Blu-Ray Review: THE EXPENDABLES
I just got finished watching The Expendables on Blu-ray and let me tell you... it's just as fun watching it at home as it is watching it in the theaters. It's even more fun if you ware watching it with a group of friends.
The film wasn't really received very well by critics when it was released in theaters, and I can see why someone wouldn't like it. This is a film for a certain kind of movie going audience, and if you saw any of the trailers for the film, then you knew exactly what you were getting yourself into. It's an action film written, directed and starring Sylvester freakin' Stallone!
If you stayed away from the film in movie theaters, then don't shy away watching it on DVD and Blu-ray, the movie looks great on Blu-ray and it's packed full of great special features including a couple cool little documentaries on the making of the film that will keep you busy. The gag real was pretty entertaining as well.
I thought The Expendables was one hell of a badass balls-to-the-walls action flick! I had a blast watching this flick! The film is everything that I expected it to be, and is by far one of the best late 80’s early 90’s style action films I’ve ever seen! If it would have been released in the late 80's early 90's it would have been an action film classic. I don’t mean that in a negative way either. It was one of those films that just took me back in time, and made me feel like a kid again... a kid that would watch hardcore rated ‘R’ action films.
As you know, this movie brought together one of the greatest testosterone filled casts ever assemble in a movie with Sly Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Bruce Willis, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steve Austin. Their purpose... to entertain the hell out of you, action style! This movie has some pretty freakin’ awesome fight and action sequences, and if you need a reason to watch this movie then it's for the action-packed badassery! You wont be disappointed in that. The fight scenes are brutally hardcore, and I couldn’t help but enjoy watching some of these people getting totally obliterated. There is some inventive bone smashing stuff they came up with for this movie that's just awesome.
I admit the story, script, and acting are weak, but that's all part of this kind of action-film charm. The reason we watch movies like this is for the action and cheesy dialouge, and The Expendables delivers that to us in every way imaginable! Stallone took this awesome cast of action stars and successfully made a really cool action film that you can enjoy if you can watch it for what it is.
The DVD and Blu-ray hits the street tomorrow on November 23rd so make sure you check it out!
Blu-ray DVD Specs:
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The only life they’ve known is war. The only loyalty they have is to each other. This November, a powerhouse cast of action heroes comes together for the very first time as Lionsgate releases the action-thriller, The Expendables to Blu-ray Disc Combo Pack (three discs – including Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy). The film will also be available on DVD, Digital Download and On Demand. Co-written and directed by Sylvester Stallone from a screenplay by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone and story by David Callaham, The Expendables follows a team of hardened mercenaries – including Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke – who are sent on what becomes a suicide mission to overthrow a ruthless dictator. The film had an explosive impact on the box office, making it the #1 film in America two weeks running, and bringing in over $100 million.
Both the Blu-ray Combo Pack and standard DVD come with compelling extras that pack a punch and bring the viewer into the action! Each version includes newly produced supplements created in collaboration with director and star Sylvester Stallone and includes unprecedented making-of access as well as a deleted scene and gag reel, audio commentary with Sylvester Stallone and more! Beyond the standard DVD, the Blu-ray Combo Pack includes three exclusive features – “Inferno,” a feature-length behind-the-scenes documentary that provides a unique perspective on the filmmaking process from Stallone’s distinctive point of view; “Comic Con 2010,” the entire Expendables panel, featuring Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Steve Austin, from their visit to this year’s San Diego Comic Con and “Ultimate Recon Mode” where Stallone and the other Expendables provide a multi-layered, all-access look at the making of the film as it runs. The explosive action film of the summer, The Expendables hits home on November 23rd for the suggested retail price of $39.99 for the Blu-ray Combo Pack and $29.95 on DVD.
They are the Expendables: leader and mastermind Barney Ross (Stallone), former SAS blade expert Lee Christmas (Statham), hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang (Li), long barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Crews), demolitions expert Toll Road (Couture) and precision sniper Gunner Jensen (Lundgren). Living life in the fringes of the law, these hardened mercenaries take on what appears to be a routine assignment: a covert, CIA-funded operation to infiltrate the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its ruthless dictator General Garza (David Zayas). But when their job is revealed to be a suicide mission, the men are faced with a deadly choice, one that might redeem their souls…or destroy their brotherhood forever.
BLU-RAY DISC SPECIAL FEATURES*
DISC ONE
- “The Expendables: Ultimate Recon Mode” in-movie BonusView™ feature (Blu-ray Exclusive)
- “Comic Con 2010 Panel” (Blu-ray Exclusive)
- Audio Commentary with Sylvester Stallone
- “Inferno” feature-length “making of” documentary (Blu-ray Exclusive)
- “From the Ashes” Post Production documentary (Blu-ray Exclusive)
- Deleted Scene
- Gag Reel
- Marketing Archive including Trailers and TV spots
- Metamenu Remote and BD Touch enabled
- D-BOX Motion Control Enabled
DISC TWO
- Standard Definition DVD Copy of the feature film
DISC THREE
- Standard Definition Digital Copy of the feature film
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*
- Audio Commentary with Sylvester Stallone
- Before the Battle” featurette
- Deleted Scene
- Gag Reel
- Marketing Archive including Trailers and TV spots
Year of Production: 2009
Title Copyright: © 2010 Alta Vista Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Theatrical Release
Rating: R for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language
Genre: Action
Closed Captioned: Blu-ray Combo Pack – English SDH
DVD – English Closed Captioned
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Blu-Ray Format: 1080P High Definition 16x9 Widescreen (2.40:1)
DVD Format: 16x9 Widescreen (2.40:1)
Feature Running Time: 103 minutes
Blu-ray Audio Status: English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD Audio Status: 5.1 Dolby Digital