Expend4bles: When and where to watch Sly Stallone, Jason Statham’s blood and gut spilling action flick

In 2010, Sylvester Stallone wrote and directed The Expendables, an action thriller about an elite group of mercenaries on a particular mission. A commercial success, the film was lauded for its high-octane action, and had on board an impressive cast lineup including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Couture, among others.

Only two years later, Expendables was back with a sequel, with an even bigger cast that included the likes of Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins and Liam Hemsworth. While the first two films were rated R for violence and suitable for audiences 18 years and above only, with the third instalment in the franchise, the makers decided to toe a softer line and went for a PG-13 rating, even though they got Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas and Mel Gibson to join the cast.

With the fourth film in the franchise, which opens in theatres in India on September 22, the makers have gone back to an R rating, in what they say is their response to fan requests urging them to show loads of blood and guts spilling. This time around, the group is assigned on a mission to stop a terrorist organization headed by Suarto Rahmat from smuggling nuclear warheads that will ignite a conflict between Russia and the USA. Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy García join the cast.

The film released in China on September 15, with initial reviews stating that Expend4bles is quite disappointing. Nevertheless, the action saga topped the box office with a relatively low USD 11 million start. Made at a budget of USD 100 million, Expend4bles will really need to explode at the world-wide box office this week to not only break even, but also to ensure it is not the least grossing in the franchise.