Expend4bles movie review: A disappointing conclusion to Sylvester Stallone-Jason Statham’s action franchise

“CIA type” Marsh (Garcia) clearly has no time for more exposition, and is constrained even further by the toothpick he has dangling from his lips at all times (cigarettes, one presumes, are no-go territory on screen now even for guys who exist above the law).

Not that Barney’s, as in Stallone’s, army of men with some or the other special forces experience behind them ask many questions before flying off into battle. Here, Marsh sets in motion ‘Mission Gaddafi Chemical Plant’, and off the men fly to Libya in a plane shaped like a snarling shark (clearly they are no proponents of covert action).

Someone is always fighting someone, and someone is always getting killed, in all kinds of graphic ways, with the men this time showing a predilection for daggers. Since it can’t be all men on screen either these days, first Megan Fox shows up as Gina – Christmas’, as in Statham’s, love interest, who is as much of an Expendable as the rest of them. But since Fox is also meant to be just Fox – more a stunner than a gunner – there is another woman to keep her company in the group.

However, when push comes to more push, it falls ultimately on the tested shoulders of Stallone and Statham to take this fourth Expendables through.

China now conclusively in the big bad space, the market for this film seems to be Indonesia, from where it draws its main villain, Rahmat, played by the country’s star, Iko Uwais. He does what he can against the duo of Stallone and Statham, who try desperately to leaven the proceedings.

As for Garcia, he doesn’t even make an effort, hamming his way through a thankless and, frankly, no-surprises role.

Expend4bles movie director: Scott Waugh
Expend4bles movie cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Andy Garcia, Iko Uwais
Expend4bles movie rating: ½ star