I’ve grown more and more tired of men in film. It’s not the actors fault, it’s the industry. Men playing what the biz thinks the movie going audience is real men, and their female counterparts gets pushed back from just having fun. I guess you’ve seen The Expendables, or the sequels? I actually kinda liked the first film in the franchise, but slowly got tired of the male cast and their unimaginative characters...and now it’s among the worst I’ve seen. That’s why Christopher Ray’s (yes, son to Fred Olen) Mercenaries (aka The Expendabelles 3.0, the European title) is such a good movie: it dares to let women have fun the way women wants to have fun: being funny without relying on a male hero by her side.
It’s a story like any other story in these kind of films: the presidents daughter have been kidnapped in some godforsaken country and to get her out the government hires the four most dangerous criminals, assassins and badasses - but instead of tired old republicans we get Kristanna Loken, Zoë Bell, Vivica A. Fox and Nicole Bilderback and the one who forces them out on the rescue mission is Cynthia Rothrock. And who plays the baddie? Brigitte Nielsen of course, the female Mickey Rourke! And these very charismatic stars fight, shoot and blow-up things in order to save the day and that’s all. That’s what we need actually. Nothing more.
I won’t even fool you to claim that the story is good, it’s very basic - it’s right out from any other nineties DTV film, out on video and then forgotten. What makes it work is three things: witty dialogue and good characters - which all lies in the script of course, they’re all - in a very simple way - very well-written, you get to know them and you get interested in what they’re doing. The third thing is a splendid cast. Cynthia Rothrock doesn’t fight (except a short scene) and isn’t the best actress on the block, but she has charisma and is a tough woman who rules the scenery rather than chews it. Kristanna Loken, I’ve always liked her! I think she’s the best thing in Terminator 3, no kidding. I have no direct connection to Nicole Bilderback, but she’s an experienced actress and is fucking funny. Vivica A. Fox is a great, edgy actress who’s both deadly and funny, and she carries this film a lot. Last, but not least we have Zoë Bell, the stuntwoman turned actress - and I kid you not, she’s excellent. Especially at combining comedy and action. She’s a damn fine actress and she needs to be in something bigger. Some might say it’s a sell-out to be in a movie from The Asylum, but I think she knew exactly what she did - because looking at action and women in movies, this is one of the fresher films since Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem.
Mercenaries is unique because it’s one of the few female action films which doesn’t exploit women. The characters are awesome in their own right, they’re funny and cool - and never will a man take advantage of them without their approval. And if they try...well, they’re dead. Like The Lords of Salem this is a perfect example of mixing feminism and genre cinema. And it works. Christopher Ray knew what he had here and with a strong cast he made on of the most entertaining cheapo flicks of the year. Oh, how about the action? It’s good. It’s very old-school. A bit too cut up for it’s own best, but still packs a punch or two. There’s a lot of real squibs, quite big ones, and graphic knife-stabbings and chases and shoot-outs. It’s a very competent show.
But before I end this long rant, you need to see this film. Really. Because Brigitte Nielsen is fantastic as the baddie. She’s a rock-hard, crazy SOB, with a face that possesses both pure madness and a slight tongue-in-cheek. A tough woman who - according to my partner G - looks like “an old Pink”. Which makes everything more surreal. I love Brigitte. I really do. And Mercenaries makes you happy, especially if you can handle cheap movies and cheap effects - because the heart of this film is bigger and than big and I fucking hope there will be a sequel!
"I guess you’ve seen The Expendables, or the sequels? I actually kinda liked the first film in the franchise, but slowly got tired of the male cast and their unimaginative characters...and now it’s among the worst I’ve seen."
I think I prefer The Expendables 2 (2012)....."better" story...hahahhhahh...ok, that was a stretch....but I think it was better executed.
Haven´t seen part 3 yet.....
"(aka The Expendabelles 3.0, the European title)"
hahahahhahahhah....awesome title!
"Kristanna Loken, I’ve always liked her! I think she’s the best thing in Terminator 3"
Yeah she was great there......Ring of the Nibelungs/Curse of the Ring (2004) is another fun role of hers.
"Vivica A. Fox is a great, edgy actress who’s both deadly and funny, and she carries this film a lot."
Fox....haven´t seen much of her but she was good in Kill Bill 1&2.
"Last, but not least we have Zoë Bell, the stuntwoman turned actress - and I kid you not, she’s excellent. Especially at combining comedy and action."
Another one I haven´t seen that much of...apart from Tarantinos films.
"Mercenaries is unique because it’s one of the few female action films which doesn’t exploit women."
No random topless scenes..?
Damn.....
"Christopher Ray knew what he had here and with a strong cast he made on of the most entertaining cheapo flicks of the year."
So far I only seen 2-Headed Shark Attack (2012)......it has some good scenes in it, a bit too long.
"But before I end this long rant, you need to see this film. Really. Because Brigitte Nielsen is fantastic as the baddie. She’s a rock-hard, crazy SOB, with a face that possesses both pure madness and a slight tongue-in-cheek."
Harder than her character in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)?
"A tough woman who - according to my partner G - looks like “an old Pink”."'
Ummmmm....the whatnow?
"And Mercenaries makes you happy, especially if you can handle cheap movies and cheap effects - because the heart of this film is bigger and than big and I fucking hope there will be a sequel!"
I haven´t seen it but looks fun....good review and thanks Fred.
Posted by: Megatron | September 28, 2014 at 00:29