The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'The Expendables 3' comes with an impressive 1080p HD transfer and is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. This action film looks mighty impressive on all fronts. This has a crystal clear image with excellent detail and clarity. However, by having this digital look to it, the big bad CG effects don't look as real as they could, but that is really the only gripe I have with this video presentation. Detail is very vivid in both closeups and wide shots. Closeups show every wrinkle, scar, wound, and individual hair on these aging action star's faces.
You can even see some of the plastic surgery Stallone has had over the years quite well. Their tactical gear reveals some fine stitching and background props and sets look amazing, giving the picture some real depth when there is no CG background. Colors pop off screen at all times, whether they are in a green field or the blue sky. All colors are well saturated and look realistic. Skin tones are always natural and never seem murky and the black levels are very deep and inky. There are zero instances of banding, aliasing, and motion blur throughout, giving this video presentation top marks.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
7.1 Dolby TrueHD - 5 Stars
This release comes with an outstanding Dolby Atmos audio presentation, but since I haven't upgraded to Atmos yet, the audio automatically changes to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio option, and it sound amazing. If you want to read about the Dolby Atmos sound, scroll down a tiny bit and check out Michael S. Palmer's review. The 7.1 audio is quite impressive. This action film is full of gun shots, explosions, cars, planes, trains, boats, and fighting. I mean, what do you expect from an 'Expendables' film? The sound effects are clear, loud, and very robust. The surrounds pump the sound constantly, which fully immerses you into each gun battle and fight scene.
There is some excellent directionality here as well. the gun shots fly by with precise timing and the explosions will rattle your walls and insides quite nicely, and are never overly done. The ambient noises of nature and people chattering at times also sound full. The dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to follow, even with Stallone's thick accent of gibberish. The score is epic and fun, which always adds to the suspenseful and funny situations these guys get into, while never drowning out any of the dialogue or sound effects. The LFE is magnificent and the dynamic range is extremely wide, leaving this audio presentation with top marks.
Dolby Atmos - 5 Stars
For this portion of the review, we took a field trip to Dolby Laboratories in Burbank, CA to watch this Blu-ray in the company's "Home Theatre" room on commercially available equipment anyone can purchase right now.
This 7.1.4 Atmos configuration included four KEF R700 towers (front L&R and rear L&R) topped with four KEF R50 Atmos Enabled speaker modules (two pairs of stereo height channels), one KEF R600c center channel, one pair of KEF T301 side surrounds, an M&K MX-350 sub, a Denon AVR-X5200 9-channel Atmos AV Reciever, and one 2-channel ART SLA-1 amp (to power the rear speaker modules).
All in, if you were to buy a similar setup, you'd be looking to spend just over $17,000 on audio gear alone (display and Blu-ray player not included, sorry). There are more affordable options to achieve 7.1.4, and other ways to configure Atmos with fewer speakers, but having finally heard 7.1.4, I'm convinced this is the format's optimum configuration for all but the smallest listening environments. Most interestingly, while we watched the entire film using the speaker modules (bouncing the height channels off a flat-surface ceiling), we did also demo a few scenes in another room with actual in-ceiling speakers. To my ears, it was the exact same aural experience.
'The Expendables 3' is the third Dolby Atmos Blu-ray to hit the streets. It features a 7.1 surround mix "bed" enhanced by hundreds of individual "objects" that fly around the room from ear-level channels to height channels, creating a hemispherical sensation of immersion. If you do not own an Atmos capable AVR, selecting the Dolby Atmos track defaults to a 7.1 or 5.1 Dolby TrueHD surround experience, depending on your personal configurations. In addition, if you do not have Atmos, all individual objects are also folded down into the 7.1 or 5.1 mix (IE, non-Atmos listens hear all of the same sound effects and music cues, just without the added height; this is double checked by the Blu-ray's re-recording mixers).
Okay, this has probably been the longest preamble to the audio portion of a Blu-ray review ever, but since this is a new format, one that is customizeable, I wanted to clear about every detail. Feel free to ask questions in the comments; I'll try to check in and answer when/if I can.
Bottom line, however: 'The Expendables 3' offers up a premium Dolby Atmos soundmix that is the best way to experience this Blu-ray, hands down.
While the movie brims with chaotic action sequences, this fantastic track is exceptionally focused. From planes and helicopters to bombs and bullets, there are so many little intricacies to this audio environment. Panning effects are precise, wonderfully aggressive, and boast an exceptionally wide dynamic range. LFE also packs a sublime punch. Even the musical score is wider and taller. And, while it's definitely loud, unlike the 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' experience, nothing was ever lost and my ears never tired.
This Blu-ray's re-recording mixer, Tim Hoogenakker, was on hand to describe his process (writing that up separately) and his main goal with near-filed home entertainment mixes is to make sure the theatrical mix doesn't overload environments. That means 1) controlling overall volume, 2) ensuring LFE doesn't become boomy noise, and most importantly 3) guaranteeing we the audience can always hear dialog. 'The Expendables 3' boats exceptionally clear dialog even in the most chaotic sequences
My most anticipated forthcoming Atmos Blu-ray is the Feburary 'Gravity' re-release, despite the lack of 3D (boo!), but 'The Expendables 3' in Dolby Atmos is simply stunning. Reference in quality. Demonstration worthy all the way. Yes, there isn't that much to compare with yet, but as previously written, home entertainment Atmos often equals its theatrical predecessor.
Oh, and a heads up to retailers like Best Buy installing Atmos demo rooms. You want to sell Atmos gear? You want to hook the next generation of audio guys? Play 'The Expendables 3' Blu-ray's opening four minutes, and anywhere in the final thirty. (step 4: profit)
The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff
Theatrical and Unrated Version (HD, 127 Mins./131 Mins.) - The unrated version has a few extra and extended scenes, none of which are any bloodier than the PG-13 version.
'The Expendables 3' Documentary (HD, 52 Mins.) - Here is a fun and extensive behind the scenes look at the making of the film. There are tons of cast and crew interviews mixed with a treasure trove of on set footage that covers the stunt work, fight choreography, characters, and more. Looks like everyone had a great time on set, which makes this a lot of fun to watch.
New Blood: Stacked and Jacked (HD, 17 Mins.) - Here is some similar stuff from the above extra, but this one focuses more on the new young cast members. Cast and crew interviews are here along with some on set footage. Worth the watch.
Total Action Package (HD, 7 Mins.) - This bonus feature centers on the stunts and visual effects of the film. Cast and crew interviews mix with on set footage that showcase a lot of wire work and green screen. This was quite fun to watch and see how they did the big set pieces.
Gag Reel (HD, 3 Mins.) - Here is a fun blooper reel with everyone missing their cues, flubbing lines, and a lot of laughter on the set. Pretty funny.
Extended Scene: Christmas Runs the Gauntlet (HD, 3 Mins.) - Here is an extended scene of one of Jason Statham's scene where he takes out a bunch of bad guys.
Trailers (HD, 11 Mins.) - Trailers for other films from Lionsgate.
HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?
There are no HD exclusives.
Final Thoughts
'The Expendables 3' is a lot of fun the third time around. They finally found their footing and knew what type of movie to make rather than trying to be serious all the time. The result is a highly entertaining and very funny movie. The action is great and seeing all of these excellent action stars from our childhood is a riot, not to mention so much fun. The video, as well as the Dolby Atmos audio presentation, are both top notch. The extras are all worth watching and informative as well. If you're looking for a fun time with a big and entertaining action movie with tons of 80's movie stars, then I highly recommend 'The Expendables 3'.
Interview: Sylvester Stallone Promises R-Rated ‘Expendables 4′
Stallone calls the PG-13 rating for Expendables 3 ‘a horrible miscalculation.’
CraveOnline: I find that all of your films explore what it means to be a man, both the nobility and vulnerability of masculinity. The Rocky films may be about our emotional side, the Rambo films about the tragedy of our capacity for violence, and many other standalone films. Would you agree with my analysis and where would the Expendable films fit into that theme?
Sylvester Stallone: The analysis is interesting. The way this film fits into the theme is that The Expendables is about reliance upon your fellow man – or “brother” – in times of need and in times of peace. This is about companionship, that no man stands alone in this world.
I’m glad Hale Caesar survived getting shot by Stonebanks, just like Gunner came back at the end of Expendables 1. So far the only Expendable who’s actually been expended is Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth in Ex 2). Is it important that the Expendables persevere, and whoever is your favorite Expendable, you can feel safe they’ll be back?
This is a big conflict for me because in an R-rated film it is difficult to believe that none of the heroes die. I personally just believe that the characters become identifiable and their demise could put a dark cloud over an audience exiting the theatre after seeing the film. But that may change in Expendables 4…
Patrick Hughes told us he thinks in the next sequel the Expendables should travel through time to WWII. Would you ever let the Expendables get that crazy?
I have actually entertained the idea of putting the group into such an unnatural environment that it, in an of itself, creates extra suspense and tension: the “fish out of water” scenario. That environment might not be time travel, but nearly just as jarring.
Antonio Banderas was a revelation in this movie. How did you think up that character who talks too much but kicks ass? Was it at all based on knowing Banderas personally?
It was from my relationship of having worked with Antonio before that allowed me to realize what he is capable of. His true personality is naturally dynamic so all I did was say “be yourself and pretend you’re a mercenary,” and the rest including the dialog was all his.
Was Mel Gibson ever approached to direct, or only to act?
I wanted Mel Gibson to direct originally because he’s an extraordinary filmmaker. But after several months of discussing it, this ultimately was not to be. But he did say he wanted to be in the movie – and play the villain. My response was a definite “YES…. Suit up.”
Snipes was your original choice for Hale Caesar. When he was available for Expendables 3, how did you develop the new character Doc for him?
I thought it would be interesting to have the audience realize that The Expendables have been together for years and that some of their former mentors have ended up in dramatic predicaments – such as moonlighting on their own – in this case involving a bungled political assassination in a small African nation which landed Wesley’s character in prison. And since Wesley’s personal predicament with the law was very well known, he thought this would be an interesting fusion between his real life and fiction.
This Blu-ray features an extended unrated version of Expendables 3. Do you think future Expendables movies should be R-rated from the get go?
Absolutely unequivocally yes. I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone’s part in trying to reach a wider audience, but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I’m quite certain it won’t happen again.