Hollywood's golden oldies are back – and this time they've got reinforcements for extra muscle.

Wisecracking their way through impossibly situations and shooting at anything that moves, The Expendables battle terrorists as if it's one big laugh.

After wasting most of the decade since What Lies Beneath (2000), Harrison Ford quips: “I haven’t had so much fun in years,” after he lays waste to hordes of enemy soldiers.

But this is Sylvester Stallone’s film all the way with Ford and co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger et al playing second fiddle to the Rocky and Rambo star.

Sly penned ‘the story’ so his character Barney is in practically every scene, battling to infuse the movie with pace, energy and OAP wisdom.

Working together like a malfunctioning double act, Barney (Stallone) and the (hardly on screen)  Christmas (Jason Statham), face a new enemy in Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson, a much-missed former superstar finally returning to heavy duty action).

After co-founding The Expendables years ago, Barney thought he had killed the former ally turned ruthless arms dealer.

Now it’s time to pack some more big boys’ toys ready to take Stonebanks out for good.

The Expendables 3 is jaggedly constructed given the conflicting demands of its stars’ diaries, but it’s bookended with pile-driving action sequences either side of mystery gun battles.

After the two earlier movies were rated 18 and then 15, many will decry the lack of blood in the new 12A, but the actors seem to be enjoying their pensioners’ paintball party complete with helicopter funships.

Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li and Terry Crews get little dialogue, but the newbies include the world’s leading female mixed martial artist, Ronda Rousey, who plays former night club bouncer Luna.

And there are extended cameos for three other newcomers to Sly’s crew.

Infusing the franchise with the spirit of a young Eddie Murphy, the now 52-year-old Wesley Snipes is a hoot as Doctor Death who has spent 30 months in prison on tax charges. His financial gag will bring the house down.

A thin-looking Antonio Banderas plays his character Galgo like Larry Grayson crossed with Strictly’s Antone du Beke.

But Stallone is the ultimate winner thanks to Barney's biceps.

While his own 68-year-old chops seem to have been chiselled from Mount Rushmore, Sly's determination to battle on with this degree of physicality through the equivalent of his career’s 12th round in Tinseltown’s gaudy ring is wholly admirable.

If not always believable – or audible!