Since the release of the first Expendables film, Sylvester Stallone has been trying to prove that there is indeed a country for old men. With each installment the blade continues to be sharpened, unfortunately The Expendables 3 does not quite make the cut. However, there is a lot of fun to be had in the newest and best installment of the series.

The film opens energetically as the Expendables attempt to break Wesley Snipes’ character, Doc, from an armored prison transport train. Director Patrick Hughes (Red Hill) plays with the audience’s anticipation of the reintroduction of Snipes and when the crew finds him strapped up Hannibal Lector style, we all are in for a treat. We are quickly reminded that it was Snipes who actually ushered in the age of superhero movies, with his exhilarating brand of martial arts in the Blade series. This scene also puts a stamp on the film’s reoccurring theme of no man left behind.

The film again centers on Stallone’s Barney Ross and his small band of Expendables. They cross paths with an old nemesis and original member of The Expendables, Stonebanks played by Mel Gibson. When Stonebanks gets wind of the crew’s presence, he personally wounds one of the members to send a message. This casualty causes Ross to rethink the danger he has been putting his older crew in repeatedly. He decides to form a new squad of Expendables and to go after Stonebanks himself to enact revenge. The plot is thin, but that is to be expected in a film that is banking on your nostalgia of 80’s and 90’s films, in which the hero rarely needed to reload their weapon and enemies’ bullets never hit their targets.

If the film kept the opening’s kinetic energy throughout the running time, it would have been a triumph. However the film takes a detour midway that it really never recovers from. Stallone’s Ross looks to assemble a new, younger team with the assistance of master recruiter Bonaparte, played by Kelsey Grammer (Frasier). They set off on a road-trip that is engaging because the two have chemistry and Grammer really is funny in his role.

However the “old guys” are sidelined for a third of the film in favor of a bunch of upstarts. Most of which aren’t even actors. This premise would have worked much better if the were able to cast famous and dynamic actors to pass the torch too. But just like it plays out in the script, they cant hold their own against true Hollywood giants.

What else works? The team-up of icons. Throughout the film the icons are matched up in various sub-teams. Stallone vs Gibson. Schwarzenegger and Jet Li. Stallone and Banderas. Honestly it does make you wonder about the possibility of spin-offs. Jason Statham and Wesley Snipes are hopefully working out their next movie together, because unfortunately unlike a lot of the cast, they still have something in the tank.

Another standout is Mel Gibson. In real life, Gibson has gone off the rails and shown his less than flattering colors. However he hasn’t lost his superior acting ability or charisma. While some scenes are trite, like watching him buy expensive art, he is easy to hate. It also brings more realism to the picture because you could imagine a team of Stallone, Gibson and Snipes as the original Expendables in their heyday. (Why did that movie never happen in the 1990’s?)

Antonio Bandares (Desperado) shows up and is he ever ready to party. His fast talking character, Galgo, may have been the demise of any other movie. However, he is the breath of fresh air needed with all the serious macho posturing going on. He really lights up the screen and gives the other actors an unique energy to work off of.