I wanted to like this series. Really. Veteran action stars Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger out to prove they can still kick ass. What’s not to root for? But the weaknesses show in “The Expendables 3“, even with flashy editing and an enjoyable soundtrack. Like the previous movies, this sequel is all sound and fury signifying nothing, when at the very least it should add up to big, dumb fun. No luck. It doesn’t help that Patrick Hughes, a man with no experience, takes over the directing chores from Simon West. Not to mention Stallone and Creighton Rothenberger’s ridiculous script. It’s up to Stallone’s Barney Ross and his AARP team to save the world from baddie Mel Gibson. Simple stuff. His old friends are all back in play. And there’s new blood in the form of Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Victor Ortiz, Kellan Lutz and Ronda Rousey. Cue the hail of bullets and endless battle scenes. But it’s impossible to know where you are at any given time or why you should give a damn. The Stallone fights are always a welcome sight. But his one-liners are cringe-inducing, especially when he tries to show his love. “Great to have you back” is as close as Barney comes to bonding. This series needs to die here. That would be something worth cheer for.

Rating: 2/4