Jack Goes Confidential: OMG – ‘Expendables’ Destined to Become Deleteables?

THE EXPENDABLES 3 merges old school with new blood…

Combining aging beefcake with newly recruited fighters in a PG-13 rated mission to take down Mel Gibson who co-founded the Expendables but went rogue—and in a BIG way!

A new era for old Deleteables?

Probably as they come face-to-face with Gibson who has become a ruthless arms trader and just a mean mother******.

Sure, these new additions to the rag tag team are younger, faster and more tech-savvy, but never send a boy to do a man’s job. Especially in this, the most personal battle yet.

Expect lots of zingers interwoven with the film’s non-stop almost Roadrunner like action.

But probably the best of ’em is delivered by a rescued Wesley Snipes as Doctor Death. When asked why he was locked up Snipes answers, “Tax evasion.”

It brought the best laugh of the evening out of our screening audience.

And what a lineup in this third outing of action-cinema’s almost-over-the hill gang.

Sly Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelsey Grammer, plus Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz and Wesley Snipes as Dr. Death—‘the knife before Christmas’…..

Almost forgot, Antonio Banderas also joins the crew for mercenary comedy relief.

So are the Expendables suffering from franchise fatigue? Most likely—and it shows.Question is, WHY do they continue to bust ’em out?Let’s look at # 2 which grossed $85 million domestically but took in another $220 million at the international box office.

Total ticket sales: $305 million. Nuff said?

And just like the last one in 2012, this third outing should play (and pay) perfectly well in China, Russia, Bulgaria and all the other territories so vital to Hollywood’s bottom line today.

For my state of mind THE EXPENDABLES 3 scores a formula-by-the-numbers battle scar C.