Review: 'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation'

PLOT: When the IMF is disbanded, rogue agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is on his own as he tracks down The Syndicate, an underground network of former spies responsible for a series of deadly terrorist attacks.

REVIEW: The most jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, pulse-racing action set piece in Christopher McQuarrie’s frantically enjoyable Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation finds franchise centerpiece and all-around indestructible action icon Tom Cruise submerged in water where he’s forced to hold his breath and battle extreme obstacles to reach an unobtainable goal. No, strike that, the scene we’ll all be talking about afterwards has to be the Morocco car pursuit – which morphs into a high-speed motorcycle chase – that McQuarrie puts right after the thrilling underwater dive sequence. Alright, fine, if we’re being honest, the benchmark scene in Rogue Nation arguably is the trailer-ready shot of Cruise’s super agent Ethan Hunt clinging to the side of a massive A-400 airplane as he waits for Benji (Simon Pegg), his tech-savvy sidekick, to open a portal. 

I guess my point is that rival action thrillers would kill to have one of the intricate, physically demanding and just plain damn cool set pieces that I’ve briefly described above. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation has a half-dozen, at least, and they’re all connected by a taut, menacing spy plot conceived and executed by the intelligent action director Christopher McQuarrie.

Rogue Nation is a ride. It accepts the gauntlet thrown down by Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol, staging hugely impressive set pieces while furthering a stronger story that makes better use of Ethan Hunt’s entire MIF team. It introduces stunning new characters in the mysterious Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson, essentially the female Hunt) and the sinister Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). And it’s incredibly fun. It annoys me that I have to phrase it this way, but the fact that the Mission sequels continue to improve film after film – from M:I 3 to Ghost Protocol to this – is impossible. And yet, it’s happening, so why not enjoy the experience? 

By the time Rogue Nation begins, the actions of the IMF – the Impossible Mission Force – in previous films have them on the shit list of the U.S. government. Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin, playing the perfect shade of frustrated in his too-brief role) lobbies to disband the team of covert agents, and absorb its best assets into the CIA. That can’t happen, however, because Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is dangerously close to finally learning the true identities and motives of The Syndicate, an anti-IMF led by the mousy but malicious Lane (Harris), the latest “feline” in Hunt’s new cat-and-mouse game. Hunt and his frequent cohort, Benji (Simon Pegg), must globetrot from Vienna and Morocco to London in pursuit of a cyber MacGuffin. Really, they’re just staying two steps ahead of both the CIA and the Syndicate, or Lane’s plans of eliminating a string of world leaders might come to pass. 

A substantial story is appreciated, but you come to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation seeking thrills, and this movie delivers. The fifth Mission grabs you by the throat immediately, and rarely releases its relentlessly tight grip for a full two hours. That spectacular airplane stunt you no doubt already witnessed opens the film in a splashy Bond-esque fashion, yet even as McQuarrie and Cruise settle in to the current mission, the movie hardly ever takes its foot off the gas. Whenever Rogue Nation does slow down, it’s to enhance the characters, most of which we have grown to trust and care for over the years. The 007 comparisons don’t stop there, though, as McQuarrie places a handful of colorful adversaries in Ethan’s way, from the notorious “Bone Doctor” to a hulking henchman Hunt must dispense of in a riveting fight scene set in the Vienna Opera House. It’s in these moments that Rogue Nation is at its funniest, allowing Cruise’s tireless agent to show signs of fatigue, yet only pausing briefly before catching his breath – literally, and figuratively – and completing the mission. The Mission films actually set themselves apart from Bond by happily embracing the elements that make the blockbuster fun.

To his credit, and to the credit of everyone around him, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation goes extremely well, maintaining the levels of thrills, suspense, espionage and impossible stunt work that were established by previous directors Brian De Palma, J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird. But on its own, it mixes the glamour and prestige of its international settings with the IMF agents doing what they need to do to get their hands dirty and complete the assigned mission. If action’s your game, I can’t imagine overlooking this riveting, breathlessly-paced sprint through some inspired set pieces. Oh, and Cruise runs. A lot. Seriously, Rogue Nation solidifies the fact that Tom Cruise is the quintessential action star, carrying the quintessential action franchise. With all due respect to 007, at the moment, nobody does it better.

Incredible Full Trailer for 'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' is Here!

Mission: Impossible Facebook Page

"This may very well be our last mission." Yesterday brought a fast one-minute teaser declaration for Mission: Impossible 5, which has been real the qualified title of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. This times the IMF, which is now being dissolved by the CIA, is being hunted all along by a liveliness known as The Syndicate. And now the full theatrical advertisement has arrived giving us much more of the tormented that Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team have to agreement subsequent to this period. After stir thing a tiny of two minds yesterday, I think I'm officially get off to see this one. Maybe it has something to attain gone than a flute turning into a gun. Watch it!

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and written by Drew Pearce and video game scribe Will Staples. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and team (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner) take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin also star in the film Paramount Pictures releases on July 31st 2015.

Watch It Now: Super Bowl Trailer For 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout'

"Should you choose to accept it… I wonder, did you ever choose not to?" Paramount has revealed the first attributed commercial and Super Bowl TV spot for the intensely anticipated sequel Mission: Impossible - Fallout, continuing the M:I franchise starring Tom Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. After the behavior of Rogue Nation, Hunt and his IMF team are now on the run, and they're being hunted down by Henry Cavill. The excellent cast for this operate sequel includes Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby. So how's that for a descent-in the works of all major actor from the previous movies returning? This has some definitely awesome pretense, and I am actually way more perch to heavens it than I was Rogue Nation. Perhaps McQuarrie finally found his groove this era.

Here's the vague synopsis: The best intentions often come back to haunt you. Mission: Impossible - Fallout finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Mission: Impossible - Fallout is again directed by prominent American screenwriter and filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie. The screenplay is also written by Christopher McQuarrie, based on Bruce Geller's original M:I TV series. Paramount will release McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Fallout in theaters everywhere starting on July 27th, 2018 this summer. First impression of this? How does it look?

Jack Reacher Director Is Top Choice For 'Mission: Impossible 5'

Jack Reacher must be pretty damn good. That's the takeaway here as Deadline reports Paramount Pictures has Christopher McQuarrie as their top choice to take on the next sequel in the Mission: Impossible franchise after directing Tom Cruise in the crime thriller adaptation. The fifth installment in the franchise that started way back in 1996 is in the early stages of development, but writers still need to be hired before making a deal with McQuarrie official. Producer J.J. Abrams (who also directed Mission: Impossible III) and Cruise have both determined that McQuarrie is the man to follow Brad Bird's sequel from last year.

This is a big deal considering the only other film McQuarrie has directed is The Way of the Gun, a film that was not even remotely a hit. That's why it seems like Jack Reacher must really be a solid piece of work. Of course, McQuarrie has proven himself on the writing side with scripts like The Usual Suspects (which won him an Oscar) and Valkyrie with Tom Cruise. In fact, McQuarrie also wrote All You Need is Kill, the sci-fi vehicle with Cruise that just recently debuted a photo with the actor in a giant mech suit.I am not sure how soon this will get off the ground, but since Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol was a worldwide hit and proved Tom Cruise still has box office draw, Paramount probably wants it as soon as possible.

Also Worth Watch

ZergNet

'Mission: Impossible 5' Gets a Christmas 2015 Release Date

 

In Back to the Future Part II, it was comedically predicted that Jaws 19 would be in theaters in the year 2015. Obviously, that won't be happening in the next two years, but 2015 is already becoming one of the most crowded years for blockbusters in recent memory. The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Batman vs. Superman, Tomorrowland, Fantastic Four, Ted 2, Terminator 5, Ant-Man, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II, Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Assassin's Creed and Jurassic World are just some of the titles. Now we can add one more to the mix as Mission: Impossible 5 will arrive December 25th, 2015.

The new from Exhibitor Relations puts the action spy sequel in theaters one week after Star Wars: Episode VII hits theaters on December 18th. Paramount must really want to try to punish J.J. Abrams for leaving Star Trek behind for a galaxy far, far away. Though we imagine the sequel won't put too much of a dent in the sci-fi saga box office earnings. It means that we're going to have a blockbuster Christmas though. Christopher McQuarrie is directing Mission: Impossible 5 with Tom Cruise returning to star. That's all we know for now, but we hope at least Simon Pegg will be back for the sequel. We're not sure about the return of Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton though. Stay tuned.

Review: 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' (2015)

Warner Bros. Pictures (India)

PLOT: At the height of the Cold War,  American CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Russian KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced to team up in order to stop a nuclear plot hatched by a fanatical terrorist organization.

REVIEW: It isn’t easy adapting a TV show to the big screen, While that tactic works if you know how to use it, there’s also nothing wrong with keeping the story in its original period, which is what Guy Richie does with his film adaptation of the classic spy franchise. This is one of many intelligent decisions Richie has made to play to his strengths, and a huge part of what makes The Man From U.N.C.L.E. one of the most refreshing and entertaining films of this summer. 

With World War II finished, and the Cold War arms race heating up, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced by their respective spy chiefs to team up. Their mission is to assist the daughter (Alicia Vikander) of a former Nazi scientist in locating her father, who’s helping an evil shipping heiress (Elizabeth Debicki) craft and sell an atom bomb. If they can control their tempers, their libidos, and their trigger fingers, they might just save the world. 

In the year with both Kingsman: The Secret Service and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation before it, and the Spectre of James Bond yet to come, there’s one weapon The Man From U.N.C.L.E. uses to effectively distinguish itself from the pack: charm, and lots of it. Whether it’s Napoleon and Illya’s witty banter, the absolutely gorgeous period settings and costumes, or the mix of era-appropriate music with Daniel Pemberton’s lushly retro score, there’s always something that manages to catch the eye or the ear. Most important, the script penned by Guy Richie and Lionel Wigram reflects the trademark double entendres and comedic bickering that they injected into the Sherlock Holmes series. 

While charm is the name of the game with The Man From U.N.C.L.E., there’s also the prerequisite amount of action and adventure involved. After all, what’s a spy picture without infiltration, car chases, gun fights, and a couple of warheads? But even with the usual thrilling set pieces, Richie has fun with the unique ways he presents them. In one set piece, a character who isn’t in the action is observing the proceedings, and we’re focused mostly on their reactions to the action that we’re seeing in a windshield’s reflection. Despite the scene description you’ve just read, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. isn’t afraid to kick some ass, it realizes that we’ve seen this sort of stuff before, and it tries to give us a fresh perspective on mayhem and chaos. 

The main difference between Richie’s U.N.C.L.E. and his Sherlock series is that instead of an all-out free for all of comedy and action, he approaches this film with a more focused sense of gravity. Henry Cavill’s Napoleon Solo could be throwing a quip in one moment and preparing to fall under the powers of enemy sedation the next. Armie Hammer’s Illya Kuryakin is a spy who needs to control his rage, and is struggling with some issues involving family pride. Both are made of the stuff that typical spy movies forget to throw in. The only real problem that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. runs into is that the story routinely shifts fortunes via a series of agents crossing agents. The film relies on so many turns that you can kind of see the biggest ones coming.

At the heart of Guy Richie’s latest project is the trio of Cavill and Hammer’s spies, as well as Alicia Vikander’s genius mechanic/accomplice, Gaby. As strong and capable as her male counterparts, Gaby spends most of the film interacting - and occasionally flirting - with Illya. Thankfully, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. resists turning this into a love triangle, and instead uses Napoleon Solo as a comedic third wheel when it comes to the romantic angle. And when it comes to the actual saving-the-world angle, Vikander’s Gaby is given equal weight and enough action in the plot to prevent her from becoming a damsel in distress (which is appreciated). 

For a film that started its life as a Steven Soderbergh / George Clooney vehicle, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is pretty close to the work those two collaborators would have probably generated -- as this is very much a film in the spirit of the Oceans franchise. It is one of those rare birds that manages to take the source material and do right by its predecessor, while having its own fun creating a unique avenue of enjoyment. The chemistry between the three leads is magnificent, and the film doesn’t run so much as glide through its entirety; taking you, the audience, along for the ride. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a ride well worth the price of admission, If there's another U.N.C.L.E movie, I'd certainly be on-board.

Exclusive: First Look Images at 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire'

All right, unless some amazing picture comes out, this might be the last first look photo from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire that we feature before some sort of teaser trailer releases. The first round showed us our main character Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) in the earlier part of the sequel, plus Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) was introduced. Now another new cast member has been unveiled with the first photo of Philip Seymour Hoffman, making his first blockbuster since Mission: Impossible III, as new gamemaster Plutarch Heavensbee. There's also photos of the Everdeen family and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Look!

Here are the new photos from Francis Lawrence's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire from EW:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow (Donald Sutherland) prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games, a competition that could change Panem forever. Francis Lawrence directs the film written by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) and Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) and it arrives November 22nd, 2013. Excited?

Also Worth Watch

ZergNet

Review: 'Hitman: Agent 47' (2015)

PLOT: An assassin trained as part of a government experiment finds himself protecting the daughter of one of the men who created him.

REVIEW: A movie critic is much like an assassin. We need to know our target, follow their every move, and when the time comes to pull the trigger, we mustn't hesitate. Which is why, instead of the usual preamble, I'm going to give it to you straight: don't go see Hitman: Agent 47. Don't watch the trailers or clips online, don't even pirate the damned thing on your computer out of curiosity. It isn't worth your time, and the film knows it as it lies on the screen with less life than Quicksilver at the end of Avengers: Age Of Ultron. If you're adverse to blood, don't see this movie and don't read this review – because Hitman: Agent 47 is the target... and I always close my contracts. 

Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) is hired for a double contract killing. One target is the secretive Le Clerq (Thomas Kretschmann), the head of Syndicate International – a biotech firm responsible for trying to continue the work of a Russian scientist who has perfected the ultimate weapon – the Agent program. The second target is a mystery, but linked to a young woman (Hannah Ware) who may be more than who she seems. Unfortunately for her, she's being followed by a man (Zachary Quinto) who'd kill to find out.  

To put this into terms the gaming industry will understand the folks behind Hitman: Agent 47 only played the campaign levels. If The Bourne Identity and Resident Evil had too much to drink and hooked up back in 2002, this is the baby that one of them would bring to the doorstep of the other, begging them to take it. 

The story of Hitman: Agent 47 is so lackluster. I'd complain about the performances in this film, except for the fact that the film is so inadequately put together that I'm willing to give all involved a pass. For all of the rumors of Fantastic Four being an underdeveloped, over-edited film with a moody overtone forced upon it, I wouldn't be surprised if whoever was responsible for the horrible changes to that film got their hands on Hitman: Agent 47 and went to town. As for the film's “R-rating,” it should at the very least mean that there's no cheap “Unrated” version double dip – considering the only real reason this film is rated R is for some splashes of red blood and Quinto saying “Fuck” twice in one scene. 

The one bright spot in a film so woefully underwhelming is Marco Beltrami's well-written musical score. The ass that we're supposed to believe was kicked on screen in every quick-cut-laden action sequence is actually represented in the music the film provides as entertainment. This would mark the second Fox disaster that wasted his musical talents, as Fantastic Four also managed to yield a beautiful score that didn't deserve the film it was saddled with. Beltrami's music is the most active component of Hitman: Agent 47, as the action scenes – when not stealing from films like Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol or The Bourne Identity – are as uninteresting as the failed comedic-relief lines that litter the film's script. 

Hitman: Agent 47 is a film so bad, I'm starting to wonder if Fox's record-breaking year in 2014 was merely a fluke. I hope Victor Frankenstein, and even next year’s Deadpool, manage to prove me wrong, as the studio does hold projects that I find myself enthusiastic about. This film is most certainly not one of them though, and it was a bad enough experience that I find myself wondering if I'll be too gun shy to make it to either of those films, afraid that I'll be equally disappointed when the evening is over.

Review: The Walk (2015)

Sony Pictures India

PLOT: The true story of Philippe Petit's monumental high wire walk across the Twin Towers in 1974.

REVIEW: In Hollywood, the term “remake” has earned a bad reputation – largely due to terrible cash grabs that want to take advantage of an established and well-known property. The truth is that there are plenty of reasons for a story to be told on the big screen more than once, be it failure to capture the importance of a narrative properly the first time around, or a filmmaker having a new and different creative angle that will present how audiences see material in an entirely new light. Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk is a perfect example of this - for while a great documentary was just made about the exact same subject matter a few years ago, the new film completely justifies its existence with a wonderful sense of drive, passion, vision and fun.

Revisiting the jaw-dropping and wonderful true story that was previously told in director James Marsh’s Man on Wire, The Walk transports audiences back to the early 1970s and regales with the story of Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a brilliant French street performer and acrobat with some major dreams. While constantly searching for new and more spectacular places to perform his beloved high wire act, he comes across news of the World Trade Center being built in New York City, and makes it his life goal to string a cable between the Twin Towers and walk across it as a performance for the world. Training his body to prepare for what should be an impossible act, and gathering a team of assistants together who can help him execute the illegal mission, Petit keeps his passion and lust for life at the front of his mind at all times… while he works to create a piece of art that the world will never forget.

In all the best ways, The Walk functions like a victimless heist plot -- a group of specifically skilled/placed individuals working together to illegally create art instead of stealing money or paintings -- and even if it wasn’t based on spectacular true events, it would be a story worth telling for its sprit and energy alone. Robert Zemeckis clearly understands the power of Philippe Petit’s magnetism and passion, and while fully exploring the mind of the man in addition to his mission, the director creates a feature that all audiences can enjoy, and also get something different out of emotionally.

Strongly structured as the film may be, however – the story perfectly lending itself to a narrative retelling – truly the strongest argument for retelling Petit’s story on the big screen is the spectacular visual flair that Zemeckis brings to the material through his own personal passion regarding the mix of storytelling and advanced technologies. The filmmaker has spent years pushing the boundaries and utilizations of 3D, and The Walk represents his greatest work yet in this arena, as the movie is nothing short of a visual spectacle that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. As you might have guessed, the production makes ample and healthy use of CGI to recreate locations like the Twin Towers and 1974 New York, but this proves to be no limitation for Zemeckis, who uses digital wizardry and his tremendous stereoscopy experience to generate legitimate vertigo in the guts and minds of his audience. It’s a special thing to behold, and something any moviegoer should be able to entirely appreciate.

Earning mention is also the talented ensemble that the director put together for the adventure. While not every character gets entirely fleshed-out material to work with – with some members of the “heist” crew just sort of being there, and Sir Ben Kingsley being underutilized as Philippe Petit’s trainer – the script, written by Robert Zemeckis and Christopher Browne, does provide some great personality moments on which James Badge Dale, Charlotte Le Bon and the others really do a great job capitalizing.

In portraying Philippe Petit, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a very specific obstacle to overcome, in that the audience really has to get used to his presence as a Frenchmen instead of an American. As The Walk begins and we see the star using a French accent while speaking directly to the audience from the Statue of Liberty’s torch, there is a bit of a mental adjustment acquired on behalf of moviegoers. But to his credit, Gordon-Levitt ultimately makes this adjustment very easy. The Francophile actor puts his genuine knowledge of the European language to great use, and uses it to fuel an authentic performance that is backed up simply with posture and self-presentation very different from what we’ve seen from him in other roles.

Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk is a great representation of why we go to the movies. It’s a story of a dreamer that inspires you to dream; a piece of art that celebrates the capabilities of passion; and a spectacularly-presented and thrilling adventure. The sporadic dip in the narrative, the occasional bit of hammy drama, and a few loose ends character-wise do admittedly prevent the movie from being an all-timer, but it’s still most certainly something to experience.

Review: 'The Expendables 3'

PLOT: The Expendables find themselves up against another worthy opponent, only this time it's personal: a former member of the outfit is selling bombs to terrorists and laughing in the face of his old friends. In order to tackle the deadly threat, Barney Ross finds it necessary to recruit a crew of younger members to assist in taking down the arch-villain.

REVIEW: Even by the standards of this particular series, The Expendables 3 is barely a movie. Sylvester Stallone has been the chief creative force for this trilogy, action dream teams that combine the forces of some of the starrier bottom-kickers in cinematic history. And each time he's opted for a chummy get-together that celebrates yesterday instead of getting down to the basics of telling a story or presenting compelling, three-dimensional characters. More importantly, for being called “expendable”, this is a rather bulletproof group of older men – you've never seen so many people run straight into gunfire and pick up no more than a minor bruise. The result carries the suspense of watching someone sign a check. 

Stallone's Barney Ross is so sentimental about his team that he refuses to lead them into what seems to be a suicide mission against former Expendable Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson). So, in a franchise that's all about uniting the past action stars of yesteryear and giving them a chance to shine, fans are being asked to pay for a movie where they all get replaced by Kellan Lutz. 

Even if it's not the action lineup fans expected, the core group of Expendables deserves better than three movies of being marginalized. The interplay between Ross and Jason Statham's Lee Christmas is creaky, but fueled by a genuine chemistry. Dolph Lundgren's Gunnar Hansen is still the bizarre, murderous savant, Randy Couture's Toll Road is still an irritable old man brawler, and Terry Crews, sweet sweet Terry Crews, remains the life of the party. If you're hoping to hear more from them, fat chance: they all have even less to do this time around, and poor Crews only shows up for the first and third acts. 

At least Crews has the excuse of probably popping up in five more movies this month. That wasn't the case for Bruce Willis, who famously backed out due to a flimsy paycheck. Stepping into the role of demanding CIA boss is Harrison Ford's Max Drummer. His whole deal is basically to serve the same purpose that Willis' Church would have, as if they wrote around Willis' absence by crossing out CHURCH and replacing it with DRUMMER. There's a third act action scene where the crew receives back-up from Drummer's helicopter, with Arnold Schwarzenegger's Trench and Jet Li's Yin, but they might as well have stayed in their hotel room, superimposed on the bodies of stunt doubles who stay seated, firing guns. 

But most people interested in The Expendables 3 know that we're dealing with a glorified roll call of actors tossing around funny quips and firing weapons at everyone and no one in particular. It's the level of which the second film worked: the first carried the burden of an uninspiring baddie, and a certain, possibly budget-dictated smallness. Part two, however, successfully delegated enough standout sequences for specific actors, allowing Jean-Claude Van Damme a chance to chew scenery, and amusingly adding to the Chuck Norris myth. 

So you could make this work: does director Patrick Hughes pull it off? To answer in the affirmative would be overly generous: The Expendables 3 feels neutered by the PG-13 rating, turning its action moments into bloodless, weightless scrums where anything worse than a single random bloodless bullet earns a cutaway. There are several characters to follow, and none of the non-fight blocking makes any sense. One early slugfest involving MMA fighter Ronda Rousey seems to go the extra mile in making it look like she cannot actually fight. Most of the film genuinely feels visually out-of-focus, blurry and grainy for no artistic reason. The explosions are computer generated, and they look awful: you'll be hard-pressed to find worse effects in a movie this year. 

It's hard to find nice things to say about the film's endless parade of introductions. When Ross and friend Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammer) meet with potential new recruits, the various “auditions” are an endless parade of flailing limbs as Stallone watches, nonplussed. Stallone's face has hardened to the point where physical expression is so limited you'll never have any clue what emotions he's trying to project. The new recruits he fingers reek of Poochie-style edge: the nondescript hacker played by Glen Powell is jumping off cliffs and parachuting down. Cute, pug-nosed Tito Ortiz knows his heavy artillery. The stunning Rousey, who has an absolutely knockout smile as well as a knockout punch, uses her hips like WMD's. Poor Kellan Lutz bears the brunt of the weight in this empty side-ensemble: by having this soft crew almost immediately kidnapped and held as bait, Stallone and co-writers Creighton Rotherberger and Katrin Benedikt seem to be suggesting that Hollywood tries to groom the next big action star by setting them up to obviously fail over and over again, as Lutz has more than a few times lately.

Thankfully, The Expendables 3 raises the action bar so well that it can't help but be the most fun of the series. It's action porn with minimal story and even less development of its characters. You wouldn't expect much story in an Expendables movie, and you would never be disappointed. What you would expect are your favorite action stars blowing away bad guys bloodlessly and walking away from gigantic explosions, preferably in slow motion. It's impossible to say this latest entry disappoints. As has become common in the franchise The Expendables 3 doesn't try for much, and it succeeds.