Know Your Expendables 101

I want to thank you for signing up for this class, students. I recognize most of you born after 1990 don’t know why most of us are hyped for the Lionsgate release of The Expendables, but you’re going to learn a thing or two this semester. I have provided below, a nice handy syllabus, a general guideline for who’s who in The Expendables. You’re homework, before August 13th will be to use this and to get acquainted with the actors who have entertained a generation of action fans for over two decades.

The Final will be to read Killer Film‘s pending review.

I’m Professor Jon Peters, who has a MFA in Action, and students, welcome to Know Your Expendables 101.

Sylvester Stallone (plays Barney “Schizo” Ross)

Action Debut: Death Race 2000 (1975)

Best Film: Rocky (1976)

Famous for: The Italian Stallion is mostly known for his role of Rocky Balboa, in the six film series, mostly since the first was an Oscar winning Best Picture. His naive, but tough guy demeanor resonated with the working class people of the late ’70s, but the underdog story of the film captured everyone’s heart. From there, Stallone’s next best character was John Rambo in the four film series that begin with First Blood. Outside of the first film, which was more of an action/political agenda movie, the sequels have been the stuff of action genre standards.

Fans will also love his action films Cliffhanger, Daylight, Cobra, Over the Top, Copland, and Judge Dredd.

Best One-liner: From Rocky II: “Yo, Adrian! I did it!

Last Best film: Demolition Man (1993)

Why he’s an Expendable: Sly is a pivotal action hero from the 1980′s. Besides acting, he’s a notable writer and director, but none of that matters too much when Rocky and John Rambo are pop culture icons.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (plays Trench)

Action Debut: Hercules in New York (1969)

Best Film: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992)

Famous for: He might be the Governator now, but Arnold – one of the few action stars to go by a first name basis – defined action in the 1980s and early 1990s. Awarded Mr. Universe at the age of 22, Arnie captured all of our imaginations with a string of successful and classic action films early in his career with James Cameron’s The Terminator, followed by Conan the Barbarian, and Predator. From those three films, he launched one of the action genre best career’s with numerous #1 openings and box office dominance. What’s not to love here? Running Man, Red Heat, Total Recall, True Lies, Kindergarten Cop, Eraser, are all of his most notable, but fans will most likely have a soft spot for 6th Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and Last Action Hero.

Best One-liner: From Predator: “Get to the Chopper!”

Last Best Film: True Lies (1994)

Why he’s an Expendable: How else could they have a film like this without Arnold? His acting chops veered into comedy specific films for a time, and while he has had duds at the box office, simply put, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the action genre.

Jet Li (plays Yin Yang)

Action Debut: Shaolin Temple (1982, Chinese); Lethal Weapon 4 (1998, American)

Best Film: Tai Chi Master (1993)

Famous for: Jet Li is one of China’s best on-screen martial artist since the fall of the Shaw Brothers studio. His Once Upon a Time in China films made him a star and First of Legend,Tai Chi Master, and The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk only made him stay there. His skills were nimble and fast, yet deadly, as showcased in many wushu films from the 1980s and early 1990s, and it was only a matter of time when Hollywood came calling. Now most of his American films have been met with mixed success, his debut in Lethal Weapon 4 not only turned heads in the film, but in our eyes as well. Romeo Must Die and Unleashed are two of his better Hollywood films.

When he returned to China, Fearless and Hero were hailed as classics. He had the career Bruce Lee would have had.

Best One-liner: From Romeo Must Die: “Here’s the deal, Meatball. You let me go, I let you live.”

Last Best Film: Fearless (2006)

Why he’s an Expendable: Some of Jet Li’s martial art films in the late ’80s and early ’90s are some of the better since Bruce Lee died, the fall of the Shaw Brothers, and before Donnie Yen came MMA’ing his way into the field. He has been one of the few not to be totally neutered when he made the transition to Hollywood, something Jackie Chan can’t say. Plus, unlike most of his comrades in the film, he’s still making great action films.

Mickey Rourke (plays Tool)

Action Debut: Double Team (1997)

Best Film: The Wrestler

Famous for: While Rourke in the 1980s made a splash with critically acclaimed dramatic roles, fans will cherish him as Marv from Sin City. His return from a brief boxing career has earned him tough guy cred, and if Marv wasn’t dangerous enough for you, his role in Tony Scott’s Domino as a bad-ass bounty hunter, or a wash-up pro wrestler in his Oscar-nominated performance in The Wrestler should. Also, it took Iron Man and War Machine working together to defeat him in Iron Man 2.

Best One-liner: From Sin City: “Killing? No. No satisfaction. Everything up until the killing, will be a gas.”

Last Best Film: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Why he’s an Expendable: Simple: one cold look from his ravaged body will scare you into an early grave.

Eric Roberts (plays James Monore)

Action Debut: Best of the Best (1989)

Best Film: The Dark Knight (2008)

Famous for: He’s an unheralded tough guy, appearing in plenty of action films and dramatic roles, often playing a villain. Teaming with Akon or The Killers, Roberts is seemingly everywhere. He might not have the body mass as other actors in The Expendables, but he equally as devious.

Best One-liner: From The Dark Knight: “What makes you think I want to hear you talk?”

Last Best Film: The Prophecy II (1998)

Why he’s an Expendable: Tough and gritty as they come.

Dolph Lundgren (plays Gunnar Jensen)

Action Debut: Rocky IV (1985)

Best Film: Masters of the Universe (1987)

Famous for: Perhaps the last of the generation of action stars, Lundgren is all bad-ass all-the-time. From playing Drago who tried to defeat the American Icon of Rocky Balboa in an action debut, to going toe-to-toe with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lundgren might not have the action filmography as some of his brethren, but his films entertain nonetheless: Showdown in Little Tokyo, Universal Soldier, Red Scorpion, Johnny Mnemonic, or as the first Punisher, his small action films made him an minor action icon in the early 1990s.

Best One-liner: From Universal Soldier: “I’m all ears!”

Last Best Film: From Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2010)

Why he’s an Expendable: Who else could go up against Bruce Lee’s son and live to tell about it?

Bruce Willis (plays Mr. Church)

Action Debut: Die Hard (1988)

Best Film: Pulp Fiction (1994)

Famous for: Die Hard is the prototype for all summer action films from that release on, and while he makes actions films still, his career is defined by that franchise. Not only that, but as a collective career, his action films have all been incredibly successful, mostly since he portrays that guy we all know, an atypical action hero when compared to other Expendables.

Best One-liner: From Die Hard: “Yippee-ki-yay, motherf*cker!”

Last Best Film: Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Why he’s an Expendable: He saved the world in Armageddon and is our go-to guy to stop terrorists. 

Jason Stratham (plays Lee Christmas)

Action Debut: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Best Film: Bank Job (2005)

Famous for: Statham is like an old school action star in a modern world of action film making, and while it often clashes, he handles the roles with a stiff grace. Crank, War, Transporter, and Death Race all best represent this attitude. If you crave action that you seen from the 1990s, then here’s your action man to follow.

Best One-liner: From Crank: “Don’t pop a blood vessel, you little penis!”

Last Best Film: Crank: High Voltage (2009)

Why he’s an Expendable: He’s an action tough guy cut from a dying breed. Plus, he’s a Westerner that gave Jet Li a run for his money in War.

Steve Austin (plays Dan Paine)

Action Debut: The Condemned (2007)

Best Film: The Condemned (2007)

Famous for: He might have only been in a few films, but it’s his career in the WWE in the 1990s that made Stone Cold a lovable tough guy, who drank a beer and whupped ass. Not only was he more popular than Hulk Hogan, he’s beating another non-Expendable tough guy’s ass numerous time, in Dwayne Johnson. I have VHS evidence of this.

Best One-liner: “You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn’t get you anywhere! Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16… Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass!

Last Best Film: The Stranger (2010)

Why he’s an Expendable: True, he doesn’t have the action film cred yet, but I’ll take this wrecking ball in any fight, anywhere, against anyone. Ask The Rock or Vinnie Jones.

Terry Crews (plays Hale Ceasar)

Action Debut: The 6th Day (2000)

Best Film: Street Kings (2007)

Famous for: Crews might not register to some fans of action, but he got his start on Sundays in the NFL, before going gladiator in American Gladiators for a time. Used in comedies as the tough, bald, black guy, until recently he took this persona to the action genre with Terminator Salvation, Gamer, Get Smart, and Street Kings.

Best One-liner: From Idiocracy: “Number 1: We’ve got this guy Not Sure. Number 2: He’s got a higher IQ than ANY MAN ALIVE. and Number 3: He’s going to fix EVERYTHING.”

Last Best Film: Middle Men (2009)

Why he’s an Expendable: The only man alive who could force any other Expendable to use Old Spice.

Randy Couture (plays Toll Road)

Action Debut: Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

Best Film: Redbelt (2008)

Famous for: Like Austin, he’s mostly known for his action skills outside of film. An UFC Hall of Famer, Couture isn’t someone you want to take lightly. His left ear could beat most men up. As an action star, he went blow-by-blow with Chiwetel Ejiofor and was the main villain in Scorpion King 2.

Best One-liner: From Redbelt: “Yeah, how’s that sound?”

Last Best Film: Redbelt (2008)

Why he’s an Expendable:

Got it? Good. Enjoy The Expendables on August 13th from Lionsgate Films.