6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
A group of mercenaries is hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric RobertsAction | 100% |
Thriller | 50% |
Adventure | 46% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.41:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (as download)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Would you want a Rambo film where the titular hero stopped every few minutes to bare his soul in one poignant soliloquy after another? That’s the basic question facing those who might want to visit this new Extended Director’s Cut of The Expendables, Sylvester Stallone’s throwback to testosterone fueled, kick butt action flicks of yesteryear. The original theatrical cut of The Expendables wasted little time in back stories or character motivations, and got into its story from the get go, pausing only for a few moments of supposed character driven, up close and personal, fare. Despite the fond feeling The Expendables engendered in a lot of audiences, the fact is the film was a fairly by the numbers affair, one that offered a lot of great action elements and quickly understood types (as opposed to real flesh and blood characters) that allowed the story, such as it was, to move forward with a minimum of fuss and bother. But as Sylvester Stallone hints at in his Introduction to the film, included on this Blu-ray as a supplement, he was never completely (or in fact evidently partially) satisfied with some of the decision he made with regard to the final cut of the film, and so he’s gone back to the drawing board to provide something akin to human interest to what was basically an in your face action film. So the question remains: does Rambo need emotions?
The Expendables in its Extended Cut looks completely identical to its theatrical release, with of course the exception of the few added elements, which offer no significant differences in sharpness, color, contrast or (especially important, since so much of this film is so dark) black levels. Therefore my comments on the theatrical release of the film, repeated here, hold true for this release as well. The Expendables blasts its way onto Blu-ray with a very sharp looking AVC encoded transfer in 1080p and 2.41:1 (just a hair wider than the theatrical cut's Blu-ray release in 2.40:1). Stallone stages a lot of this film in a cool, blue-tinged darkness, and that icy black look is incredibly well detailed, proving this disc's exceptional contrast and remarkable black levels. When Itié is being held in a cell which has virtually no light, the outlines of her jet black hair can still be plainly seen against the overall shadows of the interior. In fact fine detail is exceptional throughout this enterprise. While some cynics may argue that the lack of skin pores and waxy complexions may hint at DNR, those with any knowledge of contemporary cosmetic techniques will only see the prevalence of botox. Close-ups in fact reveal a wealth of detail, not all of it flattering. What has happened to the left side of Stallone's face, for example? Jet Li's pockmarks are also very visible. Colors are nicely robust, though somewhat muted in the darker scenes.
Much as with the video quality, this new Extended Cut of The Expendables boasts the same superior mix of the original theatrical cut, so my comments on that cut hold true here as well. If you're looking for a circa 2010 reference quality audio mix, look no further than The Expendables. To say this lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix is aggressive is a little like saying this film has a bit of testosterone going for it—it is, in other words, a major understatement. From the first rumbles of the Expendables' motorcycles, you know you're in for a sonic thumping, with some extraordinary LFE. This is easily one of the most robust tracks in recent memory and certainly is one of the most ear pummeling sonic journeys in recent action film history. Discrete effects are brilliantly strewn across the soundfield, whether it be the silvery flash of a blade cutting through the air, or the gut churning "whomp" of a bazooka firing into a crowd. The final segment, which builds to an almost incredible level of sonic activity, is simply a riot of foley effects, with explosions, gunfire, collapsing buildings and thudding bodies cascading over each other in incredible surround activity. For the one or two seconds of quiet dialogue in this film, the DTS track is also spot on, providing exceptional fidelity and nice separation.
Don't get me wrong, The Expendables is fun and enjoyable, but it's no great masterpiece, and Stallone's ingenuous insistence that he somehow was kept from releasing the real masterpiece The Expendables "should" have been is just downright ridiculous. There are a couple of nice extra touches here, but nothing so amazing that it recasts the picture in any significantly new light. As with the theatrical release of the film, this Blu-ray looks and especially sounds fantastic, and if you're a fan of this kind of testosterone fueled actioner, it certainly comes Recommended.
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Extended Director's Cut
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