| The Expendables 3 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Patrick Hughes |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Sylvester Stallone |
| Based on | Characters byDavid Callaham |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Menzies, Jr. |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Brian Tyler |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 126 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States[3] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $90–100 million[4][5] |
| Box office | $214.7 million[6] |
The Expendables 3 is a 2014 Americanaction thriller film directed byPatrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt andSylvester Stallone. It is the third installment inThe Expendables franchise and the sequel toThe Expendables (2010) andThe Expendables 2 (2012). The film features anensemble cast of largely action film actors consisting of Stallone,Jason Statham,Antonio Banderas,Jet Li,Wesley Snipes,Dolph Lundgren,Kelsey Grammer,Randy Couture,Terry Crews,Kellan Lutz,Ronda Rousey,Glen Powell,Victor Ortiz,Mel Gibson,Harrison Ford, andArnold Schwarzenegger.
The story follows the mercenary group known asThe Expendables as they come into conflict with ruthless arms dealer Conrad Stonebanks, the Expendables' co-founder, who is determined to destroy the team. The film premiered in London on August 4, 2014[7] and was released theatrically on August 15, 2014, byLionsgate. Unlike the first two films in the franchise,The Expendables 3 received a PG-13 rating instead of an R rating, which upset many fans of the franchise.[8] Partly due to negative critical reviews and beingleaked three weeks before its scheduled release, the film grossed $214.7 million worldwide on an estimated $90–100 million budget, becoming the lowest-grossing film of the franchise until the sequel,Expend4bles, was released on September 22, 2023.
The Expendables—led by Barney Ross and formed by Lee Christmas, Gunner Jensen, and Toll Road—extract former member Doctor Death, a medic and knives specialist, from a dictator’s fortress prison-camp during his transfer on a train. They recruit Doctor Death to assist them in intercepting a shipment of bombs meant to be delivered to a warlord inSomalia. Arriving there, they reunite with Hale Caesar, who directs them to the drop point, where Barney is surprised to find out that the arms trader providing the bombs is Conrad Stonebanks, a disgraced former co-founder of the Expendables who went rogue and was presumed dead. In the ensuing firefight, The Expendables kill all but Stonebanks, who shoots Caesar. They are forced to retreat when Stonebanks drops a bomb on them from his helicopter, and Caesar is severely injured.
Back in the United States,CIA operative Max Drummer, the Expendables' new missions manager, gives Barney a mission to capture Stonebanks to bring him tothe International Criminal Court to be tried for war crimes. Blaming himself for Caesar's injuries, Barney disbands the Expendables and leaves forLas Vegas, where he enlists retired mercenary-turned-recruiter Bonaparte to help him find a new team of younger mercenaries. The recruits include former U.S. Marine John Smilee, nightclub bouncer Luna, computer expert Thorn, and weapons expert Mars. Skilled sharpshooter Galgo asks to be included in the team, but Barney turns him down.
The four new team members rendezvous with Barney's rival Trench Mauser, returning a favor for Barney. Drummer has traced Stonebanks toBucharest, where he is set to make an arms deal. Barney and the new recruits infiltrate an office building Stonebanks is using and, having to kill a few men in the process including arms buyer Goran Vata, capture Stonebanks. In transit, Stonebanks taunts Barney and explains why he betrayed the Expendables. Barney nearly kills him to shut him up, but, despite Stonebanks egging him on, he stands down. Stonebanks' men catch up to them, with the aid of hisGPS Tracker, and fire a missile at the team's van. Barney is thrown into a river, while Smilee, Luna, Thorn, and Mars are captured by Stonebanks' crew. Barney kills Stonebanks' retrieval team and escapes.
Stonebanks sends Barney a video, challenging Barney to come after him and giving him his location in Azmenistan. While preparing to leave and mount a rescue alone, Barney is found by Galgo, who offers his services again. Barney accepts, later accompanied by the veteran Expendables. They rescue the young mercenaries, only to learn from Stonebanks that he has rigged the place with explosives with only 45 seconds left for them to explode. As both the young and veteran Expendables fight one another, Barney convinces them to work together to take down Stonebanks. As the final battle begins, Thorn uses a jammer device to delay the countdown, giving them just under half an hour before detonation. Stonebanks orders the Azmenistan army to attack the building with full force, including tanks and attack helicopters. Drummer and Trench arrive in a helicopter to help, alongside returning Expendables member Yin Yang.
The new and veteran members of the Expendables work together to kill Stonebanks' men. When a second wave moves in, Drummer lands on the building to evacuate the team. As everyone makes it to Drummer's chopper, Stonebanks personally attacks Barney after shooting him down. Having been forced to remove the armor and his weapon, Barney and Stonebanks engage in hand-to-hand combat. Both are evenly matched, but Barney knocks down Stonebanks before they both reach for their guns. Stonebanks shoots, but Barney gets the better of him. At his mercy, Stonebanks questions Ross about delivering him to the International Criminal Court. Barney coldly shoots Stonebanks in response. Seconds after Stonebanks' death, the batteries of Thorn's device run out, causing the building to explode and collapse. The team makes it to Drummer's helicopter and flies away to safety, as Barney clings to it from the outside. In the aftermath, Caesar recovers from his wounds, and Barney officially accepts Galgo, Smilee, Luna, Thorn, and Mars into the team. They all celebrate at a bar together.
In March 2012, cast memberRandy Couture said a third installment ofThe Expendables might begin production in late 2012 after the release ofThe Expendables 2.[25] In April 2012,Steven Seagal said he was offered a role in a third film.[26] In August 2012, producerAvi Lerner confirmed thatNicolas Cage had been signed for the then-potential sequel. He also said that the producers intended to bring back the series' stars, attempting to haveMickey Rourke reprise his role, and had approachedClint Eastwood,Harrison Ford, andWesley Snipes to play new roles.[27]Sylvester Stallone said "We are thinking about different concepts—the third one is the hardest. The second is the natural progression. The third, that's when the air gets rare. We're thinking ambitiously about it, you now have to give audiences something they don't expect at all, Maybe, even going into a different genre".[28] Also in August,Chuck Norris said he would not return for a sequel.[29] On August 13, 2012,Jean-Claude Van Damme indicated that Stallone might include him inThe Expendables 3 as Claude Vilain, brother of Jean Vilain.[30] On October 31, 2012, it was confirmed thatNu Image andMillennium Films were in the process of pre-selling international distribution rights forThe Expendables 3.[31] On December 19, 2012, it was reported thatJackie Chan had agreed to join the sequel on the condition that he would have more than a minor role.[32] Chan later dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.[33]
In March 2013, Stallone confirmed he was writing a script for the sequel and that he intended for the film to be more humorous with moments of drama. Stallone also said that Seagal would not be in the film and that he wanted to cast more young actors in their mid-20s.[34] In April 2013, Stallone announced thatPatrick Hughes would direct the sequel.[35] In May 2013, Chan, Snipes, Cage andMilla Jovovich were announced to be in advanced negotiations to join the film.[36] In June 2013,Lionsgate announced that the film would be released on August 15, 2014.[37] In July 2013, it was reported that actorMel Gibson would portray the film's villain and later that month Stallone confirmed Gibson's involvement.[38][39] Also in July, actorKellan Lutz and professional fightersVictor Ortiz andRonda Rousey were added to the cast. It was revealed that the film would feature several younger and technology-oriented action heroes who clash with the veteran Expendables.[40] In August 2013, it was confirmed that Ford,Antonio Banderas andGlen Powell would join the cast and thatBruce Willis would not be reprising his role as Mr. Church.[41] Willis's lack of involvement was cited as a disagreement over money with production sources indicating that Willis was offered $3 million for four days of shooting inBulgaria but wanted $4 million.[42] On September 17, 2013,Kelsey Grammer was announced to be in negotiations to join the film.[15]
Principal photography began on August 19, 2013, in Bulgaria and at theNu Boyana Film studio inSofia[1] and ended on October 22.[43] In September 2013,Terry Crews revealed in an interview thatJason Statham survived an on-set mishap when the truck he was driving plunged into theBlack Sea after its brakes had failed.[44][45] In a November 2013 interview,Randy Couture confirmed that filming had finished and that discussions for a fourthExpendables film were taking place.
The film's score was composed byBrian Tyler. The soundtrack was released by La-La Land Records on August 12, 2014.
On December 19, 2013, the firstteaser trailer got released with the intent of showcasing the large cast of the movie.[46] At 2014CinemaCon, the official poster of the film was shown for the first time, although it only slightly differs from material shown before, featuring a white background instead of a black one.[47] The marketing scheme of putting a huge emphasis on the film'sensemble cast of famous action actors was continued in early April when 16 character posters of the film's cast were released and divided over four websites for maximum exposure.[48] One day later, the first trailer with actual footage from the film premiered, again highlighting the film's huge cast, being referred to as a "roll call trailer" byLionsgate.[49] At the 2014 Cannes Film Festival,Millennium Films hosted a special event promoting the film at theCarlton Hotel withSylvester Stallone,Jason Statham,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Mel Gibson,Harrison Ford,Wesley Snipes,Antonio Banderas,Dolph Lundgren,Kelsey Grammer,Randy Couture,Kellan Lutz,Victor Ortiz,Glen Powell and directorPatrick Hughes attending. The event lasted the entire day and featured the cast driving down theCroisette in tanks.[50]
On June 5, a new TV promo with new footage was released. Instead of highlighting the all-star cast as the previous ones, this trailer focused on the new additions to the cast, prominently Lutz,Ronda Rousey and Ortiz, contrasting their young characters with the more experienced ones of Stallone and Grammer.[51] The same day, Stallone also released abehind the scenes video via hisTwitter.[52] On June 17, a long cinematic trailer was released, giving a first look at Gibson as Conrad Stonebanks as well as showcasing the film's story for the first time.[53] A week later on June 23, the new banner was released, featuring all 17 cast members exceptRobert Davi.[54] On June 4, a new TV trailer was released, containing new footage, although mostly consisting of footage already released.[55] A longer version of the trailer was released a week later[56] and one day after that, another TV trailer, themed to coincide with the2014 FIFA World Cup, was released.[57] At 2014ComicCon, 16 new character posters inpop art style were released.[58]
Unlike the first two films in theExpendables franchise, this film received a PG-13 rating instead of an R rating, which received backlash from the fans. At the2014 Cannes Film Festival,Sylvester Stallone announced that he was aiming for aPG-13 rating for the film. Stating that albeit it was close to being rated R, he wanted to reach a younger and broader audience with the new film.[59] However, when Stallone first submitted the film to theMPAA, they assigned it with the usual R rating and had to be trimmed down to be rated PG-13. On July 1, the MPAA grantedThe Expendables 3 a PG-13 rating; the given description being "violence including intense sustained gun battles and fight scenes and for language."
Since its release, Stallone regrets the PG-13 rating, saying that it was "a horrible miscalculation on everyone's part in trying to reach a wider audience but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I'm quite certain it won't happen again."[60]
On July 25, 2014, three weeks ahead of the film's premiere, aDVD-qualityillegal leak was downloaded, viafile sharing sites, more than 189,000 times over a 24-hour period.[61] After one week, it was estimated that the leak had been downloaded over 2 million times.[62]
On July 31, 2014, the film's studio,Lionsgate, filed a lawsuit in California federal court against ten anonymous individuals for copyright infringement.[63] The studio reported that one digital copy of the film was stolen and uploaded to the Internet. Lionsgate stated they sent demand letters to operators of the sites (Limetorrents.com, Billionuploads.com, Hulkfile.eu, Played.to, Swankshare.com and Dotsemper.com) but received no reply.[64] In August 2014, cloud hosting provider Hulkfile.eu ceased its operations worldwide because the company said it had no other option after it was damaged by the Lionsgate lawsuit.[65] In June 2015, Lionsgate settled out of court with the operators of Played.to, a video hosting site for streaming a leaked copy of the movie.[66]
In March 2016, the California court issued a default judgment to each of the operators of three of the infringing sites (Limetorrents.com, Swankshare.com and Dotsemper.com) to be finedUS$150,000 (equivalent to $196,527 in 2024); as of March 2016[update], only Limetorrents is still operating and all of those sites are located outside the United States; therefore, it is unlikely Lionsgate will collect the fines.[67]
The Expendables 3 was released onDVD andBlu-ray on November 25, 2014, byLionsgate Home Entertainment. The Blu-ray Combo-Pack contains an extended version of the film accompanying the theatrical version as well as behind-the-scenes featurettes, a blooper reel and aDolby Atmos multi-channel track. The regular DVD release includes only the theatrical cut.[68] A 4K UHD Blu-ray was released in the United States on March 1, 2016.
The Expendables 3 grossed $39.3 million in North America and $175.3 million in other territories for a total gross of $214.6 million.[69]
The film was released on August 15, 2014, in the United States and earned $875,000 during its late night Thursday screenings from 2,200 locations. It did better than its predecessorsThe Expendables ($870,000) andThe Expendables 2 ($685,000). However, its first showing was at 7 P.M., whereas the previous films had their first showings at midnight.[70] It earned $5.9 million on its first day below the $13 million opening day ofThe Expendables and $10 million opening day ofThe Expendables 2.[71] The film grossed $5.7 million on its second day and $4.2 million on its third day for a three-day total of $15.8 million.
One possible reason for this loss in ticket sales is because the film leaked three weeks ahead of its release; however, since most downloads were outside the United States, if every downloading American paid to see the movie, it would have made only $4 million more.[72] Another possible reason was the PG-13 cut which was meant to attract younger audiences. Only 34% of viewers were under 25 years old while the less violent cut may have reduced interest from older audiences.[71]Sylvester Stallone later admitted that toning the film down for a PG-13 rating was a mistake.[73]
The film was released in China on September 5, 2014, and topped the box office in its first week's release earning $33.68 million from 231,836 screenings and 6.92 million admissions.[74]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 32% based on 178 reviews, with an average rating of 4.2/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Like its predecessors,The Expendables 3 offers a modicum of all-star thrills for old-school action thriller aficionados but given all the talent assembled, it should have been a lot more fun."[75] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 35 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[76] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[77]
Kelsey Grammer won theGolden Raspberry Award forWorst Supporting Actor for his work in the film (along withLegends of Oz: Dorothy's Return,Think Like a Man Too andTransformers: Age of Extinction) whileMel Gibson andArnold Schwarzenegger were also nominated in that category at the35th Golden Raspberry Awards.
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Trailer Awards[78] | Best Summer 2014 Blockbuster Poster | The Expendables 3 "Stallone Teaser" Lionsgate, Ignition | Nominated |
| Golden Raspberry Awards[79] | Worst Supporting Actor | Mel Gibson | Nominated |
| Kelsey Grammer | Won | ||
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | Nominated |
A sequel titledExpend4bles, was released in 2023.
| Films |
|
|---|---|
| Soundtracks | |
| Comics |
|
