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The Expendables 3
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Action less gory but still constant in overcooked sequel.

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The Expendables 3
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The Expendables 3
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What's the Story?
After rescuing an old team member, "Doc" (Wesley Snipes), the Expendables -- led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) -- proceed to tackle a new mission. Unfortunately, not only do they fail, but also they learn that an old foe, Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), is still alive. When a team member is shot, Barney decides to disband the group and recruit some new, younger members to go after Stonebanks. But when that mission fails, too, it's up to the original team, as well as some other adventurous outsiders, to charge to the rescue. Can the new and old Expendables work together well enough to survive?
Is It Any Good?
This sequel unfortunately moves back in the wrong direction. Based on pure nostalgia, with a nod to teamwork and not much else, Stallone's The Expendables (2010) was a junky-looking downer, but it was a huge hit. The Expendables 2 (2012) was somehow a marked improvement, with better action and more downtime between characters ... but it was less of a hit.
The violence may be less gruesome in this installment, but it's also jagged, jarring, and disorienting. The sheer number of characters doesn't help; in certain scenes, there are half a dozen things going on. With action taking up the bulk of the movie, character interactions feel abbreviated and truncated. With a couple of fleeting exceptions, characters don't really get a chance to do or say much. Certainly Stallone and Statham's chummy banter has diminished. Perhaps worse, the entire idea of recruiting "kids" to protect the older teammates feels wrong. The future of action looks pretty... inactive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Expendables 3's violence. How did it affect you? What impact did it have? How does it compare to the type/scale of violence in the first two films? Why do you think they changed it this time around?
Many of the characters in the film smoke and drink. How does this make them look? Do they seem cool? Do you think that was the intent?
What's the appeal of these action heroes, whose careers range over several decades? How do they compare with the younger characters in the movie?
Is Luna a female role model? Does she present an unrealistic body image? Do the male characters present an unrealistic body image for boys?
What did Barney learn over the course of the movie? Did any of the other Expendables share his journey? Are they heroes? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 15, 2014
- On DVD or streaming: November 25, 2014
- Cast: Sylvester Stallone , Jason Statham , Antonio Banderas
- Director: Patrick Hughes
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 126 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: violence including intense sustained gun battles and fight scenes, and for language
- Last updated: June 2, 2023
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