The Expendables – Movie Preview

I don’t think there has ever been a movie with so much fire power. Cannot wait to see this one and review it! Releasing on 13 August 2010.

Official Synopsis:

THE EXPENDABLES is a hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator.  Once the mission begins, the men realize things aren’t quite as they appear, finding themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal.  With their mission thwarted and an innocent life in danger, the men struggle with an even tougher challenge – one that threatens to destroy this band of brothers.

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is a man with nothing to lose.  Fearless and void of emotion, he is the leader, the sage and the strategist of this tight-knit band of men who live on the fringe.  His only attachment is to his pickup truck, his seaplane and his team of loyal modern-day warriors.  His is a true cynic who describes what he does as “removing those hard to get at stains.”

The team behind him is made up of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), former SAS and a savant with anything that has a blade; Yin Yang (Jet Li), a master at close-quarter combat; Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), who has known Barney for ten years and is a long-barrel weapons specialist; Toll Road (Randy Couture), a skilled demolitions expert and considered the intellect of the group; and Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), a combat veteran and an expert in precision sniping who struggles with his own demons.

When the mysterious Church offers Barney a job no one else would take, Barney and his team embark on what appears to be a routine mission:  overthrow General Gaza (David Zayas), the murderous dictator of the small island country of Vilena and end the years of death and destruction inflicted on its people.  On a reconnaissance mission to Vilena, Barney and Christmas meet their contact Sandra (Giselle Itie), a local freedom-fighter with a dark secret.  They also come to learn who their true enemy is:  rogue ex-CIA operative James Monroe (Eric Roberts) and his henchman Paine (Steve Austin).

When things go terribly wrong, Barney and Christmas are forced to leave Sandra behind, essentially giving her a death sentence.  Haunted by this failure, Barney convinces the team to return to Vilena to rescue the hostage and finish the job he started.  And to perhaps save a soul:  his own.

The Expendables Trivia

• Wesley Snipes was offered the role of Hale Ceasar but couldn’t accept because, due to his tax problems, he wasn’t allowed to leave the United States without the court’s approval
• Dolph Lundgren described the film as “an old-school, kick-ass action movie where people are fighting with knives and shooting at each other.”
• The initial budget for the film was $60 million but increased to $70-$80 million.
• Sylvester Stallone broke his neck while filming the fight scene with Steve Austin.