History Film / Theexpendables

Two sequels quickly followed, roping in ever more Hollywood action veterans: ''Film/TheExpendables2'' (2012) and ''Film/TheExpendables3'' (2014). There is also an original comic story set between the second and third movies. After a lengthy gestation ''Film/Expend4bles'' was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021, and released in 2023.

Two sequels quickly followed, roping in ever more Hollywood action veterans: ''Film/TheExpendables2'' (2012) and ''Film/TheExpendables3'' (2014). There is also an original comic story set between the second and third movies. After a lengthy gestation ''Film/{{Expend4bles}}'' was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021, and released in 2023.

Two sequels quickly followed, roping in ever more Hollywood action veterans: ''Film/TheExpendables2'' (2012) and ''Film/TheExpendables3'' (2014). There is also an original comic story set between the second and third movies. After a lengthy gestation ''[[Film/{{Expend4bles}} The Expendables 4]]'' was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021, and released in 2023.

** One of the first things Doc mentions after being freed is his desire to put on some “fine threads”

''The Expendables'' is a 2010 American {{action|Genre}} film that spawned a modest franchise. The film and its sequels intentionally contain [[GenreThrowback pretty much every trope associated with]] action movies of TheEighties and [[TheNineties early '90s]]. After the success of ''Film/RockyBalboa'' and ''Film/RamboIV'', Creator/SylvesterStallone became interested in making a film that brought together [[AllStarCast as many action stars he could get]] with careers ranging from the 80's to modern day.

The basic premise goes along with some grizzled [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenaries]] based out of New Orleans who call themselves "The Expendables." Stallone leads them as Barney Ross, with Creator/JasonStatham as Lee Christmas, his closest friend. Rounding out the rest of the team is Creator/JetLi as Ying Yang, Creator/DolphLundgren as Gunnar Jensen, Creator/RandyCouture as Toll Road and Creator/TerryCrews as Hale Caesar. And, most famously, Stallone's box office rival Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger plays Barney's FriendlyEnemy Trench, who leads a rival team. Outside of that core group, many other stars have come and gone through the various movies, some as new allies and others as villains.

The actual plot starts with a mission to deal with boat hijackers, Gunnar is expelled from the team for his unpredictable behavior. Ross gets a new job from the mysterious Mr. Church (Creator/BruceWillis). He hires the team to go into a BananaRepublic and [[OneManArmy single-handedly]] take down a dictator's (David Zayas) regime. After a disastrous scouting mission, they learn Church is connected to the CIA and their real job is to upset the profiteering from a rogue CIA agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts), who has a particularly nasty bodyguard named Paine (Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin). They initially agree to walk away from a likely suicide mission and from doing the CIA's dirty work, but their contact Sandra (Giselle Itie) is captured by Munroe and they feel [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl obligated to rescue her]], and Gunnar is not [[FaceHeelTurn happy with being rejected from the team]].

Two sequels have been made; ''Film/TheExpendables2'' (2012) and ''Film/TheExpendables3'' (2014). There is also an original comic story set between the second and third movies.

An [[DistaffCounterpart all-female]] SpinOff was pitched and pretty much every actress who had ever played an ActionGirl was suggested, though the project does not seem to have gotten past "What if all women, and a stupid pun [''The Expendabelles''] for the name?" [[note]]The fact that the supposed plot was a fairly misogynistic "Male team gets killed, female team gets recruited to infiltrate as prostitutes" probably didn't help.[[/note]] Meanwhile, [[Film/{{Expend4bles}} a fourth film]] was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021 and was released in 2023; Stallone confirmed this would be his final appearance in the series, with potential future installments to feature Statham as the lead.

''The Expendables'' is a 2010 American {{action|Genre}} film that spawned a modest franchise. The film and franchise intentionally contain [[GenreThrowback pretty much every trope associated with]] action movies of TheEighties and [[TheNineties early '90s]]. After the success of ''Film/RockyBalboa'' and ''Film/RamboIV'', Creator/SylvesterStallone became interested in making a film that brought together [[AllStarCast as many action stars he could get]] with careers ranging from the 80's to modern day.

A modest action movie franchise that intentionally contains [[GenreThrowback pretty much every trope associated with 1980s action movies]]. After the success of ''Film/RockyBalboa'' and ''Film/RamboIV'', Creator/SylvesterStallone became interested in making a film that brought together [[AllStarCast as many action stars he could get]] with careers ranging from the 80's to modern day.

An [[DistaffCounterpart all-female]] SpinOff was pitched and pretty much every actress who had ever played an ActionGirl was suggested, though the project does not seem to have gotten past "What if all women, and a stupid pun [''The Expendabelles''] for the name?" [[note]]The fact that the supposed plot was a fairly misogynistic "Male team gets killed, female team gets recruited to infiltrate as prostitutes" probably didn't help.[[/note]] Meanwhile, [[Film/{{Expend4bles}} a fourth film]] was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021 and was released in 2023; Stallone confirmed this would be his final appearance in the series, with any future installments to feature Statham as the lead.

** The drilling vehicle that Trench (Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger) uses to bust the Expendables out of the collapsed mine bears a STRIKING resemblence to the drilling vehicle that Quade (also played by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger) shoves a drill into in ''Film/TotalRecall1990''. And of course, the homage to his actor's most beloved CatchPhrase as soon as he appears:

** Trench wearing a Hawaiian shirt underneath his jacket during the final shootout at the airport could be a nod to ''Film/TheRunningMan'', in which his character also wore a Hawaiian shirt during a setpiece that took place at an airport.

An [[DistaffCounterpart all-female]] SpinOff was pitched and pretty much every actress who had ever played an ActionGirl was suggested, though the project does not seem to have gotten past "What if all women, and a stupid pun [''The Expendabelles''] for the name?" [[note]]The fact that the supposed plot was a fairly misogynistic "Male team gets killed, female team gets recruited to infiltrate as prostitutes" probably didn't help.[[/note]] Meanwhile, [[Film/{{Expend4bles}} a fourth film]] was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021 for a release in 2023; Stallone confirmed this would be his final appearance in the series, with any future installments to feature Statham as the lead.

** The whole church scene when they're being briefed on their mission is lifted from another 80s action classic, ''Film/TheKiller''.

* ManOnFire: [[spoiler:A CMOA results when Toll knocks down Paine with a flying punch while Paine is on fire.]]

An [[DistaffCounterpart all-female]] SpinOff was pitched and pretty much every actress who had ever played an ActionGirl was suggested, though the project does not seem to have gotten past "What if all women, and a stupid pun [''The Expendabelles''] for the name?" [[note]]The fact that the supposed plot was a fairly misogynistic "Male team gets killed, female team gets recruited to infiltrate as prostitutes" probably didn't help.[[/note]] Meanwhile, [[Film/{{Expend4bles}} fourth film]] was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021 for a release in 2023; Stallone confirmed this would be his final appearance in the series, with any future installments to feature Statham as the lead.

An [[DistaffCounterpart all-female]] SpinOff was pitched and pretty much every actress who had ever played an ActionGirl was suggested, though the project does not seem to have gotten past "What if all women, and a stupid pun [''The Expendabelles''] for the name?" [[note]]The fact that the supposed plot was a fairly misogynistic "Male team gets killed, female team gets recruited to infiltrate as prostitutes" probably didn't help.[[/note]] Meanwhile, [[Film/TheExpendables4 a fourth film]] was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021 for a release in 2023; Stallone confirmed this would be his final appearance in the series, with any future installments to feature Statham as the lead.

An [[DistaffCounterpart all-female]] SpinOff was pitched and pretty much every actress who had ever played an ActionGirl was suggested, though the project does not seem to have gotten past "What if all women, and a stupid pun [''The Expendabelles''] for the name?" [[note]]The fact that the supposed plot was a fairly misogynistic "Male team gets killed, female team gets recruited to infiltrate as prostitutes" probably didn't help.[[/note]] Meanwhile, a fourth film was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and produced in 2021 for a release in 2023; Stallone confirmed this would be his final appearance in the series, with any future installments to feature Statham as the lead.

* CasualDangerDialog: