Sylvester Stallone has been one of the reigning action heroes of the 70s and 80s. He has been the role model of the tough and charismatic action heroes who refuse to go down and always rise against any odds. Through his iconic characters like John Rambo and Rocky Balboa, he redefined the idea of an action hero and he elevated the genre to a whole new level at the time. Many actors who came after him have tried to replicate his style and aura. He is known for his dedication and emphasis on performing his own stunts and shooting in real locations with minimal or no use of CGI.
He had a grand idea of putting all the older and younger action stars in Hollywood in the same film. This soon became The Expendables which was a huge success. He still stood to make the action as raw and practical as possible with the actors performing their own stunts. He has time and again advocated for the skills and hard work that actors invest in making action films. He has also expressed how critics and awards events do not take the genre seriously and dismiss them as mindless entertainment.
Sylvester Stallone Wants People and Critics to Take Action Cinema Seriously
Sylvester Stallone put together some of the best action heroes of the current generation along with his contemporaries in The Expendables franchise. He had his right-hand man Jason Statham by his side and made him the second lead of the franchise. Stallone, Statham, along with the other cast members, performed high-octane action sequences which required extreme physical activity and dangerous stunts. He told Collider about the respect and attention that these actors and the genre should be getting from audiences and critics,
“Everyone has this conjecture that action films are somewhat less prestigious than dramatic films. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve done them both and this is hard and dangerous. I mean, Jason [Statham] nearly drowned to death—lucky he’s a great swimmer. All of us would’ve been walking on the bottom of the Black Sea by now—well, not really walking, probably floating—and that’s some serious stuff. Things happen here. It’s very very unique.
They’re not going to make films like this much longer because it takes a certain person that’s willing to commit and go for it and have an aura. The hardest thing is to find an action star. I don’t give a damn what anyone says, stars they come and go. An action star, you can count on one hand, because it’s a very interesting element. And I think all these guys have that potential, otherwise, they wouldn’t be here. And they all blend. It’s something I’m very, very proud of. All these guys do things that are highly unique and they’ve become specialized and rare.”
Stallone’s comments reflect a sad reality where movies nowadays majorly rely on CGI and green screens to portray their world or shoot action sequences. The art of an actor getting his hands dirty and shooting in real locations is becoming rare nowadays. He does not want this pure form of action filmmaking to get lost. Stars like Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves continue to keep the feeling of raw and authentic action relevant and exciting.
Jason Statham Misses Sylvester Stallone’s Huge Presence in the Franchise
Sylvester Stallone has officially confirmed that Expend4bles would be his last appearance as Barney Ross in the franchise. He also said that 80% of the film would be driven by Jason Statham. He only has a small role in the film, in a way, passing the baton and responsibility of the franchise to Statham. Statham has recently expressed his sadness regarding the limited role and brief appearance of Stallone in the film to Cinema Express saying,
“In this particular story, he is absent for reasons we don’t talk about, we have to guide ourselves through the ocean without him. There is something about not having him around that doesn’t feel right. So, we are getting through, the story is the story, we are trying to do our best, but the best days are when he is on set.”
Stallone is the leader and creator of the franchise and thus it is understandable why Statham feels that the process of making this film was not the same as the others. Statham misses his input and hold over the franchise which he does not have anymore due to his limited role in the film. It also seems to have affected the quality of the film as it is getting negative reviews and is on its way to becoming a big flop.
Expend4bles is currently running in theatres.
Sources: Collider, Cinema Express
