MOVIE REVIEW: "THE EXPENDABLES 3 (2014)

“THE EXPENDABLES 3″ (2014) MOVIE REVIEW

As the camera zooms in for facial shots, it is clear that time has taken its toil on the senior actors. You see the deep lines on their foreheads and the tell-tale wrinkles burrowed around their eyes.

Metaphorically, our ageing heroes are battling off the ravages of bygone years.

Back to”THE EXPENDABLES 3″.

It has little to offer in terms of plot and content. The same shoot-shoot-bang-bang with loads of loud explosions in accompaniment are all back. You’ll be treated to pure nonsensical action all the way!

The plot is a mishmash of the previous chapter.

There’s little you can do in terms of dangerous stunts where the old heroes are not up to it. Body doubles and stuntmen, what.

 Stallone (Barney Ross) and his mercenaries, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, are back with a vengeance.

Their mission?

To stage a prison break for one of their founding members, Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes).

 A CIA biggie (Harrison Ford) suggests to Stallone (Barney Ross) to acquire and train a young energetic team in the likes of Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, boxer Victor Ortiz and mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey. Point taken.

The movie’s hilarious moments come from Wesley Snipes, who takes a dig at his tax-evasion sentence, and a sour-faced Mel Gibson, soaking in his role as chief villain.

Antonio Banderas who still maintains a certain charm and youthfulness tries too hard to be a practical joker.

And as for Jet Li, this Chinese martial-arts star has about a dozen words of dialogue.

The movie is directed by Aussie Patrick Hughes.

In THE EXPENDABLES 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded the Expendables with Barney.

Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader, is someone being marked for Barney’s death list.

He eluded death once before, is now having  devious plans to end the Expendables members. 

Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy.

And how do I rate the movie?

Not my genre of entertainment, but to be fair, there are some amazing stuff if you just go for the entertainment and don’t dig dirt.

A well-worn plot with a cast that has depth and credibility with an air of dainty ruthlessness. Old stars have to act like big unforgotten stars of yester years.

It’s a cool, deadpan roller coaster ride to hell.

Is it not?

RATING: 3 out of 5

Local Distributor: TGV Pictures

“HUMMINGBIRD” Movie Review. Can a Hummingbird signify a Death omen?

“HUMMINGBIRD” PRESS PREVIEW

Can a hummingbird signify a death omen?

You wish.

Still, I am convinced that I stumbled upon this questionable finding from some Asian supernatural folklore.

“HUMMINGBIRD” the movie is an arresting film, for all it’s worth.

It could have a lot more going, if film director STEVEN KNIGHT who also wrote the screenplay had focused on the character development of the lead players.

It is a mob thriller with a heart, some soul and loads of humanity.

JASON STATHAM is Joey Jones, a reluctant anti-hero on the run from a past he is fleeing in order to forget, to escape a military court-marshal.

He leads an impoverished existence where the streets of London is his abode, as he braves a dog-eat-dog society of  the weak being bullied and trampled upon by unruly gangsters.

His only friend is a God fearing albeit confused nun AGATHA BUZEK (Sister Cristina) who’s in charge of feeding the homeless.

She becomes Joey’s confidante and an initial platonic chemistry sparks off for the two, until lust erupts between two complex humane souls seeking emotional connection.

JASON STATHAM is given a different type of role this time.

He not only fights, he has to horn his acting skills playing a broken man torn by injustice, looking for redemption.

The movie has him breaking into a luxurious apartment in the posh district of Covent Garden where the owner has gone for an overseas business trip for three months.

He conveniently finds  a set of car keys, a credit card and a solid bank account where Joey can adopt a new identity. Instead, he uses this opportunity to atone for  his past deeds to come clean and get a respectful job.

He gives up drugs and some booze, finds work as a dish washer in a Chinese restaurant.

He ascends to the post of porter and unofficial bouncer.

Life’s getting a lot better and it’s not unusual that he redeems himself by handing out his hard earned cash to help his hungry at friends at the shelter.

This is a dark thriller where the action is carefully measured.

The director-of-photography dresses it with an atmospheric and evocative film style to bring on the chills.

Go watch it if you are a fan of action star JASON STATHAM.

This will be his first big acting role.

Now, give him a break!