Despite a disastrous critical reception and disappointing box office returns,Expend4bles(also known asExpendables 4)is proving its value in the streaming world. The fourth installment of the action-packed franchise, led byJason StathamandSylvester Stallone,currently ranks #9 on Netflix’s worldwide top 10, according toFlixPatrol. The movie continues in the vein of the previous mindless action romps, following the high-octane exploits of the elite team of mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Statham).
This time, the team faces their toughest mission yet as they attempt to stop a terrorist organization led by a mysterious arms dealer named Rahmat (played byIko Uwais). The mission forces the team to recruit new members, including Gina (Megan Fox), a CIA agent and Lee Christmas’s ex, alongside young, skilled operatives like Easy Day (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) and Lash (Levy Tran). The new blood join the seasoned veterans of the crew, including Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) and Toll Road (Randy Couture).
Is ‘Expend4bles’ Worth Seeing?
The film, which debuted in September 2023, received a dismal 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, marking it as the worst-reviewed entry in the series.Collider’s review of the movie wasn’t much better. Although praising Statham for giving his all to a movie that didn’t deserve it, there was nothing much else worthwhile in the D-rated review.
“Even as Statham, who is essentially the lead of the film, never feels like he is phoning it in, there is just so little that stands out. The twists are obvious and can be seen coming from a mile away, making all the dancing around it feel tiresome. When the staging of many of the fights just involves people standing in one place, it feels like the film is taking the piss (sometimes literally) while never doing much more to come to life. It makes for the worstExpendablesyet. The occasional moment of machine gun motorcycle jousting aside, it is a largely dull and dreary experience that never feels like it is ever anything more than a hollow mimicry of far better action works of the past. Even as it takes a turn to feel like it wants to be more likeDie Hard, it just ends up feeling like the film itself is slowly dying a painful death.”
Expend4blesis on Netflix globally. Viewers in the US can watch it on Starz. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the upcoming projects of Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone.
Expend4bles
Watch on Starz
