The ExpAndables: Sly Dogs

The story revolves around a group of Special Ops soldiers who were the best of the best, but retirement has made them more than rusty, as 20 years later they're called back together for one last mission. The chisel for these folks has well worn off, as they're not exactly the veiny, muscular crew that could plow through the enemy line back in the day. They've had to loosen a few notches on their belt buckles, their protein shakes have been replaced by the draft of the month, and their power workouts have taken a backseat to power naps.

The plot is really quite simple. When a military veteran is murdered, five of his ex-Special Ops colleagues gather at his funeral. One of them, the leader, Led Harrigan, received a group photo of them in the mail and the dead man has a red X on his face. Convinced someone is targeting them, Led persuades the rest of his squad - all of whom are now in their mid-40's and completely out of shape - to help him investigate. Once they make a connection with a Colombian cartel they took down 20 years ago, they plot to go back into the jungle

The tone resembles that of The Naked Gun and Airplane. It revolves around the dialogue and the awkward situations that these fish out of water characters are thrown into. These once Megalodons of the ocean are now barely goldfish in a carnival bag.

Although I'm pitching this as a parody, the appeal of this picture doesn't lie with gags and references to The Expendables. Instead, its appeal stems from the simple idea of five ex-soldiers who must regroup and embark on a mission. The humor arising from their age, their poor physiques, to their long standing incompetence is what brings the value. There are conceptual similarities to The Expendables, but this project can also stand alone in its own right, as the personalities of the main characters constantly drive the humor … almost like an action version of Anchorman.

As far as coverage is concerned, Andrew Hilton from ScreenplayMechanic.com had the following to say: "There's a fair amount to commend within these pages. Above all else, the dialogue, and the comedic timing bolstering it, is this screenplay's biggest strength. Simply put, there are enough witty one-liners and plenty of amusing banter in this script that we never lose interest in the narrative and remain engaged throughout."