The Expendables 4: Jason Statham Regrets The Absence Of Sylvester Stallone In The Sequel – THE USA PRINT

After great hits like Rocky – 92% and Rambo – 87%, Sylvester Stallone became one of the most important action figures in Hollywood, and although his legacy managed to be maintained despite the arrival of new performers, he maintained a lower profile within the genre over the years. In 2010, the actor found a great formula when writing and directing The Expendables – 41%, a film that served as a tribute to the action films of yesteryear. Unfortunately, The Expendables 4 – 18% seems to be losing its way, and Jason Statham acknowledges that his colleague’s absence could be the problem.

Keep reading: REVIEW: The Expendables 4 | Stallone and company hit rock bottom

‘The Expendables’ was a renaissance of the genre

Instead of being left behind as a new generation of action heroes grew their ranks. Stallone decided to get to work to rescue certain points of the genre as it was before, when there was more freedom for explicit violence, impressive gunfights and unfiltered jokes. At the time, the film’s trailer sparked jokes among audiences about veteran actors being unable to face the fact that their prime had passed, but in the end The indestructibles It became a huge hit at the box office.

Fans appreciated the touch, the simple story and the chemistry between the actors, in addition to the promise that other big names in the genre could appear in the future, which allowed the creation of a fairly stable franchise. Although the sequels were criticized for not knowing how to best explore their narrative, all of that took a backseat to having these performers fighting on the big screen. The indestructibles It certainly can’t compete with other cinematic universes, but its momentum was not expected to end so quickly and definitively.

Without much promotion or advertising, The Expendables 4 It arrived in commercial theaters this weekend and did so in a disastrous way, becoming the worst premiere of the franchise and one of the worst titles on the billboard in 2023. That critics attacked the film was something expected, since the saga is made for very specific fans, but the fact that its followers did not go to the theaters to see it is a bad sign that could show that the idea has already reached its limit and must end here.

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This fourth installment sought to bring fresh blood to the cast in order to present a story where veterans hand over the legacy to a new generation, although it is not known if the plan was to make more films now with a new lineup or if it simply served the purpose of the plot. on this occasion, and it is something that they had already addressed before. Be that as it may, the specialists found the weakness of the franchise here, because in addition to not feeling any interest in the new characters, Stallone distances himself and stays in the background to leave Statham as the protagonist.

Jason Statham regrets the absence of Sylvester Stallone in ‘The Expendables 4’

In interview with Cinema Express (via ScreenRant), the protagonist of The Meg 2: The Great Abyss – 39% said that the best days on the film set were those when Stallone was present:

In this particular story he is absent for reasons we don’t talk about, (and) we have to navigate our way across the ocean without him. There’s something about not having him around that doesn’t feel right to him. So we’re making it, the story is the story, we’re trying to do the best we can, but the best days are when he’s on set.

In The Expendables 4 Stallone disappears in the first minutes of the story and although he does have an important participation in the third act, the film really belongs to Statham, who has to learn to be a leader that others can follow, especially that new generation that will eventually be left behind. post. In general, everyone agrees that this decision was not the best, since it affects the pace of the plot and takes away from the franchise one of its most important elements, which is the chemistry and familiarity between these tough men.

Don’t leave without reading: Sylvester Stallone claims that Arnold Schwarzenegger was always superior to him as an action hero