Surprisingly, the John Wick franchise is doing a much better job at delivering on The Expendables’ promises than Sylvester Stallone’s movies. Spearheaded by the Rocky actor, The Expendables and its two sequels were marketed as ensemble films packed with fan-favorite action stars. The core cast of the three movies was led by Stallone, who played Barney Ross, the commanding officer of an elite squad of misfit soldiers.
In The Expendables series, Stallone surrounded himself with several familiar faces from popular action movies ranging from the 1980s to the 2000s. Among his closest allies were characters portrayed by martial arts icon Jet Li, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Stallone's Rocky IV co-star, Dolph Lundgren. However, this wasn’t the extent to which the films honored the genre. Each entry of the trilogy featured special appearances from other big-name actors. Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas, and Harrison Ford have all played roles in Expendables movies at one point or another.
Few movie trilogies can lay claim to star-studded casts as large or as impressive as what Stallone put together for The Expendables. But despite many of the actors being considered major draws, the movies weren’t the huge hits that many hoped they would be. The first two installments did moderately well, but the third was considered a box office letdown. A fourth Expendables movie is supposed to be happening but is moving forward rather slowly. Another action franchise though, John Wick, started in a very different direction from The Expendables but is now on the path to becoming what Stallone’s trilogy tried to be.
The Expendables Films Have Been Mostly Disappointing
The Expendables movies have had their moments, but they’ve all disappointed at various levels. The tone has been inconsistent, as they often attempted to be dark and comedic at the same time. This approach helped create some fun scenes, but it didn’t always work. Also, the missions undertaken by Barney and his crew lacked a certain degree of excitement, partly because of the uninteresting plots. Though the high-octane, gory action sequences certainly had something to offer in the way of entertainment, they couldn’t carry the movies. Plus, the intensity of the fights failed to match that of the classics The Expendables were paying tribute to, like First Blood, Predator, or The Terminator. It didn’t help that Expendables 3 was held back by a regrettable PG-13 rating (which Stallone has since admitted was a mistake). The limit on the violence prevented the movie from really letting loose.
The John Wick Franchise Is One Of The Best Modern Action Series
John Wick has emerged as one of the best action franchises of the modern era. First and foremost, the movies are driven by a compelling protagonist who is already starting to become a household name. Played by Keanu Reeves, the imposing and brooding Wick has all the right qualities befitting an action hero, yet at the same time is still able to come off as a unique, nuanced character. The people around him are well-developed, memorable characters in their own right, with a few examples being Winston (Ian McShane), Sofia (Halle Berry), Charon (Lance Reddick), Marcus (Willem Dafoe), and Cassian (Common).
There’s also the matter of the stories offered by the John Wick movies. The first film gave its lead a somewhat basic revenge plot – but managed to do it with style and originality. The retired assassin mowing through dozens of armed killers to avenge the death of his dog was predictable but a delight to watch. The brutal fight scenes featured in the films have their own trademark feel that has worked so well for the franchise that it’s since been copied by other movies. John Wick succeeded in continuing this into both sequels without allowing its approach to get stale. The action in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum feels just as innovative as what was shown in the first installment. Adding to the franchise’s overall charm is its worldbuilding. The series comes complete with some fascinating concepts, such as the High Table, the Continental and all its strict rules. The world John Wick has built has proven to be so popular that a separate TV show set in its universe is currently in the works too.
Why The John Wick Series Beats The Expendables
As an action franchise, John Wick has surpassed The Expendables in terms of quality with its spectacular choreography, gunplay, worldbuilding, and just the stories in general. Plus, it’s on the road to beating The Expendables in its best area; its use of action stars. Arguably the biggest appeal of The Expendables films were the actors chosen and the jokes aimed at their respective careers, like the banter between former action movie rivals Stallone and Schwarzenegger, or how Chuck Norris jokes were worked into The Expendables 2. The problem though is that The Expendables had a bit too many stars. Stallone and Schwarzenegger being in the same movie with Norris and Van Damme is a fun idea in concept, but it comes with issues. When there are that many actors involved, it becomes difficult to develop them properly and give each something meaningful to do. As a result, several Expendables cast members have been wasted, which is unfortunate but not unexpected. The characters played by Lundgren, Li, and more had potential that was left untapped.
In comparison, John Wick has done a lot more with a lot less, as demonstrated by what the third movie did with Mark Dacascos, star of 1997's Drive and several other lesser-known action gems from the 1990s and 200os. The amount of screentime devoted to Dacascos granted him an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on audiences with his incredible moves and layered performance as a cold-blooded assassin and John Wick fanboy. The cast that’s been assembled for John Wick: Chapter 4 shows the franchise is looking to repeat what its predecessor did when it brings in Donnie Yen, Marko Zaror, and Scott Adkins. If John Wick keeps this up, it can do what The Expendables couldn’t by transforming into the ultimate action movie series.
