None of The Expendables films are strictly necessary, are they? The clue is in the title. But instalment number four of the elite mercenaries series manages to not be entirely extraneous to our entertainment needs, disarming as often with easy charm, as with a high-kick to the hyoid.
Sylvester Stallone launched the franchise back in 2010, as both writer-director and preeminent star among an action all-star cast that then included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and straight-to-video stalwart Dolph Lundgren. Lundgren is still going, at the relatively sprightly age of 65; Willis, 68, announced his retirement last year following a diagnosis of aphasia; Stallone is now 77, which means he’s aged out of even the (rightfully) popular middle-aged-but-still-mean subgenre.
