Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.
The Expendables 3 is a diminishing return on an already thin franchise concept. The plot is formulaic even by the series' standards, introducing a younger team that strips away the nostalgic appeal that made the first film work. Acting is serviceable but the ensemble is wasted, with even Mel Gibson's villain feeling underutilized. Cinematography is competent but visually flat, lacking the kinetic punch of better action films. Novelty scores lowest — this is a by-the-numbers sequel recycling the same beats with a gimmick (young vs. old team) that fails to add distinction. The ending resolves predictably with no real stakes or surprise. A passable but largely forgettable action entry.