# The Expendables - Greatest action movie ever made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506 "2010-03-31T22:50:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/1 "2010-03-31T22:50:48Z")
Sylvester Stallone Jason Statham Jet Li Dolph Lundgren Randy Couture Steve Austin Mickey Rourke Bruce Willis Arnold Schwarzenegger Danny Trejo [Trailer here](http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808411960/video) ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/2 "2010-03-31T23:22:57Z")
I don’t know if the movie is the greatest, but it might be the best job by a casting director ever. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/3 "2010-03-31T23:57:13Z")
We won’t really know until it’s been released at least, but [Rambo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_(film)) certainly displayed a talent for making a pumped up and bloody film by Stallone (as a director). The thing that worries me is that to a large extent a hero is only as tough as his opponent. This might be why Rambo didn’t have any lasting effect on the movie market. The bad guy in this is the lovable buddy-cop [Angel from Dexter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Zayas). I’m sure it will be fun while you’re actually in the theater watching it, but it won’t have lasting power like Predator or Die Hard because it doesn’t have a proper foe. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/4 "2010-04-01T00:00:01Z")
Looks like Stallone wants one last action movie on his list, and he convinced his old action movie buddies to play roles. Li and Statham are in it only because it’s a Lionsgate film. Still looks like it’ll kick some ass. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/5 "2010-04-01T00:43:25Z")
OHGOD OHGOD OHGOD OHGOD TESTOSTERONE OVERDOSE…\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_(flatline) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/6 "2010-04-01T01:24:26Z")
Yeah, I’ve heard about this one coming out. I’m glad Stallone is making movies again. I actually think he’s a pretty good director. Too bad Jean Claude Van Damme turned them down. He and Steven Seagal would have made it perfect. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/7 "2010-04-01T01:25:45Z")
After watching that trailer each of my balls grew to 6 inches in diameter. I’m pumping so much testosterone I could rip a small car in half. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/8 "2010-04-01T02:12:32Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The thing that worries me is that to a large extent a hero is only as tough as his opponent. This might be why Rambo didn’t have any lasting effect on the movie market. The bad guy in this is the lovable buddy-cop [Angel from Dexter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Zayas). From the trailer, it looks like the bad guy sensibly hires Dolph Lundgren as a tough opponent for Sylvester Stallone – which, by definition, works. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/9 "2010-04-01T04:01:42Z")
How did Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson miss this movie? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/10 "2010-04-01T04:11:30Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > From the trailer, it looks like the bad guy sensibly hires Dolph Lundgren as a tough opponent for Sylvester Stallone – which, by definition, works. He looks like one of the heroes according to the casting section on Wikipedia: > **[The Expendables (2010 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expendables_(2010_film))** > > The Expendables is a 2010 American action film directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote it with David Callaham and also starred in the lead role. Is the first installment in The Expendables franchise. The film co-stars an ensemble cast of mostly action film actors, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. The film is about a team of elite mercenaries tasked with a mission to overthrow a Latin American dictato... Possible that he went rogue, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/11 "2010-04-01T04:25:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How did Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson miss this movie? He started acting after Stallone/Schwarz/Willis/Lundgren’s time, and so far as I know he’s not associated with Lionsgate like Statham and Li. Seriously. I don’t know what kind of deal they have with LG, but they are in _every_ LG movie, I swear. Not that I mind, Statham has the most badass voice in cinema history, but it’s almost comical the way they keep popping up. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/12 "2010-04-01T04:40:33Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How did Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson miss this movie? Because “Stone Cold” Steve Austin got there first? This one is for the theatres.. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/13 "2010-04-01T04:41:35Z")
Wow. Statham and Li ( and a bunch of other guys). Cool. I hope Statham sticks the girl in the trunk even if for just for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/14 "2010-04-01T05:09:08Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Wow. Statham and Li ( and a bunch of other guys). Whatever you do, don’t watch _War_ if you haven’t yet. After going on a Statham/Li movie binge last year, I was all fired up for an awesome movie with both of them in it. I didn’t get it. Too much talky, not enough asskicky. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/15 "2010-04-01T05:27:39Z")
Oh look - it’s a Planet Hollywood board meeting. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/16 "2010-04-01T09:23:01Z")
Charisma Carpenter also appears, and gets to kiss Statham… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/17 "2010-04-01T12:00:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How did Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson miss this movie? Two words…Tooth Fairy. They recinded his action movie man card. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/18 "2010-04-01T12:18:59Z")
One word: _Junior_. Six more words:\* Stop or My Mom will Shoot\*. There isn’t a cast member in the movie who hasn’t dishonored himself as an action star. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/19 "2010-04-01T12:21:30Z")
I thought Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped acting once he got elected. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506/20 "2010-04-01T12:41:41Z")
It’s probably just a glorified cameo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expendables-greatest-action-movie-ever-made/534506.md?page=2)