The Expendables is a 80's style retro-action series about a group of modern-day mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone). Barney lead his small team -- knife thrower Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), big guy Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), the fourth regular Toll Road (Randy Couture), and others that don't quite get full status in all three films -- into missions where there are lots of explosions and high body counts with none of today's action-movie realism.

In the first movie they are up against a South American island dictator backed by a former CIA agent (Eric Roberts). The second movie has them in Eastern Europe trying to stop an arms dealer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) with a cache of refined plutonium. Movie three Barney takes it personally when he's asked to capture a former comrade turned arms dealer (Mel Gibson).

It's an ok throwback series. I guess the appeal is all the 80's movie stars that make it into the film. But personally I think I'd rather watch old 80's action films for this kind of action.