Expendables 3 - Bruce Willis Out But Cast List Grows! (1 Viewer)

[Vic Pardo]

^ There was a good number of people when I saw it on the opening weekend and I enjoyed it but the rest of the crowd seemed dead. I'm not even a huge fan of these movies or many of the actors in it (though I've certainly got a soft spot for Arnie) but I felt like standing up and shouting "What movie did you guys come to see? Have some fun!"

Yeah, I find audience reaction notably lacking at movies these days. Nobody laughs anymore, at least at the films I go see. I remember seeing TRUE GRIT (Coen Bros. version) at the Ziegfeld in Manhattan with a good-sized crowd at holiday time consisting largely of young adults accompanying middle-aged parents or senior citizen grandparents (evidently the only movie the youngsters felt they could safely take the oldsters to). There was lots of humor in the film but nobody laughed except me.

 

[TravisR]

^ What was so weird about it is that the crowds that I see movies with usually do laugh and have fun (even when the movie is total garbage, it seems like a couple people are enjoying it) so that's why I so taken aback by the lack of crowd enthusiasm. If they were coming to see The Expendables 3, I'd think that they'd be primed to have a good time.

 

[KevinGress]

Nobody laughs anymore, at least at the films I go see.

Can't speak to Expendables 3, as I haven't seen it, but just in general I think there's two main reasons for this:

1) Much of what's called humor really isn't funny. I know we can spend pages on top of pages debating what is or isn't funny, so I'll preemptively restate it as, much of what's called humor isn't because it's lazy. Too often swear words, wild gestures, and 'toilet' humor are simply thrown in, without any set up or thought. That, to me, is lazy, and isn't funny.

2) People are deluged with entertainment - be it movies, TV, internet, and so, have already 'seen it', or at least have seen something like it, so it's impact is lessened, and if the humor is lazy, people see it coming from a mile away so oftentimes, the best you get is a knowing smile.

I plan on seeing Expendables 3, just at home. I figure I'll be entertained, but as I've aged, my tastes have changed. I guess you could say, as far as action goes, I've 'seen it' already and it takes a lot to get me to sit up and notice....

 

[Brian Dobbs]

For story, I would rank the three films in this order...

[*]Expendables 1
[*]Expendables 3
[*]Expendables 2
[/list]
All of them make for great home theater sound demos.

I should clarify...

1. Expendables 1 (Director's Cut)
2. Expendables 1
3. Expendables 3
4. Expendables 2

 

[Tino]

From an article at Deadline.com about budgets vs boxoffice. "The Expendables 3 (Lionsgate), August 15Budget: $100MWorldwide gross: $91.6MInt’l: $57.5M (63%)Dom: $34.1M (37%)How much did the 5 million-plus illegal downloads prior to the film’s release hurt this picture? How much was due to a tired franchise? How much was due to the quality (the lack thereof) of the film? Probably a combination of everything that brought this one to its action-hero knees with a mere $15.8M opening weekend. Hopefully, we won’t have to suffer through The Expendables 4: The Next Generation. No, Avi, no, it’s not a good idea. This Millennium Entertainment three-quel fell flat with U.S. audiences and the international crowd didn’t take to it as well as expected either. It opened at No. 2 in Russia which was the previous film’s second-best overseas market; it lost the race to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It still has China to come — the last pic’s best non-U.S. territory, but the piracy issue will be felt there – and franchise fatigue also seems to have set in despite a big grab for international attention at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Simply put: Big Budget Bomb."

 

[Vic Pardo]

From an article at Deadline.com about budgets vs boxoffice."The Expendables 3 (Lionsgate), August 15Budget: $100MWorldwide gross: $91.6MInt’l: $57.5M (63%)Dom: $34.1M (37%)How much did the 5 million-plus illegal downloads prior to the film’s release hurt this picture? How much was due to a tired franchise? How much was due to the quality (the lack thereof) of the film? Probably a combination of everything that brought this one to its action-hero knees with a mere $15.8M opening weekend. Hopefully, we won’t have to suffer through The Expendables 4: The Next Generation. No, Avi, no, it’s not a good idea. This Millennium Entertainment three-quel fell flat with U.S. audiences and the international crowd didn’t take to it as well as expected either. It opened at No. 2 in Russia which was the previous film’s second-best overseas market; it lost the race to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It still has China to come — the last pic’s best non-U.S. territory, but the piracy issue will be felt there – and franchise fatigue also seems to have set in despite a big grab for international attention at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Simply put: Big Budget Bomb."

I wonder if the franchise has a shot at continuing via the DTV route. Certainly, a number of the actors associated with it, like Snipes and Van Damme, or actors talked about but never quite cast in it (Seagal), have gone the DTV route. Heck, even Stallone has done that! Maybe they can churn out a prequel or two? Maybe a spin-off featuring a limited number of characters? Why the heck not?

 

[Tino]

I think this is the last you will see of the Expendables.

 

[John Kilduff]

I wish I could share the enthusiasm about "The Expendables 3" that some have shown in this thread, but I can't. The first 2 movies were throwbacks to the days when action movies were primarily rated R, and that was reflected in the action of the first two. By going PG-13 for the third one, they compromised what made the first two so great, which was the violence that seemed to have disappeared from these action movies once the 00s rolled around. Maybe Stallone wanted to get a larger audience, but I think it would've been better if the third one were rated R. As I've said on another site, I'm not saying an action movie has to be rated R to be good. "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" was thrill-packed and rated PG. The first two "Expendables" didn't make their money on playing it for all audiences...They made it on nostalgia for the days when action movies were loaded with blood and graphic violence.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

Did the bootlegging hurt the third one? Maybe a little, but the PG-13 hurt it more in my opinion. After all, lots of movies are bootlegged and still end up making big money anyway.

 

[Michael Elliott]

I've yet to see it but I think it's pretty clear that America doesn't care for these old guys. Back in the 80s an action star could be old and still bring in crowds. I blame GRUMPY OLD MEN. Ever since that film "old men" can't be taken overly serious and especially in an action movie. When it comes to "new" movie fans. Movies are aimed at teens these days so I understand a PG-13 rating on films but not here. No teenager (or very few) wants to see old men jumping around on screen. Sorry Sly.

 

[Malcolm R]

None of the recent films by these 80's action hero icons have really registered at the box office. I think it's time for them to retire.

I enjoyed the first two Expendables films, but the PG-13 rating really dropped my interest in the third one.

 

[TravisR]

I enjoyed the first two Expendables films, but the PG-13 rating really dropped my interest in the third one.

I've only seen each of The Expendables movies once so I'm hardly an authority but from my memory, I think the only difference between the PG-13 and R rated movies is that (fake looking) CG blood squirts out of wounds in the first two.

 

[KevinGress]

I've yet to see it but I think it's pretty clear that America doesn't care for these old guys. Back in the 80s an action star could be old and still bring in crowds. I blame GRUMPY OLD MEN. Ever since that film "old men" can't be taken overly serious and especially in an action movie. When it comes to "new" movie fans. Movies are aimed at teens these days so I understand a PG-13 rating on films but not here. No teenager (or very few) wants to see old men jumping around on screen. Sorry Sly.

While I do think the age of the actors involved may play a role, I think it's more the age of the audience involved. I think the younger audience is so used to see wire work and CGI 'supernatural' action that they aren't as impressed with old school fights and blow -em ups. And those of us who grew up watching their movies are busy with other things and are more selective with our entertainment. And perhaps, in some cases, we don't like seeing our heroes age....

 

[FoxyMulder]

I think a longer, possibly more R rated cut, will be available on blu ray, listen at around the six minute mark to the video below.

 

[Malcolm R]

I wonder if the presence of Mel Gibson had any part in the low ticket sales?

 

[FoxyMulder]

I wonder if the presence of Mel Gibson had any part in the low ticket sales?

I meant to quote you and accidentally clicked the like button.

Mel Gibson made remarks while drunk, who hasn't, the guy is a good actor, a better director and is preferable when he plays good guys, as i said on the last page, i believe Mel should have been a good guy in this film, not the bad guy, i don't think Mr Gibson was the reason for poor ticket sales, nor do i think piracy was the issue, i firmly believe two things hurt this film, the PG-13 certificate and more importantly the timing of the release, they should have waited and put it out this Friday or next.