The Expendables 3

There’s more firepower in The Expendables 3, both in terms of the weaponry and the number of stars in the cast. But bigger isn’t necessarily better for this third installment of the action franchise that has lost of some of its appeal by now.

The nostalgic concept offers the chance for a collection of otherwise washed-up action heroes to return to the spotlight in a sort of testosterone-fueled all-star game.

Sylvester Stallone returns as Barney, the leader of the titular team of mercenaries whose new crew consists of both old and new faces, including collaborators played by Jason Statham, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Jet Li. Harrison Ford even swings through to play Barney’s superior, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as his friendly rival.

At any rate, the group gets mixed up with an international assortment of mobsters and terrorists, but the end target is Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), a co-founder of the Expendables who has changed sides by becoming a ruthless international arms trader.

Afraid to endanger his friends, Barney decides to enlist some young recruits — played by Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz and Glen Powell — who can handle the physical demands but don’t have the cunning or camaraderie of Barney’s regular partners.

This is the kind of film where the character names really don’t matter, because audiences will refer to them by their real identities anyway. Still, each of the big names gets a turn in the spotlight, making the camaraderie feel more forced this time due to sheer volume if nothing else.

The ensemble includes a mix of familiar and fresh actors in an attempt to add multigenerational appeal. Yet it’s worth pointing out that for all the recognizable faces on screen, the ones who probably deserve the most praise are the stuntmen.

As expected, the film — directed by Patrick Hughes (Red Hill) — contains a handful of taut and stylish action sequences, including an opening faceoff between a helicopter and a train.

However, the screenplay co-written by series creator Stallone seems to tone down the violence from its predecessors in favor of clumsy dialogue and a convoluted storyline. That likely doesn’t matter for a film in which plot is secondary to the obligatory shootouts and explosions.

Ultimately, complacency overshadows creativity in The Expendables 3, which seems to pander to mainstream expectations instead of taking risks.

Rated PG-13, 126 minutes.