The first thing you need to know about “Expendables 4” is that its studio somehow made the grating decision to fashion its title as “Expend4bles.” It’s a needless spelling challenge for a dull and vulgar flick with a lot of empty-calories muscle, but little-to-no skill or fun to spare. The second thing you need to know is, that insertion of “4” is, unfortunately, just about the most clever thing the fourth installment of this star-studded action series has to offer.
There is always a lot of touchiness out there in defense of such movies, usually from those who guard one’s right to “shut one’s brain off and just enjoy.”