Karlos
12-07-2011, 10:53 AM
Finally saw this last night and, whilst I’m not going to review the film per se (hey, we’ve all seen it, right!), I just thought I’d share a few thoughts on the changes that were contained within.
I’m not sure exactly when it was decided to put out a DC of this but after the mixed critical reactions it seemed that Sly was eager to get the film re-cut and back out there.
Long story short, the new extended version – some ten minutes longer or so, and with around 70 small changes here and there – works immeasurably better, giving the plot and characters much more room to breathe and resulting in a film that is tonally more consistent and generally more satisifying.
What stands out straight away is that the DC is much more serious, with a lot of the one-liners removed - perhaps made most evident with the removal of the “getting a text” gag at the beginning of the film.
Overall, there seems to markedly less humor on display and, I think, it works to the films advantage. The one exception is the team meeting scene which plays out better now thanks to a little more dialogue here and there.
Interestingly, the re-cut has made the relationships between the principals – especially, the one between Stallone and Statham’s characters – much more edgy, bordering on antagonistic.
Fights-wise, I noticed a fair bit more footage during the Gary Daniels/Jet Li fight, which was welcome, although the camera problems that were there before are still there.
Ditto the Dolph/Jet fight.
There’s also a lot more Dolph in general. Always a good thing!
If you’re a fan of the film then this is a must-have. The changes here have been for the better and I have a feeling it will soon be seen as the definitive version of the film, and it’ll be interesting to seeing what the critical reaction to it is.
If you’re not a fan, this version probably won’t change your mind, although it may still be worth a look.
Other things I noticed:
• The BD sleeve says there’s a new intro from Sly, when in fact there’s two: a thirty second one straight after the trailers have played. Interestingly, it’s from the set of part 2, and shows Sly stood outside what appears to be a bar in a village.
• I can also confirm that Sly is now rockin’ a 70s porn star ‘tache. Nice.
• On the subtitles, Arnie’s character, Trent Mauser, is referred to as “Trent Mouse.” Awesome.
• On a possible Expendables 3, Sly says words to the effect of, “I’ll make it if it’s shot in a diner”, and goes on to say he doesn’t want to make BIG action films anymore, but smaller budget ones.
I’m sure he may reconsider once the box office returns for part 2 come in but this admission did come as quite a surprise.
• He also stated he would like to direct a few more films before he retires.
I’m not sure exactly when it was decided to put out a DC of this but after the mixed critical reactions it seemed that Sly was eager to get the film re-cut and back out there.
Long story short, the new extended version – some ten minutes longer or so, and with around 70 small changes here and there – works immeasurably better, giving the plot and characters much more room to breathe and resulting in a film that is tonally more consistent and generally more satisifying.
What stands out straight away is that the DC is much more serious, with a lot of the one-liners removed - perhaps made most evident with the removal of the “getting a text” gag at the beginning of the film.
Overall, there seems to markedly less humor on display and, I think, it works to the films advantage. The one exception is the team meeting scene which plays out better now thanks to a little more dialogue here and there.
Interestingly, the re-cut has made the relationships between the principals – especially, the one between Stallone and Statham’s characters – much more edgy, bordering on antagonistic.
Fights-wise, I noticed a fair bit more footage during the Gary Daniels/Jet Li fight, which was welcome, although the camera problems that were there before are still there.
Ditto the Dolph/Jet fight.
There’s also a lot more Dolph in general. Always a good thing!
If you’re a fan of the film then this is a must-have. The changes here have been for the better and I have a feeling it will soon be seen as the definitive version of the film, and it’ll be interesting to seeing what the critical reaction to it is.
If you’re not a fan, this version probably won’t change your mind, although it may still be worth a look.
Other things I noticed:
• The BD sleeve says there’s a new intro from Sly, when in fact there’s two: a thirty second one straight after the trailers have played. Interestingly, it’s from the set of part 2, and shows Sly stood outside what appears to be a bar in a village.
• I can also confirm that Sly is now rockin’ a 70s porn star ‘tache. Nice.
• On the subtitles, Arnie’s character, Trent Mauser, is referred to as “Trent Mouse.” Awesome.
• On a possible Expendables 3, Sly says words to the effect of, “I’ll make it if it’s shot in a diner”, and goes on to say he doesn’t want to make BIG action films anymore, but smaller budget ones.
I’m sure he may reconsider once the box office returns for part 2 come in but this admission did come as quite a surprise.
• He also stated he would like to direct a few more films before he retires.