The Expendables

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The Expendables Essay from the bald pastor #158 - The Expendables - The third movie of The Expendables series directed and starred by Silvester Stallone is quite intriguing. Mel Gibson plays the villain and Harrison Ford plays a dubious character this time. The appearance of all the action stars of 80’s and 90’s is like a projection of the history they have created. The term “expendable” means something disposable, but the title seems to originate from one of Stallone’s lines in Rambo: First Blood Part 2. It refers to the heroes that sacrifice themselves for a mission while symbolizing these actors who have been wearing themselves out as “expendables” for the US movie industry. Looking back on the last 30 years, Stallone has been devastated by the sudden death of his son and many of his co-stars in the film have suffered from drug addiction, seen their careers tank, or gotten into trouble with the police. After everything they have gone through, they now respect and help each other. For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger who studied Business Administration in college, was analytical and made a remark back in 80’s that the on-screen ratio between him and other actors in his movies were 40 to 60 while Stallone appeared on screen 60 % of the duration of the movies he starred in. However, in this film, his appearance is limited because the cast includes many stars as mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, his low-key acting as a supporting character shines. It almost seems as if each cast becomes “expendable” by yielding spotlight to others and downplaying his part, which ultimately increases each actor’s presence on screen and thus makes the film entertaining. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 Through this verse, Jesus Christ teaches us that we receive by giving others first and that will benefit both in the end. He even became “expendable” by sacrificing himself on the cross to demonstrate the love of God and teach us the importance of loving others. That is why he will remain a hero for eternity. We shall believe in God and be humble. Then he may allow us to become a hero. 11-16-2014 .
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