The Expendables 3 (2014)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and the Expendables come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, one of the original team members who became a ruthless arms dealer that Barney was forced to kill…or so he thought. When Stonebanks returns to destroy the Expendables, the latest mission becomes a clash of old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet. (Courtesy of Lionsgate)

‘The Expendables 3’ Movie Summary

As the film opens, the Expendables team consisting of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), and Toll Road (Randy Couture) and led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is on a mission to extract a former member of the team, Doctor “Doc” Death (Wesley Snipes), from a military prison during Doc’s transfer on a train. Doc is a knives specialist and the team’s former medic. After Doc is safely “released” from incarceration, Barney invites Doc to assist the team in intercepting a shipment of bombs that are to be delivered to a warlord in Somalia.

Once in Somalia, the team reunites with Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) who directs the Expendables to the drop point. Once there, Barney is shocked to find that the arms trader delivering the bombs is Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), the former co-founder of the Expendables who went rogue and who Barney believed was dead. The Expendables move in to retrieve the bombs and effectively kill everyone but Conrad. Conrad shoots Caesar and drops a glide bomb on the Expendables from his helicopter. The Expendables are forced to retreat rather than be blown up, and Caesar is severely injured in the process.

Once back in the United States, Barney is approached by new CIA operative Max Drummer (Harrison Ford) who is replacing Barney’s former contact Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) who may now be deceased. Drummer tasks Barney with capturing Conrad to bring him before the International Criminal Court to be held accountable for war crimes. Barney blames himself for Caesar’s near fatal injuries, so he disbands the Expendables. Barney heads off to Las Vegas to recruit a new, younger team. He contacts a retired mercenary, Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammar), to help him find suitable recruits. Bonaparte and Barney find and successfully recruit nightclub bouncer Luna (Rhonda Rousey), former U.S. Marine John Smilee (Kellan Lutz), computer expert Thorn (Glen Powell), and weapons expert Mars (Victor Ortiz). Barney is approached by the slightly insane sharpshooter Galgo (Antonio Banderas) to join the team, but Barney rejects the request.

I need a job! All I know what to do is kill people! And I do that very well, goddammit! Galgo (Antonio Banderas)

Barney and his new recruits meet up with Trench Mauser (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is returning a favor for Barney. Barney’s team is dispatched to Bucharest where Drummer has informed Barney that Conrad will be making an arms deal. Barney’s team infiltrates an office building where Conrad is reported to be at. They kill the arms buyer Goran Vata (Robert Davi) and capture Conrad. During the trip back to the airport, Conrad tells Barney why he betrayed the Expendables years before. The conversation angers Barney who nearly kills Conrad, but Barney restrains himself. However, Conrad’s henchmen catch up to Barney’s transport due to a GPS tracker on Conrad. The henchmen fire a missile at the van. The resulting explosion sends Barney into a river. The rest of Barney’s team is captured, but Barney manages to kill Conrad’s men to escape capture himself.

A short time later, Conrad sends Barney a video of his captured comrades. Conrad challenges Barney to come after him and even provides his location in Azmenistan. Rather than endanger his fellow Expendables, Barney plans to mount a rescue operation alone. However, Galgo reappears and once again offers his service. This time Barney accepts. Before Barney can take off, the other Expendables show up and block the runway before he can take off, insisting that he let them help.

Once in Azmenistan, Barney’s veteran team rescues the imprisoned young team. However, Conrad informs them that he has rigged the building they are in to explode in 45 seconds. The two teams begin to bicker with each other, and Barney must convince them all to join forces to take down Conrad. Thorn uses a jammer device to delay the countdown for the explosion, giving them just under half an hour to get to a safe distance. Unfortunately, Conrad and a small army of men enter the building to kill all the Expendables. Conrad’s forces include helicopters and tanks. Fortunately, Drummer arrives in his own military helicopter along with Trench and Yin Yang (Jet Li).

The combined forces of all the Expendables working together along with Drummer’s helicopter begins to turn the tide against Conrad and his men. Conrad unleashes a second wave of forces to regain the advantage. Drummer lands on the building to evacuate the team. Everyone but Barney evacuates. Barney gets into a fist fight with Conrad. Eventually, both men reach for their guns, and Barney shoots Conrad. Helpless, Conrad asks Barney about his mission to deliver him to the International Criminal Court. Barney responds by coldly shooting Conrad dead. Immediately after, the batteries on Thorn’s jammer run out and the explosives in the building begin to go off. Barney leaps onto the helicopter as Drummer flies everyone to safety.

Back at the Expendables bar in the United States, everyone celebrates the completion of the mission, and Caesar is released from the hospital having recovered from his wounds. Barney accepts Galgo, Smilee, Luna, Thorn, and Mars as officially part of the Expendables team, and Trench and Yin Yang come out as homosexual and imply that they are in a relationship together.