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Jason Statham Meets Glen Powell in Prime Video's 4-Part Action Masterpiece

Published Sep 16, 2026, 5:51 PM EDT

Molly DeCastro is a New York-based emerging film and entertainment journalist with a personal passion for poetic prose and impactful storytelling. She graduated from Pace University with a degree in English and a concentration in creative writing. While film analysis is at the heart of her work, she is especially interested in exploring cinema through an anthropological lens and in examining how creative themes reflect cultural identity. She aims to forge a deep connection between audiences and film through thoughtful and evocative writing.

She also enjoys keeping up with all things film! That means specializing in industry news, emerging directors, and stand-out projects.

One thing a critic will almost never do, is admit that their predictions were wrong. Due to the predictable plot, questionable script, and

Perhaps the inclusion of Statham at all, audiences flocked to the film with unfavorable biases, expecting it to be a lackluster, kitschy action flick. However, in an unlikely turn of events, what was assumed to be B-tier, background noise turned out to be an unexpected hit. The nostalgic charm of Prime Video's The Expendables is undoubtedly its saving grace, which earned the film not only a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes but also, a four-part franchise.

Sylvester Stallone's directorial touch as well as Jason Statham's portrayal of Lee Christmas, a former SAS soldier and the right-hand man of Stalone's Barney Ross, reportedly both make this spectacle worth a watch. For those looking for a subtle, slow-moving yet hair-raising thriller, this is certainly not ideal. In fact, it's been argued "subtle" is the last word one would use to describe the film. With that being said, The Expendables was undoubtedly a smashing success. Upon its initial release, it grossed $268 million worldwide and its sequel, The Expendables 2 scored even higher, earning $312 million worldwide, proving not every film needs to have substance to be hugely successful.

What to Expect from Stallone's 'The Expendables' And Where to Find it

Image via Lionsgate

The only thing more surprising than the positive reception of the film, is the fact that they were able to fit Stallone and Statham in one shot. That being said, the movie packs a punch, chock-full of muscle and brawn while lacking pretty much everything else. Essentially, a team consisting of the physically largest men in Hollywood get hired by a mysterious CIA operative, who goes by the name of Mr. Church, to travel to Vilena, a made-up island nation in the Gulf of Mexico. To do what exactly? Silly question. Just like every other action flick Statham seems to stumble into, they must overthrow a ruthless dictator, this time named General Garza, played by David Zayas. However, after a shocking twist, the team is suddenly both thrown for a loop and out of their depth.

All that being said, there is a notable theme of brotherhood that seems to ground the film, and saves it from floating off into the action-drama-nonsense ether. For enjoyers of Marvel movie banter, it's safe to say The Expendables falls into a similar category of sarcastic wit, making the relationships in the otherwise other-wordly film remain in touch with reality and at times genuinely moving.

In summary, The Expendables is at its best, a pleasant surprise. For action film fanatics, this movie is an easy lay-up, and certainly something worth watching, but to go out on a limb, it could very well be the case for those who don't frequent the action-drama genre too. It's simple, easy, fun and condensed into an hour and 43 minutes. The action-packed 2010 film has found a doubly successful second life on streaming, and it is currently available on Amazon Prime.