7/10 – The crew of action A-listers are back in the 3rd movie of the series that is definitely the most entertaining one by far. The Expendables 3 packs a stronger punch than the first two films because for the first time this actually feels like a real movie and not a spoof on 80’s action cliches. For one, the story is the best it has ever been with Mel Gibson playing the villain as a former Expendable turned rogue who shoots down one of The Expendables early in the film. This forces Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and the rest of the boys to hunt Gibson down with a challenge greater than anything they have previously faced. Gibson is absolutely amazing playing opposite of Stallone’s do it by the book style. It’s fun to see this guy in a serious villain role (Machete Returns not counting) as he looks like he is having the time of his life. New additions like Wesley Snipes, Ronda Rousey, and Kellen Lutz are much appreciated. Rousey in particular gives The Expendables a female perspective and it is a good one as she proves to be sexy, but menacing. This is arguably the best role ever for Lutz as he plays a kind of younger version to Stallone. With these new kids, it’s easy to see where the future is headed for this band of misfits, and the future is very bright. The action is non stop from start to finish. The loud explosions mixed with the constant destruction of buildings and land around will have any action movie buff’s heart pounding. The fight choreography is the best of the year by far. Lots of beautifully painful styled street fighting complete with some MMA moves for good measure by Rousey and Victor Ortiz. The only small problem i had with the fighting is that by the 3rd film it’s quite easy to know none of these Expendables are going to lose, but it would be a lot better if they were fighting a star opposite of them. For instance, in the first film, Steve Austin and Eric Roberts were two bad guys who The Expendables were constantly fighting. You believed there was a chance that one or two of these good guys might not make it out alive. In the second film, Jean Claude Van Damme was opposite of Sylvester Stallone and it made for the greatest fight of the entire series (my opinion). So my point is that it would be nice to see some other action stars play a minor villain role and fight off against Jason Statham or Randy Couture. It creates suspense and suspense is especially needed in an action film as fast paced as this. The only slight problem i had with the 3rd installment is the fact that they are still afraid to kill off some of their stars. There are plenty to last if you wanted to make another three films, so why not shock the audience and toss a couple bodies? I will say that they have trimmed down most of the unbelievable stuff and made the action a little more realistic, but with no fears of main characters losing their lives, this movie stays dumbfounded when tons of missiles and ammo are being fired at our characters. It’s a minor problem that might not bother some people, but by the 3rd film with only two Expendables killed, it makes it a little stale. Overall, The Expendables 3 is a nominee for best action film of the summer. It’s intense, humorous, and full of great performances from characters that the academy may have claimed a long time ago are “Past their peak”. Sly and the gang are back, and worth every dollar you will spend at the box office. Grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the explosion of the summer. Recommended.