With the franchise’s fourth installment hitting theaters later this month, we’ve seen the release of The Expendables 1-3 4K SteelBook at Best Buy. The original was directed by Sylvester Stallone and served as a way for the legendary action star to hang out with some buddies, blow up a lot of stuff, and provide some solid action. The series became quintessential dad movies and are still a lot of fun to revisit today.
The cast list is truly incredible throughout the trilogy. Joining Stallone are Jason Statham, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer, Mel Gibson, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, UFC legend Randy Couture, Terry Crews, WWE Superstar Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. Those are many of the greatest action stars of all time, and it’s just a joy seeing Stallone share the screen with his contemporaries.
As for the films themselves, they’re all pretty similar in quality. None are truly excellent, and each of the stars has had better movies on their own, but none are bad enough that you feel like you wasted your time or will regret watching. It helps that the version of The Expendables 3 is the unrated version rather than the PG-13 theatrical cut (which can still be found on the Blu-ray), as well. They’re fun movies that don’t require too much thought and are fun whether you’re watching with your family or just have it on in the background to appreciate the cooler action sequences in 4K.
The packaging for The Expendables 1-3 4K SteelBooks is pretty much a home run. As seen above, each features a colored slipcase that overlays upon the case — pointing out the star-studded cast and detailing the special features while keeping the case itself clean. The art on each case is nice, featuring a raven with guns for feathers in different poses, along with a quote from each film on the back. They all feature similar black-on-red interior art for the inside, which gives the whole collection a really coherent feel if you pick them all up.
The special features are all sequestered to the Blu-ray discs, but there are quite a few for each movie. From behind-the-scenes documentaries to gag reels, there are plenty of reasons to check out how these films were made. Even if they’re not cinematic masterpieces, these are star-filled productions with some of the most charismatic action stars ever, so it’s fun to see how these larger-than-life figures interact during filming. The best film of the bunch, The Expendables 2, is also the only one with a commentary track — although it’s only director Simon West speaking.
The Expendables 1-3 4K SteelBook Review: The Final Verdict
The Expendables franchise doesn’t stand out as any of its star-studded cast’s best action movies, but they’re still a lot of fun. These stylish 4K SteelBooks provide a great reason to revisit these movies, and it’s truly incredible to see all of these names on-screen together. Hopefully, the upcoming Expend4bles will get a similar release so the whole franchise can be slotted together.
Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent a copy by the publisher for our The Expendables 1-3 4K SteelBook review.
