Comments on: THE EXPENDABLES

By: Michael Arruda

Michael Arruda — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:13:11 +0000

Maybe Steven Seagal was busy making MACHETE, since he’s in this upcoming Robert Rodriguez movie starring Danny Trejo.

I’d read that Stallone actually did approach Van Damme, but he wasn’t available.

While I enjoyed THE EXPENDABLES too, I thought Mickey Rourke should have been part of the team rather than sitting on the sidelines. The film also could have used a more formidable villain. I would have liked to have seen Bruce Willis as the main baddie.

Great review, John!

By: Dan Keohane

Dan Keohane — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:52:50 +0000

Honestly, I’ve been waiting years for all of these guys (or most of them) to somehow get into a movie together. it’s amazing it took this long. Lauran, your last point is well taken. Maybe it took time for egos (and schedules) to lighten up a bit first. I always enjoyed these guys – Chuck Norris would have been uber cool (yea, “uber cool” is my new catch phrase, and yea, it’s a sucky one but hey…). Cool review, and cool post-discussion.

By: L.L.Soares

L.L.Soares — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:14:04 +0000

I actually am not a fan of Van Damme’s, but I think he’s such an awful actor he’s funny. And an extended kick shot loop would be hilarious. Dolph is definitely better, though, so I’m glad they went with him.

John – you’re right about it being amazing how they got so many actors to get their schedules in sync. I bet a few of them were sitting on the couch waiting for someone to call them, though. LOL

By: John Harvey

John Harvey — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:10:39 +0000

Actually, the gutsy (and potentially hilarious) move would be to loop that repeated-kick shot for 10 minutes straight.

By: Jerrod Balzer

Jerrod Balzer — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:59:22 +0000

If a sequel does get Van Damme, I hope they don’t do those terrible repeated shots they used to do every time he kicked someone. You’d see him throw the same kick over and over before the person went flying back, as though it added more OOMPF! to the blow. Nowadays, people might think their disc is skipping and return the movie, lol!

By: John Harvey

John Harvey — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:05:26 +0000

Though I enjoyed this movie, as it is it danced along the edge of having too many spices in a single dish. Adding one more guy might have tipped the scale. Who knows?

I suspect that there was also a matter of schedules and budgets. This entire film was shot over only three months, which is pretty impressive considering the number of moving parts in terms of actors’ schedules, sets, pyrotechnics, and stunt work.

Also, there are persistent rumors that THE EXPENDABLES is going to spawn a franchise of pseudo-sequels featuring the different actors in more prominent roles. So, you could get your wish and see an EXPENDABLES starring Van Damme.

By: L.L.Soares

L.L.Soares — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:54:03 +0000

Why couldn’t they have Van Damme and Dolph? Oh well. I agree about Seigal. And I agree that Chuck Norris would have fit right in.

By: John Harvey

John Harvey — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:40:17 +0000

Actually, Jean-Claude Van Damme had been considered for the role played by Dolph Lundgren. It is thought that Stallone went with Lundgren eventually because they’ve worked together before (obviously). So, Lundgren was more of a known quantity.

As far as Steven Seagal is concerned, rumor has it that he’s accumulating rather a lot of … ummm … baggage: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36446224 . Perhaps he would have attracted the wrong kind of media attention.

The actor who should have been in this film but wasn’t is Chuck Norris.

By: L.L.Soares

L.L.Soares — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:08:19 +0000

Hey – how come Steven Seigal and Van Damme weren’t in it?

By: L.L.Soares

L.L.Soares — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:06:52 +0000

John’s reviews always kick ass.