‘The Expendables 3’: Mel Gibson is on the hunt for ‘80s action heroes

“How hard can it be to kill 10 men?” It’s a simple question asked by Mel Gibson’s bad guy, Stonebanks, in the new trailer for “The Expendables 3.”

Unfortunately, he’s gunning for a bunch of guys who have been dodging bullets for decades, with nary a scratch on them: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes and Dolph Lundgren, to name a few.

If you’ve seen either of the first two “Expendables” movies, or even the trailers for either, you know the drill: The aging action heroes team up for a mercenary mission filled with explosions, hails of bullets and corny quips.

Injecting a dose of youth into the proceedings are Kellan Lutz (the “Twilight” films), Glen Powell (“The Dark Knight Rises”), boxer Victor Ortiz and MMA fighter Ronda Rouse. This piece and earlier marketing materials have emphasized some of these names in a bid to widen the audience, even if the stars’ presence left more traditional action fans scratching their heads. It’s also the first major role for Gibson since 2011’s “The Beaver.”

The first two “Expendables” movies grossed a combined $580 million in global box office, and from the looks of things, the third film is following the adage of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Lionsgate will release “The Expendables” on Aug. 15.

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