Sylvester Stallone’s a wily old feller these days, and he was more than happy to dispense some of his thoughts on what makes for a successful action movie in 2013, whilst standing on the red carpet for Bullet To The Head.

Sly stars in the adaptation of Alexis Nolent’s graphic novel as a hitman who teams up with a younger partner in order to uncover corruption in New Orleans. Stallone has recently seen his long-time friend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s big screen return in The Last Stand fail miserably at the box office, and when asked about what it took for success these days, he replied "It's really a crapshoot. If you're going to be the topliner, you better surround yourself with some interesting characters because no man is an island anymore. It's very, very risky."

Continuing chatting to MTV, the veteran said "It's really interesting how the audience has become so acutely aware of things and sensitive to it. They know when they're being put on, so you have to give them something either original or something old-fashioned that is interesting." What did that means for Bullet To The Head? "We've used about every weapon there is, couches, pillows, guns, bow and arrow. I thought 'axes,' " Stallone said. "It was a bad idea." He’ll get to see whether the public agrees after this weekend, with the film debuting in the US Box office today (February 1, 2013).

Check out the Bullet To The Head trailer