thought that "The Expendables" should be some sort of highly polished, Academy Award seeking big budget production, won't be disappointed. It was made with one thought in mind: to entertain. And it does that well. There's no sparkling dialogue and no abundance of SFX or CGI generated special effects. This is just good old-fashioned, tough guys on a mission, with massive explosions and a high kill count. It's raw filmmaking. Take the scene involving a 1950’s Albatross seaplane. With several cameras rolling, Staham was safe-tied into the nose of the seaplane that flew a hundred feet in the air through billowing smoke and flames. The scene could have been shot using modern 'movie magic' but Sly insisted on going back to a simpler time, calling upon his actors to do most of their own stunts so the film did not become dependent on technology. "I wanted to shoot it with brains and brawn, not modern technology," Stallone said. It's a welcome change and one audiences will appreciate. Damn good fun! 3 1/2 STARS." The Production Team

Director Screenplay Story by Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editors Casting Production Design Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Design

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Sylvester Stallone David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone David Callaham Kevin King/Avi Lerner/Kevin King Templeton/John Thompson Brian Tyler Jeffrey L Kimball Ken Blackwell and Paul Harb Deborah Aquila & Mary Tricia Wood Franco-Giacomo Carbone Daniel Flaksman Robert Gould Lizz Wolf

Who Is Playing Who?

Sylvester Stallone Jason Statham Jet Li Dolph Lundgren Eric Roberts Randy Couture Steve Austin David Zayas Giselle Itié Charisma Carpenter Gary Daniels Terry Crews Mickey Rourke Hank Amos

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Barney Ross Lee Christmas Ying Yang Gunner Jensen James Munroe Toll Road Paine General Garza Sandra Lacy The Brit Hale Caesar Tool Paul

Run Time 103 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Lionsgate/Roadshow - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 The Movie Pages & impact Internet Services. All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian and International Copyright. Trademark Laws and Intellectual Property Rights apply.