Parents' Guide to

The Expendables

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Legendary action cast teams up for violent, racist muddle.

Movie R 2010 103 minutes
The Expendables Movie Poster: The characters stand in a line above an image of a skull and lots of guns

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 21 parent reviews

MannyReviews
MannyReviews Adult
May 10, 2021
age 13+

Great Choreography, Okay storyline

This movie is full of nonstop action. If you like action this is a good movie, if you don't like action then this isn't for you. There is violence and language but no worse than CoD. The one thing is that it is a generic Cartel hostage storyline that you can get in Rambo Last blood. One good thing in this movie is that it exemplifies teamwork and having friends to help you.
Rarityfan
Rarityfan Adult
November 1, 2018
age 17+

It's a man's World

Good guys night out movie for the Weekend. Don't just expect something like Tree of Life. In conumerism lots and lots of old school action movies to choose from Amazon.
See all 21 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his team of THE EXPENDABLES (Jason Statham, Jet Li, etc.) are hired for a nearly impossible job involving a rogue CIA agent (Eric Roberts) who's taken over the drug trade on a small island and converted the local General Garza (David Zayas) into his puppet. Barney initially decides the job isn't worth the money, but then the General's daughter, Sandra (Giselle Itié), changes his mind; she truly believes in fighting for a cause, the way Barney did before he became a mercenary for hire. So the team storms the island with full force and brutal firepower, this time for all the right reasons. Can they survive the impossible odds that await?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (21 ):
Kids say (46 ):

Sadly, Stallone's movie is a giant mess and a wasted opportunity. The Expendables has too many characters for any to develop any kind of depth: Lee (Statham) is upset about his girlfriend, Yin Yang (Li) has a complex about his size, Gunner (Dolph Lundgren) is on drugs and out of control, etc. Writer-director Stallone misses his chance to be playful, or -- better still -- to deliver a commentary on action movies in general.

Then there's his action footage, which is among the worst ever filmed. It's shaky and hacked up to the point of inducing headaches, and it's often difficult to tell which player is which. A fight between Li and Lundgren should have been an enticing draw, but instead it's ridiculous and mushy. Fortunately, Mickey Rourke is absolutely superb in his few scenes as a burned-out former team member, ruminating about his lost path in life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Expendables. How did it affect you? Did it seem over the top? Why, or why not?

  • What did Barney learn over the course of the movie? Did any of the other Expendables share his journey? Are they heroes? What kinds of traits do heroes have?

  • Many of the characters in the film smoke. How does this make them look? Do they seem cool? Do you think that was the intent?

  • How does the movie portray women? What about Black, Latino, and Muslim people? Does this seem true to life or stereotypical? Who do stereotypes harm?

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