I’ve seen the film, but can’t comment on it yet – what I can say is this, the scene they screened at Comic-Con today? The one in the underground lair where Sly’s gang are embroiled in some fist-thumpin’ battle royale with Garza’s crew? That is one of the bloodiest, nastiest sequences in the movie… I’m actually amazed the powers-that-be OKed the clip (considering they ejector-seated “Piranha” from the line-up for that very reason – that their clips were too gratuitous). At the same time, good-thinking that they did – it will definitely help sell the movie. Audiences seemed to love the excessively cheesy and cartoonishly violent sequence, particularly the moment where Terry Crew’s character, Hale Caesar, shows up with a rocket launcher. Look for my review in a few weeks.
Anyway, some dot points about “The Expendables” panel :
- Stallone, dressed to the nines, is joined by Steve Austin, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Courture.
- Stallone said he refused to shoot the film in 3D or use an over abundance of CGI. He likes it “old school”.
- Terry Crews showed off his muscles – again and again.
- Stallone shot the film in Brazil because he could get away with hurting his actors there.
- Dolph Lundgren gave away one of the film’s big spoilers. I don’t want to do that here.
- Stallone mentioned that he’d tried to get Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris to be a part of the film but they turned him down. “There’s things like availablity, or insanity, that makes things not work out”, Stallone said.
- The big guy mentioned being hugely influenced by Superman and Sinbad movies. Thus, he wanted to do a big, fun no-brainer like “The Expendables”. And yes, Sly always intended to direct it as well as write and headline it because he’s a self-confessed control whore.
- Randy Couture apparently got so into his role that fighter was responsible for the exit of several top stuntmen from the movie.
- Sly’s neck was broken by Steve Austin. Remarked the filmmaker, “I always get hurt on my best movies. I didn’t get hurt on Rhinestone. I didn’t get hurt on Stop or My Mom Will Shoot. I get hurt and it’s a great movie”.
- Bruce Willis, who had been on the “Red” panel earlier, showed up to talk briefly about the scene he and Arnold Schwarzenegger did for the film.
- Stallone again disappointed Rambo fans with the news that he has decided to can “Rambo 5″.
