50 Cent Replacing Forest Whitaker In ‘The Expendables’?!
Mar 19, 2009 by Rob KeyesI am not impressed.
Sylvester’s action-packed team-up ass-kicking fest of a movie, The Expendables, is suffering through some minor start delays and shooting for the movie …
I am not impressed.
Sylvester’s action-packed team-up ass-kicking fest of a movie, The Expendables, is suffering through some minor start delays and shooting for the movie has been pushed back a month. Because of this, Forest Whitaker now has some scheduling conflicts and has had to pull out of the movie.
To replace him, Sly has brought in rapper 50 Cent a.k.a. Curtis Jackson.
Bad move methinks – How can you go from Oscar-winning talent to an artist of different medium who’s proven time and time again that he cannot act.
I love the idea and premise of this movie – the use of iconic 80s action stars combined with some cool modern action stars is something that should have been done a long time ago. That being said, I was very concerned about this movie because it’s aiming for a PG-13.
A PG-13 rating for a movie about a team of mercenaries sent on a suicide mission made by Sly Stallone? What?
Well, it sounds like the idea is to let the kids see it too which to me, takes away from what it should be. Is it being made simply for monetary purposes and for the wrong audience? Combined with the reason as to why Jean-Claude Van Damme turned down the offer to be in The Expendables and seeing others drop out (Ben Kingsley, Sandra Bullock), my hopes and anticipation for this movie are dwindling.
Ain’t It Cool News reported on this yesterday and later received a message from Sly himself defending the decision about 50 Cent. In his message he also clarified the following character information:
Hale Caesar is Curtis Jackson
Toll Road (new character) is Randy Couture
Monroe is Eric Roberts
Tool (an ex-Expendable) is Mickey Rourke
Bao is Jet Li
Lee Christmas is Jason Statham
Lacy is Charisma Carpenter
Sandra is Giselle Itie (famous Brazilian actress)
And
Barney ‘the schizo’ Ross is Yours Truly.
My hopes for this movie was for something like Rambo but with a massive team of cool characters. I guess we’re not getting that. As for 50 Cent, if he’s playing an all out action role, he’s at least built for the part being in incredible physical condition.
Even though I’m skeptical about this movie, it’s still a must-see for me because of what it is and who’s in it – I’m sure many others feel the same.
What do you think of this news and the direction of the film?
Yesterday, The Expendables got its official release date of April 23, 2010.
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I want Chuck Norris!
Seriously though, not in a comedic internet-joke sort of way, I want him in this movie as a serious character.
Ken,
Wu-Tang Clan, KRS-ONE, A Tribe Called Quest, Chubb Rock, Ice-T, Ice Cube, X-Clan, Artefacts, Black Moon, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Common, Talib Kweli, Public Enemy, Paris, Classified, K’Naan, The Cool Kids, Run DMC these are all examples of Hip-Hop/Rap artists past & present that “rap” about important issues in our lives, especially KRS-ONE.
What you are categorizing is like saying all Metal bands are satanists and their fans are ones who mutilate themselves, etc. Digg? The problem is that we only hear this type of trash often because that is what sells. Britney Spears, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, all this nonsense.
Point is, just becaue Fiddy raps does not mean everyone that raps is like him. X-Men 3 is a comic book movie, but it is nothing like Watchmen, even though that is also a comic book movie.
Or he says ‘What the hell’. Or Gimme your best shot!’
Chuck Norris would be cool too. He could be all silent and moody like when he fought Bruce Lee.
@SK I still don’t see anywhere in there where you’ve disproved what I said. My point is that you don’t have to be smart to make millions and that’s completely true. There are plenty of completely brain dead sports stars that give their “110%” and these rappers that try real hard to believe in their own ego inflating “music” not realizing it only sells because their listeners suffer from inferiority complex and need all of that ego rubbing to make themselves feel better about themselves. Look at what happens to most rap stars after they have faded from glory. Do they save their riches in smart investments, living off interest and not only staying rich but getting richer? Hahahaha, yah right… Most of them waste their money on going to night clubs and throwing money around to prove how rich they are to everyone around, buying useless “bling” and trying in so many ways to “appear” rich and cool since image is everything to these people.
When I see that the majority (not just exceptions to the rule) of rappers and sports stars investing their moneys, living a modest like, like Bill Gates driving a Lexus instead of riding around in a limousine with a hot tub in it, flying economy class instead of in his own private jet, etc.. Then I’ll change my mind. But until then, the unfortunate fact remains, Police officers who risk their lives every day will make $40,000 up to 100,000 a year, Doctors who have studied for over a decade will earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, a rapper who dropped out of highschool or a sports star that can’t even spell the sport he’s playing will make millions.
Ken J,
the artists I have mentioned are nothing like the rappers that you have in mind. I agree that you do not have to be smart to make millions, example this fool 50, but keep in mind that the “majority” you are referring to is just a small minority compared to the artists in the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, France, England, everywhere who are making hip-hop for the love of the music. KRS-ONE is one of the most intelligent artists out there and he does not live lavishly. He works for the community and if you read his lyrics you will be blown away!
Same goes for Public Enemy. Wu-Tang Clan has had success yes but at least they have gotten their success by not rhyming about bitches, money, cars, etc. They are one of the most influential groups in music period!
As for sports stars getting huge amounts of cash, that is the fault of the owners and agents. It has just gotten out of control! Especially A-Rod’s contract long ago with the Rangers! You cannot fault these guys coming out of high-school and offered moolah by an owner to boost his team. It sucks but you can’t. Nature of the beast.
Oh no, I’m not “blaming” them, just stating a single point that making millions doesn’t make you smart. I’m not saying every person who makes millions are stupid, because that’s obviously not true. I’m just making a point about your statement before that they must not be so dumb if they’re making millions. That’s it. Obviously if someone offers you money, just consider yourself lucky and take it.
The so called Artists you mentioned SK are just like any other rapper the only diff is that they try to pretend that they talk about important issues like F**K the Poleece (mis spelled because thats how they pronounced it). These arn’t real social issues it’s the Self entitlement and the ‘they hate me cause i’m black BS that they preach about. The only real social issue here is the sad pathetic brain washing that groups like this put in to the young black youth.
I really don’t think it will be PG-13, it only costs about 10 million more than Rambo did and Sly never directly stated what the rating was going to be, he only said it wont be a bloodfest.
That being said, I’ve yet to see a good PG-13 shootout, ever. Also, swearing makes dialogue awesome. Would Glengarry Glen Ross or Reservoir Dogs be as good if the dialogue was PG-13?
Not too happy with 50 Cent being in this movie, but Hale Caesar is a relatively small role. The character is basically a black guy who likes tacos. I doubt Whitaker would’ve played that role. So the character of Agent Will Sands is still uncast.
“Also, swearing makes dialogue awesome.”
Seriously, are you 13 or something? Lol
SK47. You’re wasting your time with Ken J. The more messages he posts about “rappers” and “sports stars”, the more the undertones in them are rising to the surface. I used to spend countless hours having internet “debates” with people like him. The bottom line is that his mind is set. He’s not going to even attempt to understand your point of view. As far as he’s concerned, you, and everything you represent is inferior to him. I guarantee you, if he felt that he wouldn’t get booted from this forum, he’d use a few choice words to describe the the rappers and sports stars the way he REALLY views them……
Hey Desolate one, I got a neat trick, switch the names in that post, instead of SK, use mine, and instead of mine, use SK. It still makes sense. Strange how things are interchangeable. The only difference is your own point of view that would affect who’s “side” you’re on, lol.
And BTW, before you call me a “racist” (since I’m not an idiot and can see where you’re going with this) you DO realize that my original post arguing against his making millions argument I referred to a lot of “Pop” music stars and actors/actresses as a perfect example to show how STUPID people can be and still make millions right? And you also do realize that sports stars and rappers are NOT all the same race right? So if anyone is generalizing and stereotyping, it’s you, not I.
Oh, and I’m a minority myself. Wonder if that makes any difference at all.
Don’t worry, nice try anyhow.
But just for you, so you’ll see that you’re not COMPLETELY useless, I’ll be sure to mention the idiot pop stars, rock stars, actors, actresses, models, and every other category where a large concentration of idiots that make millions of dollars exists.
(I’m kidding, I’m too lazy for that, use your imagination, lol)
Wow this is getting sad. Ken was not saying thing that could even be close to racist. Did anyone actually read what he was saying? Personally I don’t agree with all of it, but for the most part I agree with ya Ken. Anyone can be an idiot no matter their profession or amount of money they make. I also think 50Cent proved a long time ago that he wasn’t very smart.
And speaking of idiots, Kanye West, OMG, I swear that brain is only in there to keep his eyes from falling into his skull…
Kanye may be dumb, but his non musical activities can be very entertaining. Kanye West and Mike Myers should make a movie together with their amazing chemistry.
I would watch it, lol
Wow, Ken J a racist??!! That’s a new one on me. I’m a black guy and I’ve been joking around with him for months.
Is Jim Kelly still around? You all remember him right? He was the black guy in Enter the Dragon. He’s probably too old, though, if he’s still around. Richard Roundtree would be good.
Ken’s not a racist just extremely opinionated (annoyingly so sometimes)like a lot of us around here…
I like Roundtree’s role in Speed Racer although the film was not great..
Me? Opinionated? No! lol
“Seriously, are you 13 or something? Lol”
No, I’m somone who lives in the real world. Where people swear and bleed when they get shot (Supposedly anyway, I’ve never seen an actual shooting
).
P.S. Guy according to AICN 50 Cent has been replaced by Terry Crews, which is great news.
@dudelove
That’s what drives me nuts about PG-13 movies: all of the violence, none of the consequences (blood, agony, etc).
Vic
I don’t know about you dudelove, but I shoot back if I get shot, I don’t think about what’s the “coolest” curse word I can yell…
And “50 cent” or half dollar or whatever his face being replaced by any non-rapper will be a big plus…
The problem with violence = gore and blood thing is that it’s not always realistic.
I’ve seen gunshot wounds where you can’t even tell the person has been shot except for a little bit of blood at the site of the broken skin. Then you see the gunshot wounds where there is blood everywhere. It really depends on what that bullet hits after it goes in. If it doesn’t hit anything that bleeds like a major organ or an artery, it actually wouldn’t really bleed. I’ve seen a guy shot 23 times, alive, conscious, and talking, and there’s not much blood to be found. Well, he was a big guy (fat) so that could account for that, and a lucky guy, that none of the 9mm’s hit anything vital. He bled a bit out of both his arms, but pressure bandages were enough to control that, so it wasn’t much, but just about all of the body shots didn’t really result in any bleeding.
And even if it does hit an artery or something else that causes bleeding, often times it’s AFTER the shot, meaning you’re not going to see a huge splash of blood as he’s getting hit, you’ll see a sort of “mist” then after that guy goes down, you see the blood rushing out. But movies tend to make it seem like everyone that gets shot is a mortal kombat character getting punched or something… I think it’s silly in my opinion, and would actually rather them simply show a mist or some kind of reaction from the shot without all of the excessive blood and guts flying everywhere… About the cursing, true it’ll be more realistic since people do curse in real life, but all I’m saying is that it doesn’t bother me at all if they cut that out to lower the rating as long as no plot essential thing was cut out for that reason. Lower rating = bigger audience. It’s a business afterall, might as well run a smart business.
I agree with dudelove and Ken oddly enough they are both right in one way. Gore is not necessary gore is and always has been over exaggerated. In fact most wounds are never as bad as they look in movies. I have seen real life gun shot wounds as well as knife wounds and they never look as gory as film makes them seem. Gore is the most unnecessary thing in film to this day. However, when people get hurt or wounded they do tend to swear. It’s fairly common. It’s not about thinking of the coolest curse word you can use it’s about your natural reaction to pain. Most people respond with an elegant “F*CK ” or “Sh*t” it’s just the nature of pain. I think this is less of a studio issue though and more of a censorship issue. The censors are uptight morons.
I wouldn’t say it is “natural” as if we’re born with the instinct to use 4 letter words in the light of pain, it’s a culturally learned thing and some people simply don’t use it. I’m not arguing, like I said, that would be more realistic, but still not important enough to affect my opinion on a film if they cut it out for the benefit of the film’s rating, thus box office take. I think it’s a very small sacrifice. Very very small. I think those who get really bothered by this might still be a bit caught up in the “cool factor” of curse words. Something I grew out of about 10 years ago, lol. So I can care less. I DO care, however, if they cut something that’s actually essential to the plot and integrity of the film in order to lower the rating. But frankly, in my opinion, 90% of the time, the curse words are simply not important enough for me to consider it essential to the plot of the film.
There are instances where the language thing sticks out as unnatural, but it’s not very often. Most of the time I don’t even notice it.
I care a little bit more about the curse words than you do, but we are in agreement that it’s not the most important part of a film. I have enjoyed plenty of PG-13 films. It does bother me that they get left out, but I don’t blame the studios. It is smart to leave them out because like you said it’s more beneficial to the box office. I blame censorship that a few curse words can lower the raiting. Personally I don’t see a thing wrong with them they are simply words. I understand ratings on gore or certain sexual things, but to be that strict about the use of words is sad.
Yah Daniel, the truly sad thing about this (that I wish they DON’T change BTW) is how curse words will raise the rating before violence will. So you can have a movie with people getting blown up, crushed, caught on fire, shot, and chopped up (without the gore of course, just thrown through something that obviously chopped and maybe playing the sound effect) and still be PG-13, but the second one of them says the f word or s word too many times, it’s rated R.
I think it’s weird, but like I said, I’d rather them cut the curse words than cut the violence for the rating, so I’m kind of glad that the rating system is ONLY picky about curse words, gore, and nudity while ignoring violence.
Personally it bugs me in movies with lots of carnage and horror that no one swears. Never feels right. Mind you, I swear like a sailor if I stub my toe.
But if really bugs me to have a movie that goes the other way.
Perfect example for me is Blade 3. They just seemed to cram any and every swear they possibly good, and after a while it just gets boring.
A bit of swearing in extreme situations makes sense to me. Swearing for the sake of swearing is just annoying.