EX3: What Could Be, What Could’ve Been…

EX3 could probably end up being a very good action movie that could have been even better if they only had the balls to go all the way , right ? I don`t think the quality of the movie will solely depend on the rating, but I think the R-rating would probably have been the “icing on the cake” for this type of movie. For all the great directing, suspense and cinematography the movie might have, many fans will still probably feel cheated. And rightly so!

Those “ooh” and “awe” moments the first two films had will be missing. You know the ones I am talking about. Remember in EX1 the “warning shot” scene? How about the Terry Crews gun moment “see you at christmas” or when Jet and Jason broke Gary Daniels’s neck….or when Jason kept slicing bad guys left and right with his knife….or the knife thrown into Eric Roberts in the end….I could go on and on. Remember the opening scene in EX2 when Billy the Kid kept blowing bad guys heads off in the rescue mission…or when JCVD kicks a knife in Billy’s chest, or the “rest in pieces” moment or when Statham punched Scott Adkins into the chopper propellers….or Chuck going ape nuts in that entire end airport scene….or when Sly rammed that knife right into JCVD etc….again, I can go on and on. Those are the “OOH” and “AWE” moments I am talking about that will be missing from THE EXPENDABLES 3! It’s like making fried chicken without frying the actual chicken…something is missing!

I agree with all of those who feel that the franchise should be R-rated. I don`t think there are many fans who disagree with that. Some think the movie will stand or fall with rating. There is a *slight* chance the film will end up living up to the first two. But I think the movie will probably end up being (at best) 80-90 % of it’s full potential when it could have been (at best, with the R-rating) 100 %. That last “juice” will not be there, and thus many fans will be left feeling thirsty after having been fed quite a decent meal. 

Making Expendables 3 PG-13…it`s kind of like making Prisoners (with Hugh Jackman) PG-13…yes, it would still be a very good movie, but without the same emotional impact and understanding of the moral dilemma and agony of the characters involved. Yes, they didn`t have to show Alex`s beaten up face, right ? But, would you still be as emotionaly involved if all those gruesome scenes were cut away ? Would you still have the same understanding of what Keller was going through ? EX3 needs to have that visceral impact the first two films had!

I don`t think the rating will have a big (positive) importance to box office returns. I think the franchise has probably already reached its full potential with the first two movies. EX3 cost about the same amount as the last film (90 something million dollars). It has the potential to reach 80-100 million. I would be surprised if the the movie makes much more than that, even if it’s PG-13.

I think what Sly and Lerner are doing is they are gambling…I think they badly want to see those teens that showed up to AVENGERS to show up to EX3. They are at the casino. They have already won 274-311 million, but they choose to gamble for “double or nothing”. I hope the gamble will pay off and that they will not end up with “nothing”…that being commercial failure AND Sly loosing face and credibility with his core fan base (which could be a serious blow to his career).

– ABKing & Last Man Standing