Many times I wanted to watch this film, and many times I didn't because I didn't want to be disappointed. While I will be the first one to admit that this franchise is very flawed, one thing I am not going to deny that it's immensely fun. Including the third part. So when people were hating on this fourth entry in the franchise, I was hesitant to dive into this one.
Now, after having watched it, I am honestly wondering, why people hate this one so much. It's almost non-stop action, where Statham, Iko Uwais and Tony Jaa are kicking ass to the maximum. Maybe, the other members of team Expendables were less prominent, they still made a decent contribution. Except maybe one vital character. Whatever the reason, plot wise, it made sense. Then the humour. It easily is on par with the previous films. So why all of a sudden it's not appreciated? For example, the bit with Jacob Scipio as Galan. He is very talkative. But then for a long while he is very quiet. Suddenly, he does speak and very eloquently expresses his thirst for revenge. It's hilarious. Granted, I am not sure about Megan Fox. I never saw her as an action icon, nor is she a veteran actor. She definitely doesn't fit in the team. I didn't hate her, but it did make me wonder why she was enlisted. The whole point of The Expendables was to have these prominent action heroes of yesteryear coming into action again. One could say the same of 50 Cent. Why was he here? Still, I thought he was a better fit than Megan. I wasn't familiar with Levy Tran as Lash. But I liked her.
So what about the action and spectacle? This was my biggest worry. People kept saying how everything looked cheap and fake and how there were too many quick cuts. That's never a good thing in action films. The whole purpose of these films is so that you can enjoy the action. But let me put your mind at ease. While there are quick cuts, they are never to the extent that you can't follow what is happening. You definitely can and will enjoy the brutal violence inflicted on objects and people. As for the CGI. Maybe one or two explosions could have looked better. But even knowing in advance that some of the looked bad, I wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. While I can enjoy grand explosions, I don't care about them as much. I am more interested in the gun combat and the hand-to-hand combat. And both were top-notch.
Overall, this is a good entry in the franchise. Compared to previous parts, it's better than the third. And on par with the second. Yes, the wow factor concerning the celebs is gone. Then again, Uwais and Tony Jaa do deliver and in that regard, what more do you want?
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