Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

***
UK Release Date: January 24th 2014

Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

Director: Kenneth Branagh (Thor)

Starring: Chris Pine Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh 

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit isn't the first attempt at adapting a Tom Clancy novel, but the fifth, and Chris Pine makes the fourth actor. Has really been worth it after so many? Yes and no. 

Kenneth Branagh starts from scratch and starts strong. Jack Ryan (Pine) is a broken man, on the mend physically and mentally from his time as a marine. Ten years later, Jack is analyst for the CIA, has been married to his ex-physiotherapist (Knightley) for sometime and is doing pretty well in life, until a planned attack on Wall Street by a Russian diplomat puts him on the field in short notice. 

The problem is, there's nothing unique. Shadow Recruit contains many similarities to 007; a villain with an exaggerated persona (Branagh himself), a damsel in distress that the lead has affections for and an uncanny ability to save the day with ease. What's missing most of all is any real sense of danger. Branagh's Viktor Cherevin is a stone's throw away from full-blown corniness, especially when the only threatening moment he has involves a light bulb. Having his lips permanently glued together must be the only way he can pull off a Russian accent. Keira Knightley's accent is no better. 

Chris Pine has broad shoulders taking on Jack Ryan. You can see the passion he evokes in the character, washing everyone away with his seriousness, and the fact that it's hard to take anyone else seriously. There's still room for more Jack Ryan. Shadow Recruit is but a stepping stone for more to come. Pine holds the potential in a series of (hopefully) successful films.

Four Brothers

***
UK Release Date: September 30th 2005

Four brothers look to avenge their mother's death.

Director: John Singleton (2 Fast 2 Furious, Shaft)

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, Terrence Howard, Sofia Vergara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Lucas

The quartet are at their weakest apart, at their strongest together. Mark Wahlberg leads this disjointed family, and it takes the death of their surrogate mother to reunite. Tyrese Gibson returns with director Singleton, and newcomers Andre Benjamin (known as Andre 3000 from Outcast) and youngster Garrett Hedlund make up the pack.

No one in Detroit, Chicago bats an eyelid when the Mercer brothers start tearing up its streets. They threaten gangsters with gasoline and a lit cigarette, hold a thug off a building by his leg, have a car chase threw a snowy blizzard and take part in a mass shoot-out that feels like it's been pulled straight out of Heat. Not even the police (represented by Terrence Howard and Josh Lucas) seem bothered.

The story is far-fetched. Who would believe that these neglected no-gooders could resort to such obscene violence? Not Mrs. Mercer, that's for sure. There's a sense of morality every time the brothers are together, but not trying to wreak havoc. Try as they might, nothing will ever go back to the way it was. Mercer returns to them as a memory as they have Thanksgiving dinner. They're kids again; bickering and squabbling about the smallest things. This is when our feelings for them grow.

Chiwetel Ejiofor's kingpin Victor Sweet, who's behind all the mayhem, is a tad on the jokey side. In the eighties he might have been taken seriously. Whenever Sweet reigns down on the Mercer's parade, the effects aren't as powerful as we'd hoped. By the end, it makes you wonder, was it all worth it?    

Sex Tape

**
UK Release Date: September 3rd 2014

A married couple wake up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts.

Director: Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher)

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper

What were they thinking? This doesn't just apply to the couple whose sex tape (which isn't even a tape, but a USB) is leaked, but to the script writers decisions and nonsensical humour that's displayed for the world to see. 

Sex Tape sees the once young and lusty couple Jay (Segel) and Annie (Diaz) now old and rusty. Their sex lives are like an empty wallet, nothing left but cobwebs and moths. The worst possible idea, to spice up their sex life, is to make their own sex video. Nothing good will come of it, and that just goes to show in this ludicrous comedy.

Apple's very own software known to most as 'The Cloud' or 'iCloud' sends their tape (we shall say tape to avoid confusion) through digital space to land on their associates and friends' iPads. This includes their best friends Robby (Corddry) and Tess (Kemper), Annie's strange boss and the postman. 

Jay and Annie go through such stupidly erratic ordeals in order to retrieve the devices and delete the contents. Instead of asking for the iPads, they blow it out of proportion by consuming drugs, knocking out a dog, jumping off a roof, and weirdest of all, taking their young kids with them as they break and enter a building. 

Everything else in Sex Tape falls apart because of what's been scripted. The foundations of a good story are there, but the delivery is abysmal. Diaz and Segel have no chance.

Sex Tape is funnier when it's not trying so hard to break the audiences sense of disbelief. Corddry and Kemper's couple are spot on with their humour. They are the stereotypical nosey couple who make things awkward for Jay and Annie round every turn. The comedy is secondary because Sex Tape is primarily a glorified Apple advert.

Escape Plan

***
UK Release Date: October 18th 2013

When a structural-security authority finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.

Director: Mikael Hafstrom (The Rite, Shanghai, 1408)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Sam Neill, Vinnie Jones, Curtis Jackson

Escape Plan will go down in history. Not because of its story, but because it brings together two of our favourite action heroes of the 80's. The two were always compared, for whatever reason. Sly Stallone brought us Rocky and Rambo and Arnie Terminator and Predator. There has only ever been teasers recently in The Expendables films, but with the release of Escape Plan the action junkie in us has something to be excited about.

Taking a step further in audaciousness than Prison Break, Escape Plan follows prison escapee expert Ray Breslin (Stallone). He's asked by the CIA to crack a high-tech, off-the-record prison. Always up for a challenge, Breslin accepts, but soon learns he's been double crossed.

This time there's no help from the outside. The only help he receives comes from an unlikely likeable convict named Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger). The two have completely opposite characteristics. Stallone's Breslin is written as a brooding hulk with little motive other than to find the person behind his imprisonment. Rottmayer, on the other hand, is a joy to watch, and one of Schwarzenegger's more abundantly eccentric characters. Pretending to go crazy and shouting his native tongue as a distraction is humorous when it probably shouldn't be.

The first half of the script is on par with Arnie's acting, but after a mid-section shocker, this mild action/drama turns full scale action, losing credibility on the way. Arnie and Stallone go from the pen to a double-edged sword. How did two thinkers turn in to gun specialists? It has taken a false turn and these characters (mainly Breslin) have become unbelievable.

Casting that aside, Escape Plan has some real guts. The prison at all glances seems impregnable and there are some smart escape moves used at the start. The support cast find territories to mark, and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, who has a small role, get the chance of being taken seriously.            
 

Out of the Furnace

****
UK Release Date: January 29th 2014

When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement doesn't follow through fast enough, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice.

Director: Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart)

Starring: Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard

Brothers Russell (Bale) and Rodney Baze (Affleck) have big problems, with both being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Russel is sent to prison after a horrific car crash whilst intoxicated. Rodney is traumatised by his past experiences in Afghanistan, and a short temper that will land him in a lot of trouble. Both take a path that is life changing and on the downward spiral.

Rodney takes their financial troubles in to his own hands by the only means he knows; fighting. Fist fighting, which feels so real we can feel the bruises he sustains. 

Out of the Furnace is set in a rough, rural area. Perfect locations that match its mood. Although some spaces are more open than others, there's little space to breathe, and no means of escaping the Baze brothers' woes. Woody Harrelson's psychologically distorted Harlan DeGroat is a brash redneck driven by violence, and a major problem in the Baze's lives. Harrelson impresses like always, culminating his violence from his Natural Born Killers' days with the strength in something recent like True Detective. Zoe Saldana is the girlfriend turned ex-girlfriend of Russell. She has little to do but play the angel on his shoulder.

Out of the Furnace is heavy going from the moment it opens its doors. It's deep, dark and powerful cinema, aided by the award winning actors. Bale, Harrelson and Affleck all have bold personalities fighting for our attention. Their method acting is obvious, but the film's loose, conventional narrative doesn't reflect their performances as well as it should.      

Let's Be Cops

****
UK Release Date: August 27th 2014

Two struggling pals dress as police officers for a costume party and become neighborhood sensations. But when these newly-minted "heroes" get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line.

Director: Luke Greenfield (Something Borrowed, The Girl Next Door)

Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr.

Let's Be Cops is formulaic to a T, but is immensely fun, and funny, and fake. The only thing that's fake is our on-screen cop duo. Ryan (Johnson) and Justin (Wayans) are a likeable pair of morons whose lives are literally going nowhere.

So what's the best and worst course of action they could possibly take? Be something they're not, that's what! Let's Be Cops takes 21/22 Jump Street and reverses the effects. Instead of having a pair of failing cops we have a couple of failures surprisingly succeeding at playing cops. 

Getting wrapped up in their make-believe charade is acceptable. Maybe not in the eyes of the law, but definitely in the eyes of those who wish they could get away with it. Similarities can be seen with that of Grand Theft Auto, however loosely.

Ryan and Justin are a likeable pair, pushing the film's limits far beyond what it should be. An amazing A-lister has been chosen as the villain, adding interest to the score.

There are very few outstanding moments in Let's Be Cops. That's because it's consistent, and a damn good watch.

Ender's Game

**
UK Release Date: October 25th 2013

Young Ender Wiggin is recruited by the International Military to lead the fight against the Formics, a genocidal alien race which nearly annihilated the human race in a previous invasion.

Director: Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Rendition)

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis

Ender's Game derives from a book of the same name. It's a science fictional piece that relies heavily on a young cast. The main character Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is a kid with a serious attitude. It may stay close to the book, but depicting such a character on screen doesn't have the same effect. Knowing book/comic version of Ender's thoughts and feelings through our imagination adds a foundation that the film cannot match. The world-saving burden put on his shoulders and the added stress of going through puberty (because that's totally what it is) doesn't make for a gripping view.

There's an exceptional level of uniqueness in Ender's Game that's brought to the genre's table. The majority of the film is a build up to the inevitable but shocking finale, but what's included is fun all the same. The zero gravity training sessions are entertaining but distance us from the real mission at hand.

Instead of focusing on the aliens' second attempt at genocide, Ender's Game primarily centres on Ender and his emotions. The International Military, led by Harrison Ford's Colonel Graff, seamlessly break Ender only to build him back up... and repeat. Playing with Ender's emotions is half the battle, relying solely on him to save the world is the other.

When the ending finally comes, because let's face it, that's what we're here for, Ender and his young team take on board what's happened surprisingly well. Very, very unlikely to happen to anyone with any emotional response.

If I Stay

***
UK Release Date: August 29th 2014

Life changes in an instant for young Mia Hall after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, she must decide whether to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined.

Director: R.J. Cutler

Starring: Chloe Grace-Moretz, Jamie Blackley

All's well never always ends well. At least that's what's depicted in gut wrencher If I Stay. A car accident turns teenager chellist Mia's (Moretz) world upside down. 

Mia's perception is captured from two different angles; one being in the past that exhibits the most memorable times she's spent with her family and new love interest Adam (Jamie Blackley), the other set in present day. An out-of-body experience immediately after the crash sets her on an impossible decision-making journey. 

Switching between past and present has its advantages and disadvantages. There's emotional highs and lows, the highs coming from what's least expected and the lows coming from events that we know are about to happen. 

It's not rocket science, that's for sure, but there is a sense of beauty watching young adults be down to earth and in touch with reality (much unlike The Hunger Games and Divergent). 

The two versions of Mia are polar opposites, one happy, the other distraught. Chloe Grace-Moretz is stunning and full of heart, no matter what emotion she portrays. She drives the scenes with her performance, and makes If I Stay a worthy watch. Some scenes are drawn out and forgettable when they should be memorable and the tears should flow. 

Million Dollar Arm

UK Release Date: August 25th 2014

A sports agent stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball.

Director: Craig Gillespie (Fright Night, Lars and the Real Girl)

Starring: John Hamm, Lake Bell, Aasif Mandvi, Tzi Ma, Bill Paxton, Alan Arkin, Pitobash, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal

Disney dominates the feel-good film industry, whether the film's an animation or live action. Million Dollar Arm follows this trend, and it's going to when it's based on a very earnest true story.

JB (Hamm), is a sports agent falling under financial pressure. His only hoping of securing a decent future is in a football player. When the deal falls flat on its face, JB and co worker Aash (Mandvi) wallow in self-pity. Sitting in front of the T.V at home, JB whiles away his time flicking through channels, and stumbles across two programs that give him a flash of inspiration. Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent and English cricket seem the most unlikeliest of pairings, but pay off when Chinese media tycoon Chang (Tzi Ma) agrees to fund Million Dollar Arm; a new show to find talented cricket players and turn them into major league baseball players. 

JB is a fish out of water in India. He's bitten off more than he can chew (which can be said for every action he takes). It takes a million and one entries to find one with the slightest potential. He's accompanied by Amit (Pitobash, easily one of the most rewarding and riveting characters), who attaches himself to JB, confessing his passion to be a baseball manager (and he'll also work for free) and grouchy baseball scout Ray (Arkin, outstanding) who spends most of his time sleeping, only to waken when someone of interest crops up.

The stars of the show are Rinku (Sharma, Life of Pi) and Dinesh (Mittal, Slumdog Millionaire). Along with Amit, the trio breath life in to the film. They are cultivating and captivating. It doesn't matter that the ending is foreseeable, their good-natured spirits break through our thoughts and feelings and make us hope they succeed. They know very little of the outside world. When the successful participants end up in America, they are in a situation they are unsuited to. They are sweet, honest and caring, especially to JB, and ruefully so.

Hamm's character is both the strongest and the weakest link. All he cares about is winning, ridiculing those around him in the process. There's little connection with him and the audience because he complains about being skint but drives a flashy car and house to boot. It's the transition of meanness to selflessness that makes him appealing to begin with, but mainly those that surround him make this film as good as it is.

Million Dollar Arm is very funny. It's no Jerry Maguire or Slumdog Millionaire. It has no new ideas of its own. Instead it takes the best of both that make it a great summer drama of 2014.

4/5

Lucy

****
UK Release Date: August 22nd 2014

A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Director: Luc Besson (Leon, The Fifth Element, The Family)

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman

Lucy is one strong female lead, but there's no surprise when Scarlett Johansson has her game face on. Forced to become a drug mule against her own will, Lucy has a new synthetic drug known only as CPH4 sewn into the lining of her stomach. She's roughed up by some of tough gangster Mr. Jang's (the original Oldboy's very own Choi Min-sik) thugs, causing the bag to split. What a terrible mistake for her foes.

'Apparently' humans only employ 10% of their brain. What would happen if we were to use more than that? 

Luc Beeson explores this very idea in Lucy, his latest feature length film. You have to broaden your mind and syphon out the small details that will niggle at you like an incurable itch. Without spoiling it too much, Lucy embodies the likes of Limitless, embracing her powerful memory and using her intelligence to her advantage, to spiralling out of control as Transcendence does. The idea is as tough as Johansson's bold Lucy, but the idea rears an preposterous head, even in the sci-fi universe.

Johansson goes from damsel in distress to unemotional and unmerciful warrior gallantly. She glides through every scene smoothly, whether it's dodging incoming traffic or single handedly dispatching Mr. Jang's goons.

Random images flash up every so often. Just like the documentary Koyaanisqatsi, the images are fleeting, purposeful and full of metaphors... more purposeful than say Morgan Freeman's evolution expert Professor Norman. He's a bit of a dud in the evolution of this film, as all he gets to do is explain the theory of evolution and concepts of the brain like a verbal version of wikipedia. 

Overall we're on a fantastic journey with Johansson, but you'll be baffled by its incomprehensible ending.

The Inbetweeners 2

****
UK Release Date: August 6th 2014

Jay, Neil, Simon, and Will reunite in Australia for a holiday.

Director: Damon Beesley, Iain Morris (The Inbetweeners Movie)

Starring: Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas

The guys that we all know so well are back for a sequel, and one that surpasses its predecessor. They need no introductions. The story is simple; the lads reunite for a holiday in Australia and they naturally get up to lots of mischief.

The Inbetweeners has never been for everyone. It depends when you were born as whether you'll enjoy it or not. Look at Mrs. Brown's Boys for instance. It's aimed at an older generation of people, as opposed to The Inbetweeners which has attracted a lot of teenage attention since its inception in 2008. This tells you about the level of humour that's on display. It's incredibly rude and overly disgusting, and it has always been that way. The only surprises The Inbetweeners 2 holds is how shocking some of the jokes are. 

I was a teenager when The Inbetweeners was introduced. It was a fresh and a gripping program from the moment we first met Will and his new, blundering friends. Now, six years on, they're on to the second film, and it's still just as successful. 

The film starts off slow, never really hitting off until the four of them are reunited. It's all a bit of a tease up until this point, as Will (Bird), Neil (Harrison) and Simon (Thomas) realise how much it sucks in Bristol because Will hasn't made any friends at university. Jay (Buckley) leaves the others a message that makes him out to be the Tony Montana in Down Under. 

We all know he's full of shit, and shit isn't the only bodily fluid we get to see. Most of them worm their way in somehow, and they're part of the funniest scenes in The Inbetweener's short history. There's poo explosions, urine consumption and cringe-worthy concoctions. Jay still tries to prove his worth, Simon is constantly harassed by the 'nightmare from hell' girlfriend and Will (acting as voiceover again), attempts to impress an old friend turned backpacker whilst suppressing his inner rage. Neil is Neil, coming out with some crack one-liners and managing to put a smile (or raise an eyebrow) on everyone's faces.

Writer-directors Damon Beesley and Iain Morris could have rushed a sequel, knowing the cash would flow smoothly (The Inbetweeners Movie made over £45m worldwide). The Inbetweeners 2 is consistent and the comedy is solid. Everything comes in threes. Surely there will be a third film. A trilogy would be more than welcome.

Into the Storm

**
UK Release Date: August 22nd 2014

Storm trackers, thrill-seekers, and everyday townspeople document an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes touching down in the town of Silverton.

Director: Steven Quale (Final Destination 5)

Starring: Sarah Wayne Callies, Richard Armitage

Having stars from The Walking Dead (Sarah Wayne Callies) and The Hobbit (Richard Armitage) will attract some attention to this new disaster film. Into the Storm is a glorified Twister, its CGI stripping everything else that matters. That includes colourful characters and a viable storyline. Hand-held cameras are being used too often, and not for the right reasons. The story is shaped around its cinematography, rather than focusing on a story of any interest.

Armitage, known to many as Thorin Oakenshield, plays hero for the second time, except his character is a jerk and fails to win over any fans. Callies is a meteorologist and total workaholic, one that gives up being with her daughter to chase the storm. Both individuals are as bland as each other.

All director Steven Quale cares about is how crisp the picture is. Yes, what we see is very impressive, the storm is like no other. It tears its way through the small town of Silverton, destroying everything in its path. Into the Storm is worth seeing for the spectacle alone. 

Enough Said

****
UK Release Date: October 18th 2013

A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she's interested in learns he's her new friend's ex-husband.

Director: Nicole Holofcener

Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone

Enough Said is one of the most heartfelt and well written romantic comedies since the genre existed. Together Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini are masters (of the genre) in disguise. It's different from what they're use to (Seinfeld and The Sopranos respectively), and a mighty fine change too.

Louis-Dreyfus's Eva is a divorced 50-something who isn't overly bothered about finding new love. She finds little time to look for that special person. One of her closest friends (Toni Collette) brings her to a party, a party that boasts no physical attraction. She meets Albert (Gandolfini), who also feels the same way:

Will (Falcone): Eva was telling me that there are no men at this party that she's attracted to. 

Albert: That's OK, there's no one here I'm attracted to either.

Unluckily for Eva, she also meets Marianne (Catherine Keener), Albert's ex-wife at the same party. When she finally puts the pieces of this very awkward puzzle together, instead of coming out clean, Eva decides to coast it and listen to everything that's on offer about Albert, whether it's good or bad (but mostly bad). 

The longer Eva withholds this secret, the bigger the consequences. This is the beauty of it; we all do the most rash and illogical of things at times, even for the craziest reasons. Eva wouldn't be very human or the least be relatable if she didn't show any interest that benefited herself. Plus the way the story meanders is exactly what couples and singletons alike can identify with. Everyone wants to know at least a smidge of what they're getting in to. 

Enough Said is heavy in dialogue, and the connection between script and characters is enough said to keep you hooked on this adorable couple's lives, and the outcome that follows. Dreyfus and Gandolfini gel so well together. From picking up on Albert's habits to Eva's incessant worrying, their bitter-sweet moments are beautiful to watch. 

Enough Said is a fantastic end to James Gandolfini's career. Between this and The Sopranos, Gandolfini will be sorely missed, a great talent whose shown how diverse an actor he can really be. 

Filth

****
UK Release Date: October 4th 2013

A corrupt cop manipulates and hallucinates his way through a bid to secure a promotion and win back his wife and daughter.

Director: Jon S. Baird

Starring: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Jim Broadbent, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots

James McAvoy has been a very busy man lately. From Welcome to the Punch and Trance to X-Men: Days of Future Past, there's nothing he can't do. He fits in to his roles perfectly, and owns them just as much. He's a key player in Filth, dominating every scene.

Filth is based on a novel of the same name by the critically acclaimed author Irvine Welsh. If you're familiar with Trainspotting then you know what you're in for with this film.

Filth is like a dirty party, one that Detective Bruce Robinson (McAvoy) swaggers his way through. Drugs and alcohol are his forte, whilst his job is secondary to them. Fuelled by his lust to stay high and hit on every woman he comes across, Bruce will do anything to get what he wants, and that's a promotion and his family back. Among his inner demons is Bruce's true self. He goes about things the wrong way, even if his intentions are true.

Twisted and dark this film is. You can't help but laugh your way through it, no matter how gruesome or messed up it is. Baird's second feature length is full of eccentric characters, including Jamie Bell's Lennox, another detective who Bruce faces competition against for the promotion. Lennox has one small problem, one that he wishes no one found out about. There's also Bruce's psychologist Dr. Rossi (Broadbent) who pops up in Bruce's hallucinations  and Bruce's 'so called' best friend Bladesey (Marsan), a boring accountant whose wife keeps getting indecent calls from someone unknown.

James McAvoy and Filth's supporting cast are absolutely superb. It's a bittersweet viewing that's funny and sick at the same time. You have to experience it to believe it. McAvoy's best performance since The Last King of Scotland. 

The Expendables 3

***
UK Release Date: August 14th 2014

Barney augments his team with new blood for a personal battle: to take down Conrad Stonebanks, co-founder and notorious arms trader who is hell bent on wiping out Barney and every single one of his associates.

Director: Patrick Hughes

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellen Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Robert Davi, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Expendables 3 grabs a hold of the death and destruction that the Expendables get on with so well and bombards you with it. The body count is at an all time high, and shit's being blown up all over the shop. There's no rest for the wicked. There's an all out attack on a prison from the very start. Barney (Stallone) for reasons inexplicably explained, must free an old Expendables compatriot, greeted to us by the name of Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes).

It's a bit of a wasted journey. Like most of the ever extending cast, Wesley Snipes fades in to the background. All of this mass slaughter just to see him become a secondary character? Surely not! But we're not here to think, we're here to enjoy ourselves, and probably not for the last time.

Barney & co's main target this time round is Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), the other co-founding member of the Expendables whose gone rogue. Church is out of action, (no more Bruce Willis) and is replaced by Drummer (Harrison Ford). He is the one now giving the orders.

During the all out attack, Stonebanks shoots Caesar (Crews) rendering him out of action for the majority of the film (much to my displeasure). Barney, hellbent on revenge, disbands his old team and rallies up a new, younger one to take down the enemy.

I said before that too many cooks spoil the broth and The Expendables 3 tips it over the edge. There are at least 10 new characters in this one. Barney cares for the well-being of Lee Christmas (Statham), Gunnar (Lundgren) and the rest, so much so he leaves them behind for this mission. Kelsey Grammar makes an appearance as Bonaparte, one of many contacts Barney has to assemble his new team. Part of that new team is Antonio Banderas, who has the award for most annoying character in the trilogy (soon to be quadrilogy). 70% of the dialogue comes from him, it's relentless.

The cast isn't the biggest problem, it's the way the cast is scripted that is. The story is tight, but where the old geezers are replaced, it means the likes of Statham, Lundgren and Couture have little screen time, which isn't what we are paying to see. As an audience we're fully aware that The Expendables is a money-grabbing machine relying on its cast for the big bucks, so give us that! No offence to the newbies, but I want to see Statham slice up more goons with his knives, or at least see Snipes doing what he's paid to do.

The hero of the film is Mel Gibson. He emanates a powerful presence that the previous villains lacked. Think The Joker from The Dark Knight, or Silva from Skyfall. If it weren't for Mel Gibson, The Expendables 3 wouldn't be as entertaining as it is.