Check out the full trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.

Building off of the momentum of the first teaser trailer, this new trailer finds Powell’s Becket Redfellow, estranged heir to a billion dollars recounting his rags to riches to murder story of an all different kind of family succession, and the events of How to Make a Killing look to get wilder by the second, in this sharp-shredded-satire.

With its’ opulent old-money setting, and a whole heap of Machiavellian manipulation, including Beckett’s desire to get to the top, no matter how many bodies he has to leave behind him in the process, How to Make a Killing is going to be a very intriguing watch. Add in the appearance of Margaret Qualley as Julia, Beckett’s childhood friend, turned frenemy, and you get a playground of combustible chaos, and I can firmly say that I’m fully down for this one!

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Brace yourself for a double-dealing cinematic thriller experience that is really looking to change up the rules when How to Make a Killing arrives in cinemas on February 26.

Image: StudioCanal

The post All the money brings Glen Powell plenty of problems in yuppie-thriller ‘How to Make A Killing’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Check out the new trailer for How to Make a Killing below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.

Powell has been running pretty hot of late with a raft of new releases with the likes of The Running Man, Chad Powers and Twisters, now he’s set for a whole new type of cinematic experience with old-money thriller How to Make a Killing which finds his wannabe rich kid Becket Redfollow ready to go to all manor of extreme lengths for his inheritance, and this solid hit of clever satire and biting murder will have audiences hooked.

Examining ideas of privilege, greed and success in America, How to Make a Killing really grabs your attention as an audience member, and Powell is really playing with a different kind of charcater, here he takes his ‘aww shucks’ All American Boy persona and then flips it for an all-together darker turn, in this savage new watch, and audiences will be in for something really different with whats being presented.

Not only is this film utterly glamorous to look upon, and with its insane levels of conflict, maipulation, coercion and murder that drive the plot forward, but the cast is also stacked, and seeing Powell trade blows with Margaret Qualley as Julia, Becket’s childhood friend turned frenemy within the plot, we’re certain they’ll be plenty of shocks and surprises with this one.

 

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Get ready for a rush of shocks, secrets and surprises when How to Make A Killing arrives in cinemas on February 20.

Image: A24 Films

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You never quite know what you’re going to get with Edgar Wright, and that unpredictability is part of the thrill. Now, he jumps into his boldest arena yet with The Running Man, a long-held passion project and one of the most eagerly anticipated adaptations of a Stephen King work in decades. Wright has spoken for years about wanting to crack this story open, and he finally gets his chance as he reimagines King’s (writing as Richard Bachman) brutal, adrenaline-soaked sci-fi thriller for a new generation. The result? Ready. Set. GO. This is the action movie event of the year.

In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television — a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite — and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.

From the opening frames, Wright makes one thing abundantly clear: this is his vision of The Running Man. While Paul Michael Glaser’s 1987 version has its cult status largely thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger and its glossy, neon-splashed excess, Wright’s film leans harder into the King text. The world is grimier, the stakes feel sharper, and the dystopia cuts closer to the bone.

Set in a decaying future ruled by mega-corporations whose most profitable commodity is violence-as-entertainment, The Running Man presents a society where the line between reality TV and gladiatorial combat has fully dissolved. Wright builds this world with obsessive precision. Every location feels tactile, oppressive, lived-in. The towering monoliths of the Network, the rusted industrial fringes, the broken-down slums where people cling to survival, all of it is fully realised with real sets, real textures, and a commitment to practical effects that feels downright invigorating in the modern CGI age.

There’s a DIY, in-camera ethos to the film that throws you directly into the grit of its action sequences. Wright’s love for practical stuntwork shines as bodies are hurled, explosions tear through concrete, and the city’s infrastructure literally collapses around our characters. All of this ambience adds not only authenticity but intensity. You don’t just watch The Running Man: you feel it. The grit. The sweat. The escalating sense of danger as the game show closes in.

And yes, it moves. Fast.

Wright gives the film a pounding rhythm, a relentless sense of forward drive. This is a story where you never quite know what lurks around the corner, because Wright won’t let you get comfortable. He twists the energy of a live broadcast, a ticking clock, and an unpredictable gauntlet into a constantly escalating thrill ride.

One of Wright’s masterstrokes is fully embracing the grotesque spectacle of The Running Man’s central conceit: a televised execution disguised as entertainment. The aesthetic is loud, brash, and drenched in hyper-produced excess: bright lights, roaring crowds, synthetic pop music, and a veneer of corporate gloss layered over genuine carnage. It’s gaudy, outrageous, and deeply unsettling, all at once.

Wright channels video-nasty energy, 80s VHS textures, and modern streaming-era sleekness into a visual stew, and it works. There’s a performative ugliness in the way the Network packages brutality, and Wright weaponises that artifice brilliantly. This is spectacle with sharp teeth.

And speaking of the 80s… Wright plays with nostalgia without relying on it. He infuses the film with a classic 1980s do-or-die, man-on-a-mission vibe, but never lets it consume the story. Instead, he uses that retro DNA to charge the movie with a sense of mythic action-hero energy.

And yes, Arnold fans, rejoice. There is a cameo. A very cool, very respectful nod to Schwarzenegger’s iconic turn as Ben Richards that will send the crowd into a frenzy. It’s handled perfectly: not a wink, not a parody, just pure reverence for the legacy of action cinema.

One of the most exciting aspects of Wright’s adaptation is his commitment to King’s original novel. He digs deep into the Bachman tone, bleak, angry, and razor-sharp, and reintegrates the political bite that King originally put front and centre. The film pulls in trademark King elements with glee: a Maine setting baked into the story’s foundation, references to classic King geography (including one infamous town that fans will immediately recognise), a smattering of King-verse Easter eggs, some subtle, some wild, all delightful. For King fans, it’s a treasure hunt wrapped inside a dystopian action epic.

At the heart of this maelstrom is rising Hollywood heavyweight Glen Powell, who cements his position as a bona fide A-list action star with his turn as Ben Richards. Powell plays Richards as an everyman with nothing left to lose; a working-class, pressure-cooked figure driven by desperation to save his family and expose the truth. This isn’t the quippy supersoldier type; this is a man consumed by righteous fury, pushed past the breaking point and forced into the most violent game on Earth.

Powell goes through the wringer. Emotionally. Physically. Morally.

He plays Richards as “the angriest man in the world,” and that fury becomes the engine of the movie. Watching him transition from frightened civilian to unstoppable force is one of the film’s greatest pleasures. Powell attacks the role with a bruised intensity that recalls Mel Gibson’s early action work and Will Smith’s 90s charisma, but filtered through Powell’s own modern swagger. This is the performance that transforms him into a full-blown action icon.

Every great action movie needs great antagonists, and The Running Man delivers a trifecta of scene-stealing villains.

Josh Brolin is sensational as Network executive Dan Killian: a cold, calculating corporate sadist who see-saws between charming showman and ruthless puppet master. Brolin brings a slick, smirking narcissism to the role, crafting Killian as the ultimate ratings-driven villain, a man for whom human life is merely a line item. He’s magnetic, maddening, and darkly funny.

Then you have Lee Pace as Evan McCone, the hulking “Hunter” who leads the game’s lethal pursuers. Pace turns himself into a terrifying physical presence; an angel of death in tactical gear, whose towering silhouette becomes one of the film’s most iconic images. He’s brutal, efficient, and utterly unstoppable… or so he thinks.

And rounding out the antagonistic energy is the always exceptional Colman Domingo as Bobby T, the flamboyant, razor-tongued host of The Running Man. Domingo plays the character like a cross between a televangelist, a shock jock, and a Vegas showman. He steals every scene he appears in. His monologues alone are worth the ticket price.

Wright stacks the film with character actors who flourish in this heightened world. One of the most delightful surprises is Michael Cera as Elton Parrakis, a punk-rock zine-maker who becomes an unlikely ally to Richards. Cera taps into anarchic energy we’ve never seen from him before; he’s wild, unpredictable, and somehow both hilarious and heartfelt.

And then there’s a late-game appearance from Emilia Jones (Amelia Williams) that flips the film’s entire trajectory and recontextualises its emotional stakes. Her arrival in the third act adds heft, urgency, and a surprising emotional resonance that deepens the narrative beyond its action-packed shell.

Wright loves to zag where others would zig, and The Running Man thrives on those left-field turns.

Is the action insane? Yes. Over-the-top in the best possible way? Absolutely.

Wright orchestrates set pieces with musicality, chaos, and a meticulous sense of geography. From urban chases to arena battles to guerilla assaults against the Network, each sequence escalates in ambition and danger. The kills are brutal, the stunts thrilling, and the choreography razor-precise. Wright hasn’t just made action — he’s made action that moves, that feels dynamic, dangerous, and alive. By the time the film hits its climax, you’re holding onto your seat for dear life.

The Running Man is an exciting, dangerous, ferocious, and utterly unrelenting action spectacle: a film bursting with pulse-pounding energy and the unmistakable fingerprints of Edgar Wright at the height of his powers. It’s bold. It’s brash. It’s blisteringly entertaining. And it’s easily one of the most exhilarating cinematic experiences of the year.

Image: Paramount Pictures

The post ‘The Running Man’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Welcome to The Running Man, a brand-new high energy, all-action thriller extravaganza of competition, sparkling lights and all out insanity as cult filmmaker Edgar Wright puts his own spin og Stephen King classic short story ‘The Running Man’ and delivers bold new energy to this crazy, out-of-control story… which has just debuted its new trailer and it is MENTAL!

Watch the all-new trailer for The Running Man below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television—a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.

Originally published in 1982 by Stephen King, under his Richard Bachman alias, The Running Man was a groundbreaking work that pre-dated the idea of reality TV and hyper-extreme game shows, and in our often crazy modern day, the story feels like a fitting, and slightly scary thought of what could happen. Cult filmmaker Edgar Wright has picked up the reins for this one, and this new trailer SCREAMS his name at the top of its lungs as his distinctive directorial DNA is all over it, and it promises a hell of a rush for audiences.

Rising Hollywood A-lister Glen Powell cements his new leading man status with the picture, and showcases that he’s got the grit, looks, and action bravado to lead from the front and he does a hell of a job as the film’s lead, Ben Richards, who with no other options left, and looking for a way to make things right for his family is pulled into the sinister world of The Running Man. This sets him on a collision course with the manipulative and callous network executive Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), and it’s gonna be a hell of a showdown as Ben does everything he can to flip the script. Arnold Schwarzenneger brought plenty of swag to the roll back in 1987, and now it’s Powell’s turn, and he turns up the action heat for a hell of a ride!

This trailer leaves you utterly hyped with what it delivers, and it showcases a new level of manic courtesy of Wright. The cast is also stacked and delivers some scene-stealing moments, particularly from the likes of Michael Cera’s quirky resistance fighter, Bradley Throckmorton, and Colman Domingo’s prophetic, zany, and loud host, Bobby Thompson. Everything about The Running Man sees it delivered at 100 per cent, and this is going to be a hell of a fun experience up on the big screen.

 

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See what makes Glen Powell run when The Running Man arrives in cinemas November 6.

Image: Paramount Pictures

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Haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado, Kate Cooper gets lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi, to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She soon crosses paths with Tyler Owens, a charming but reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures. As storm season intensifies, Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves in a fight for their lives as multiple systems converge over central Oklahoma.

Leading audiences into the torrential adrenaline of Twisters is filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, who is following up on Twisters after his critically lauded work on Minari, and he makes this a movie-going experience of full-on rock ‘n’ roll fun. Chung brings incredible energy and kinetic speed to Twisters, and from the very start, he unleashes the power of nature at full force. Drawing inspiration from his past living in Arkansas, a state with its own history of tornados, Chung leads audiences into the country heartland of Oklahoma and the mixture of scientists and daredevils who see storm chasing as a way of life. Chung has a lot of space to play in with this picture and focuses on themes of fear, belief and discovery, all of which add an incredible kick to the film’s narrative.

Chung lucks out with an incredible cast, and leading right from the start is the super talented Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper, a gifted meteorologist with an almost sixth sense to predict the weather, but who, after suffering a tragic accident, has been left as an utter shell of a person. She is pulled back into the chase by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), a former Army veteran who had gotten his hands on advanced DARPA tech and hopes to use it to see into the very eye of the storm. With a new purpose, Kate jumps into a truck and gets back on the chase, and the adrenaline starts spiking from there. As she is prone to do, Edgar-Jones fully disappears into the character of Kate, and as the narrative moves forward, we see the layers begin to shed from this Oklahoma girl as she has to confront her past and the fear that’s wrapped itself around her for so long.

Playing off of Kate’s logic in Twisters is Hollywood’s new leading man, Glen Powell, who is a pure cowboy in the role of ‘Tornado Wrangler’ Tyler Owens. A maverick former bull rider turned storm chaser, Tyler is a social media superstar who acts first and thinks later, and he’s ready to go to the fullest extent to experience the raw power of mother nature in some of Twisters’ most hair-raising action scenes. While Tyler might at first be a brash and reckless daredevil, much like Kate, there’s considerable layering and depth to his character, and at his core, he’s a genuine stand-up guy who’s willing to do the right thing. Edgar-Jones and Powell have a fantastic sense of chemistry together, and you can just feel the butterflies. Then there’s Powell’s swaggering sex appeal, which, when fitted out with a cowboy hat, white t-shirt, jeans and a rain storm, will send the ladies in the audience into a frenzy.

Chung finds considerable speed and action with Twisters with this disaster-chase-romance film, and it stands out as something different from other blockbusters we’ve seen this year. Chung and cinematographer Dan Mindel bring an Andrew Wyeth quality to the imagery, with its ghostly palette of blue, green, grey and white, and they capture the rustic country beauty of the Oklahoma plains. The brunt of the storm also falls heavy on audiences, and through a combination of practical effects and stunning CGI, the colossal and completely unforgiving power of mother nature is brought full force onto the big screen, and it’s damn frightening at times.

Twisters is a cinematic experience that will throw you right back into your seat, and its heavy storm scenes and tornado ferocity hit at full force. Taking cues from mother nature herself, Chung throws the action of the storm straight at audiences without any warning, and it gets damn gnarly as the narrative builds, and there’s nowhere to hide. Key moments include the ‘Hayride Tornado’ scene and the film’s final climatic third act that sees mother nature unleash sheer carnage inside a movie theatre, and seeing it up on the big screen, you’ll be utterly floored by the experience. Twisters is a true blockbuster experience, and its rock ‘n’ roll flair is only increased by its rocking soundtrack, which includes a list of some of the best country artists working today, including Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and Tanner Adell.

If you’re looking for that cinema rush, Twisters is a hell of an adrenaline-pumping rodeo experience and proves that there’s nothing better than the thrill of the chase!

Image: Warner Brothers

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Prepare for an intense adrenaline rush with the all-new arrival of the brand new first-look trailer for Twisters, the much-anticipated sequel to the 1996 classic adrenaline film. This movie will throw audiences right into the heart of the storm.

Watch the full trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.

The epic studio disaster movie returns with an adrenaline-pumping, seat-gripping, big-screen thrill ride that puts you in direct contact with one of nature’s most wondrous—and destructive—forces in Twisters, and filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) is ready to throw everything at his audience with this thrashing cinematic experience.

Rising star Daisy Edgar-Jones is ready to show why she’s becoming a household name as the intrepid former storm chaser Kate Cooper, while Glen Powell brings the cowboy cool as the charismatic wild man Tyler Owens who is always chasing the next rush.

Your adrenaline is sure to spike thanks to the arrival of Twisters, and the promise of this trailer presents a film that will show mother nature in all her fury up on the big screen when Twisters arrives in cinemas on July 18.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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Despite an amazing first date, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben’s (Glen Powell) initial attraction quickly turns sour. However, when they unexpectedly find themselves at a destination wedding in Australia, they pretend to be the perfect couple to keep up appearances.

Like many audience members, I’ve felt the absence of the romantic comedy for some time now. The early naughty era of Kate Hudson/Matthew McConaughey’s rom-com fun defined a generation, and it felt like this genre had been lacking for some time as tastes changed and new stories were explored. Well, filmmaker Will Gluck has decided to bring the fun of the rom-com back, by way of William Shakespeare, and the result, Anyone But You, is a perfect film to start the summer off with. Based on Shakespeare’s masterful comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, Gluck injects a fresh sense of energy, comedy and charisma into the story, and the whole cast is onboard to keep things lively. Gluck also flips the script a little and brings audiences downunder to Sydney, Australia, and this leads to plenty of comedy. And the location, and the locals gift the film with that classic sense of Aussie humour that we all know and love.

Taking the lead in Anyone But You is rising star Sydney Sweeney, and you can tell that she had a blast making this picture. While she’s built a career playing the bad girl, the character of Bea gives her room to play with, and to show audiences that she can mix things up. While Sydney is a natural bombshell and is utterly flawless in her complexion and beauty, there’s a real sense of need and want from Bea, and we see a young woman who is trying to find her place in the world and possibly someone to share it with. While Sydney gets to show off her drama chops, she also gets to revel in the comedy of the script. She’s fantastically funny and proves that studios should be giving her plenty of the ‘laugh out loud’ material to play with as she’s a natural with it.

Playing opposite Sydney Sweeney’s Bea is Hollywood hunk Glen Powell as Ben, and the two make for a solid match on screen. Over the last few years, Powell has rapidly shot up in Hollywood, and he’s becoming one of the go-to guys for the cinema industry. And deservedly so. From action to drama, Powell is a class act, and now he shows that he can also nail comedy. As beefcake Ben, Powell first comes off as a laddish, alpha bro, who despises Bea, and well, the feeling is kept mutual between the two of them. But as the film progresses, we find out that he’s a really good guy, and these two could be a perfect match for one another. Powell jumps directly into the film and doesn’t let up with his performance. He’s game for everything and changes things up with a performance that will have audiences crushing on him hard.

Anyone But You is filled with plenty of flirty fun, and you feel the chemistry right from the start. Will Gluck certainly gets the ‘romantic’ in the romantic comedy, and Anyone But You is a very sexy watch. Casting, atmosphere and location all have a hand to play in just how scintillating this picture gets, and the chemistry between Sweeney and Powell is downright fire! There’s plenty of skin and a whole heap of affection on display, and while Sydney Sweeney is a pure sex bomb in her skimpy bikinis, Glen Powell will have all the ladies in the audience swooning, thanks to his rock-hard eight-pack! The will they/won’t they sexual tension of the picture keeps things interesting, and Anyone But You is a very HOT watch.

The summer season is always a great time to head along to the cinema. Not only do you get the pleasure of the air con cool, but there’s always something fun about a cheeky midday movie! Cinema has long shared a connection with the summer movie, and Anyone But You fits that perfectly.

With its sun-filled narrative, laugh-out-loud comedy, sizzling romance, fun casting, and the sun-filled spectacle of Australia in full spotlight, Anyone But You is pure summer fun, and audiences will be in for a treat with this blissful bit of rom-com fun.

Image: Sony Pictures

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After breaking out one of their own, Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the Expendables undertake a contract to capture a notorious arms smuggler. The only catch is that the arms smuggler in question turns out to be Barney’s former teammate and co-founder of The Expendables, Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), a man who Barney had to put down after he went rogue. But Stonebanks survived, and has made it his mission to destroy the team he once called his own. The story really kicks off when one of Barney’s friends is caught in the crossfire, forcing him to recruit a younger generation of Expendables to help fill out the ranks for what will be all-out war.

Sylvester Stallone once again returns as writer and star of the lucrative franchise, and this time he’s enlisted the help of Australian director Patrick Hughes. The talented director has made sure to fill the screen with enough hard-hitting action and stoic one liners to knock the audience back into their seats.

While the team’s core troops, including Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) all return, Barney is gathering some old faces and new talent. First off, there’s Wesley Snipes as the slightly unhinged knife master Doctor Death. A former medic, and one of the original Expendables, Death has a few screws loose, but is an adapt soldier who is more than capable in a firefight and can hold his own when it comes to unarmed combat, as well as giving the Expendables resident blade master, Statham’s Lee Christmas, a run for his money. Snipes jumps into this role, and instantly steals the first fifteen minutes of the movie for himself. He brings a crazed personality to Death, as well as some much needed soulful flair.

Joining Snipes is Antonio Banderas as the acrobatically gifted Galgo. A former member of the Spanish Armed Forces and Bosnian War veteran, Galgo is desperate for a chance to prove himself and recapture his masculinity and warrior spirit once more. While Galgo produces a hell of a lot of laughs out of his desperation to experience combat again, he also carries a sense of sorrow (like all the Expendables do) from the harsh realities of war. Banderas has an absolute ball as Galgo, and is equally impressive with both his comedic and dramatic timing. He also brings this wildcard sense of energy, and passion to his fight scenes, holding his own, while also plying his irresistible charm. He’s a great addition to the Expendables roster.

But it’s not just the old dogs who are along for the ride this time, as the Expendables are getting some new blood. Kellan Lutz leads the pack as washed up former Marine John Smilee, who finds a sense of purpose and a role model in Barney, while also showing off some impressive motocross skills as he inflicts some serious damage to the bad guys. However, Barney isn’t just leaving it to the boys this time, introducing Rhonda Rousey’s Luna – a tough chick if we ever saw one. She definitely is the breakout star of this piece, and being a UFC World Champion has some serious ass kicking skills to boot. Rousey also proves that she’s got the acting chops and presence to be a major star. Additionally, The Expendables get a tech infusion thanks to Glen Powell’s thrillseeking, daredevil super hacker Thorn, as well as some badass new toys courtesy of Victor Ortiz’s high tech weapons specialist, Mars.

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as Barney’s resident frenemy Trench Mauser, who once again picks up an assortment of high-powered machine guns to terminate everything in sight. Kelsey Grammer gets in on the action as retired mercenary and ‘talent scout’ Bonaparte, throwing plenty of comedy in Barney’s direction, while legendary actor Harrison Ford show’s up as C.I.A case officer and authority figure Max Drummer, who isn’t content to just give orders, storming out into the field behind the controls of a helicopter gunship.

But the biggest part of the whole movie comes in the form of chief villain Conrad Stonebanks, played by an absolutely pumped and very scary Mel Gibson. While Eric Roberts and Jean Claude Van Damme antagonised Barney and the boys in the first two installments of the series, Mel Gibson is the arch villain that The Expendables deserve. Stonebanks has a serious problem with Barney, and Gibson perfectly channels his hatred for his former teammate. What works is that Stonebanks is portrayed as the somewhat twisted mirror image of what Barney could have become had he strayed from the path, and their mano a mano, no holds barred final confrontation is absolutely brutal.

The Expendables 3 certainly isn’t short of action, and there’s some pretty impressive set pieces. While the new kids on the block get more attention than I had anticipated, the old dogs certainly learn a thing or two from them, and when these two generations of Expendables finally team up together the results are explosive. The Expendables are back, locked, loaded and ready for action. Boom Lay Boom.

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