The Expendables 3

Brian Tyler

 
" The Expendable third "

Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release

The Expendables are back for one final ride. The list of action stars (which was already impressive in the first) is back with twice the double of old school action stars (including Wesley Snipes and Harrison Ford). Ready to shoot what wasn't destroyed in the first 2 to kingdom come. And back for the ride is composer Brian Tyler as well, who continues to score movies with the same kind of adrenaline by which he keeps getting them.

In the great tradition of Brian Tyler's soundtracks, the score begins with a rocking attitude, and it will end with a rocking attitude. But how rocking it may be, The Expendables 3 never reaches the class of the first, let alone the class of a good score. Sadly this score falls into the inevitable trap that the scores of today have. Namely to blend in with the movie it supports, creating more sound than music. It doesn't need to have a specific voice anymore, it needs to re create the tone of the film and forget thereby a personal identity that could give it a life on its own on CD. Pretty much the downfall of filmmusic these days. The theme (which is enjoyable in its own right) occasionally makes an impression, but what's between all that feels like rhythm and energy that doesn't have anything to say. It needs to support, not elevate it. And by god, we heard it dozens of times before in dozens of his scores.

Perhaps the biggest crime of the score is ridicule the several brief moments that do have that. "The Art of War" and Galgo's Grand Entrance" (a whopping 29 seconds) become through that unwanted experiences in an album that pretty much excels on power and rhythm. Plus the fact Tyler isn't elevating the Expendables experience by (for instance) another new theme. There are moments (like the first minute of "Valet Parking Done Right") that bring a smile to your face. And yes, the score is less action packed than the second, but there's a lot more underscore as well here that doesn't interest me one bit. In fact the last 20 minutes are extremely forgettable at times.

There's the Rambo nod that was already discussed on the second and the main theme that does its job successfully. But this is not enough if you're searching for thrills that do mean something. I mean thrills that haven't been heard before. And that's where themes come in. They make the experience refreshing and exciting. No the action music is becoming to sound all alike, no matter the explosiveness of "Stonebanks Lives" or "Infiltrating the Block"/

In general, if you heard the first and passed through the second, you aren't missing anything. The moments that do survive my memory are basically the same as on the first 2 (minus a minute and a half of waltzes and Spanish flair).

Favorite Moment - Armored Freaking Transport (0.40 - 1.48)
Bah, it's a rehash of the second, but it made me excited for about a minute

Track Listing

1. The Drop (2.29)
2. Lament (2.00)
3. Right on Time (3.14)
4. The Art of War (0.58)
5. Stonebanks Lives (5.27)
6. Too Much Faith (2.37)
7. Late for War (3.18)
8. Descent Into War (3.57)
9. Bring You Luck (1.55)
10. Infiltrating the Block (5.25)
11. Threat Doubled (2.29)
12. Galgo's Grand Entrance (0.29)
13. Look Alive (5.33)
14. Package Secured (2.55)
15. We Were Brothers (3.57)
16. The Last Window (2.04)
17. Valet Parking Done Right (3.26)
18. Moral Chess Game (2.02)
19. Armored Freaking Transport (6.02)

Total Length: 60.17
(click to rate this score)  
 
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(total of 14 votes - average 1.89/5)

Released by

Silva Screen SILCD1462 (regular release 2014)