The Expendables franchise, a love letter to classic action cinema starring Jason Statham, is set to depart Netflix on June 20. The series is celebrated for assembling iconic action stars from the 80s and 90s, with Statham's Lee Christmas as a constant and standout presence across all four films.
Every generation has its bona fide action star: the man who's able to take out scores of foes in increasingly bloody ways with all manner of weapons, and more than a few cutting quips.
The 80s saw the rise of action titans like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan dominated the '90s. Keanu Reeves and Liam Neeson both reinvigorated the action genre with films like The Matrix and Taken. But the biggest action star of the modern era is arguably Jason Statham.
Part of that is due to Statham's versatility, as he can slot into ensemble pieces or solo endeavors with ease, and one of his most iconic franchises is currently available to stream on Netflix. That franchise is none other than The Expendables, which fulfilled action lovers' dreams by bringing together '80s-and' 90s-era icons in the same movie.
It also has a perfect hook: Stallone's Barney Ross has gathered together an elite unit of mercenaries, including Statham's knife expert Lee Christmas, to pull off the kind of missions that no one else can. Over four movies, The Expendables has delivered enough bloody action and machismo to satisfy action fans.
However, those fans will have to look elsewhere for their adrenaline fix as the series is departing Netflix on June 20. Jason Statham Is A Standout In 'The Expendables' It's absolutely no surprise that The Expendables is meant to be a love letter to the type of over-the-top action films that made its cast superstars. The Expendables' roster consists of characters with ridiculously awesome names, like "Hale Caesar" (Terry Crews), "Yin Yang" (Jet Li), and "Trench Mauser" (Schwarzenegger).
The first two movies contain enough bloodshed to put Quentin Tarantino's body of work to shame. Perhaps one of the most iconic moments occurs in the first Expendables, where Barney Ross and Mauser meet the mysterious "Mr. Church" (Bruce Willis). Yes, even in its very first installment, The Expendables proved it wanted to be the action franchise for a generation by literally uniting a generation of stars in a pivotal scene.
Though The Expendables' roster has changed across all four installments, Statham is a constant presence. Lee Christmas is essentially the second-in-command of the team, and his skills with knives mean that he gets some of the best action sequences in the entire franchise. Statham even gets some meaty material in The Expendables 3, where he carries on a brief rivalry with fellow knife-thrower Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes) and Expen4bles, where he becomes the leader of the team.
Though The Expendables 3 and Expen4bles were panned by fans and critics, as the former skewed away from the series' heavy R-rating while the latter felt poorly made on every level, Statham proved that he could lead the franchise when the time was right
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