Entertainment : In Depth: Expendables 3

Old school action movie fans rejoice – “Expendables 3” storms the Palace Friday, October 10 through Thursday, October 16 at 7 pm (NO SHOW ON TUESDAY), and Monday, October 13 at 2 pm.

Please note: The Palace is open on Monday, October 13 for both shows, 2 pm and 7 pm. This weeks’ Livewire ad was incorrect, my error not theirs. However, the theatre will be closed on Tuesday.

Sylvester Stallone once again leads the pack, which includes Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Antonio Banderas, and Wesley Snipes, with Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford thrown in for good measure. That’s a whole lot of star power!

The plot is simple. Barney (Stallone) retires his team and sends them off to enjoy their remaining days. Subsequently, he recruits a younger, faster, more tech-savvy set of warriors. This new era of Expendables manages to get captured by Stonebanks (Gibson), former Expendable turned vicious arms trader. Barney then brings Christmas (Statham) and the boys out of retirement.

As in EXP1 and 2, you’re in for mega-violence with this third installment in the series – sustained gun battles and terrible language, but no bare breasts, hence the PG-13 rating. Diehard action fans, those dating back to the early 80s, will also notice plenty of references that pay homage to earlier cinematic thrill rides.

“Expendables 3” runs just over two hours, so definitely a large popcorn show. Serious munchers should consider a super.

See you in the trenches!