The Expendables franchise has come under criticism for its similarities to the Fast & Furious movies, but Expend4bles attempts to prove that it’s not a copy of the popular series. The two franchises are both heavy on action and melodrama, using their wide ensembles of Hollywood stars to craft complex characters and narratives throughout each movie. However, since F9: The Fast Saga and Fast X have come under fire by critics for their nonsense storylines and pointless cameos, The Expendables clearly wants to separate itself from this franchise — and it’s managing to do so.
Both franchises have changed a lot since their conceptions, and the comparisons only intensified when The Expendables 3 adopted a much more comedy-focused approach targeting younger viewers. The movie was released just one year after Fast & Furious 6, which had a very similar tone, leaving The Expendables 3 under criticism for copying the successful franchise. However, now that almost a decade has passed since the previous entry, Expend4bles clearly wants to overcome these allegations and form a new identity of its own.
The Expendables 4 Is Not About Family
One of the cornerstones of the Fast & Furious franchise is Dominic Toretto’s focus on family and friendship. This is the underlying message of each movie, with Dom constantly risking his life to protect the people he loves. The Expendables franchise has never been about family, and Expend4bles clearly wants to set that straight. There’s a line in the Exp4ndables trailer that explicitly states these characters “choose this life over friends, over family,” which is a clear way of distinguishing the series. The line feels like a direct recognition of these comparisons, almost as though Expend4bles is speaking directly to the audience and mocking Fast & Furious‘s fixation with family.
The Expendables Returned To An R Rating
Another major way Exp4ndables attempts to separate itself from Fast & Furious is through its levels of violence and strong language. Over the years, Fast & Furious has gradually become more widely accessible, presumably as a marketing strategy, and The Expendables 3 even tried the same thing by opting for a PG-13 rating. It’s one of the many aspects that triggered comparisons between the franchises, which Expend4bles now wants to change. From what’s known about Exp4ndables, including Lee & Gina’s steamy relationship and the violent fight scenes in the trailer, it’s clear that it’s going to be much more mature and violent than anything the Fast & Furious movies have done.
Going back to the R rating might not have been totally necessary for Expend4bles, but it makes a clear statement that this franchise isn’t suitable for younger audiences like Fast & Furious. It evidently wants to market itself as a more mature, adult blockbuster that doesn’t suffer from the same pitfalls and struggles as its parallel franchise. And if Expend4bles manages to live up to expectations, it might just be enough to prove once and for all that The Expendables is so much more than a Fast & Furious clone.
