If your most recent movie was a sequel that tanked at the box office and took a pounding from critics on its way to becoming the lowest-earning and worst-reviewed entry in the franchise to date, then stepping back into the world of follow-ups wouldn’t be the first port of call. Then again, that’s never been how Sylvester Stallone has operated.
It’s hard to think of anybody that’s shown up in more additional chapters than the Rocky and Rambo legend, with EXPEND4BLES marking the 22nd of his long and illustrious career. As well as developing new entries for Cliffhanger and Demolition Man, Sly has also signed on to return as the title hero from last year’s Samaritan.
The prospect of seeing the grizzled veteran in a standalone superhero story was an enticing prospect, but a 38 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes shows just how widely director Julius Avery’s long-delayed Prime Video original missed the mark. And yet, because it’s proven to be a huge success ratings-wise, the trigger has been pulled on yet another Stallone-fronted sequel.
After six Rockys, five Rambos, four Expendables, two Creeds, a trio of Escape Plans, two Guardians of the Galaxy outings and a voice role in The Suicide Squad, a villainous turn in Spy Kids, directing the sequel to Saturday Night Fever, and making a cameo appearance in Taxi 3, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most famous frenemy clearly isn’t done with the world of established properties, even if Samartian does still hold a shred of potential to deliver on its promise.