Expendables 4 Scores A Bad Rotten Tomatoes Record
"The Expendables" is an action franchise designed to capitalize on the charisma of action stars from yesteryear. Many jokes have been made throughout the series about how old the characters (and, by proxy, the actors) are getting, but it may be time to put this franchise out to pasture.
The newest installment, "The Expendables 4" (stylized as "Expend4bles"), has received the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the series' history. It currently stands at a 16% positive rating from critics on the platform, with 67 reviews in total. It's possible more reviews could roll in to help its score a little, but it seems like it's going to stand as the official low point of the franchise, beating out the previous entry, "The Expendables 3," which stands at 31% on Rotten Tomatoes. The official critics' consensus reads, "Solid work from Jason Statham and some halfway decent set pieces aren't enough to make up for Expend4bles' lackluster action and cheap-looking effects."
"The Expendables" has never been the most critically acclaimed movie series around, but one could at least make the argument previous entries were guilty pleasures. The first film clocked in at 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, while "The Expendables 2" remains the champion with a score of 67%. It doesn't bode well for the brand's future, and it may be time for these action heroes to retire ... without someone calling them to come back for one last job.
Fresh faces couldn't help The Expendables 4
The ensemble cast of "The Expendables 4" brings back some franchise heavyweights, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, and Dolph Lundgren. However, other action heroes, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, decided to call it a day. As such, the film relies heavily on a new generation of expendables, including Megan Fox, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and Tony Jaa, to name a few. But it seems like the movie just couldn't capture some of the earlier magic, with many critics not holding back in their reviews. Just take a look at these unkind words from Inverse's Matt Donato, "Expend4bles feels like a bargain-brand imitation of the series it's part of — a regression in quality that's achingly visible on screen between billowing fireballs and splattered noggins."
Sadly for fans, it appears "The Expendables 4" wasn't worth the wait. It's long been in development with frequent stops and starts, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's also long been touted as the final entry in the franchise, and perhaps that's for the best. There's always a chance it could get rebooted or kick off a spin-off, but a lot of critics seem done with this premise. Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture feels the series doesn't have a place in today's world, "In an action film landscape that has recently delivered great films like 'John Wick: Chapter 4' and 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' this year alone, maybe it's time that 'The Expendables' retire for good."
When a franchise starts putting numbers within words in the title, it's probably time to call it a day. As such, audiences shouldn't hold their breath for "Expendable5."