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Condemned, The
Lions Gate Films


5.0

based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 53 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: R for pervasive strong brutal violence, and for language

Starring Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Rick Hoffman, Robert Mammone, Tory Mussett, Christopher Baker, Sam Healy, and Madeleine West

World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Steve Austin stars as Jack Conrad, a death-row prisoner in a corrupt Central American prison who is "purchased" by a wealthy television producer to take part in an illegal reality game show. Brought to a desolate island, Conrad finds himself trapped in a fight to the death against nine other condemned killers from all corners of the world. (Lionsgate)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Scott Wiper (also story) Rob Hedden (also story) Andy Hedden (story)
DIRECTED BY:	Scott Wiper
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: September 18, 2007 Theatrical: April 27, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	113 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly Marc Bernardin

"Battle Royale," if you've never seen it, is a fantastically sadistic and unapologetically brutal Japanese film from 2000 about miscreants dropped on a jungle island with orders to kill each other for a reality TV show. The Condemned is pretty much the same thing with half the satirical wit and twice the number of wrestlers.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

The Condemned isn't post-modern junk, smirky junk, faux junk or clever junk. It's pure junk, with a certain integrity to it.

LA Weekly Luke Y. Thompson

Flaws, double standards, strange detours and all, this is still the most entertaining WWE release to date.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

The film keeps adding layers of superfluous nonsense to its plot until all that's left is glowering ultra-violence and a whole lot of missed opportunities.

Film Threat Zach Haddad

While it sounds interesting on paper, the follow through is less than entertaining... unless you like unintentional humor.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Steve Austin is conspicuously inarticulate and uncharismatic. Former soccer lout Vinnie Jones, whom no one will ever mistake for Laurence Olivier, acts rings around him.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

There are stretches when it becomes tedious and insufferably self important. There's even a late scene in which the movie turns preachy.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

A sloppy, indifferent action movie with a sadistic edge and a sour hypocrisy.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

A catastrophically messy action-movie mash-up.

Variety Dennis Harvey

Picture aims for nonstop thrill ride, but for all its brainless brawn, it has plenty of stops and few real thrills.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

It's hard to imagine an audience that won't break up in laughter at this bewildering mixed message: Enjoy this movie, but you really shouldn't be watching it.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

As an actor Austin is still a lightweight, but Rick Hoffman (Hostel) fleshes out a recognizable character.

Los Angeles Times Michael Ordona

Condemned is, if nothing else, an object lesson in how to punish women for fun and profit. But it's all for a point, the filmmakers would have us believe. One suspects that's a point of sale.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

The wrestler carries himself with decency and without self-seriousness, the qualities that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star. Austin deserves better material than this. So do we.

USA Today Claudia Puig

This is the worst kind of movie, one that insults its audience by purporting to condemn violence while simultaneously reveling in it.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

A real stinker. It doesn't have the courage of its own bad taste, or that of its villain.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

At what point does The Condemned turn from a stupid-fun action movie into something unpleasant and hypocritical?

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole

It is hard to say what is more despicable about The Condemned: the overtly racist portrayal of Brekel-Goldman as Jewish-media bloodsuckers, or the film's sleazeball attempt to pass off lovingly attentive sequences of ritual torture - often scenes of incredible hulks bashing cowering women - as a critique of media violence.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

D-grade "Running Man" ripoff.

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

Tailor-made for those who like their violence multifaceted and their women monosyllabic.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Just watch Austin on "WrestleMania" instead, avoiding the shower this movie leaves you wanting.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

The film is smugly hypocritical at every turn, loudly preaching the evils of sick voyeurism while encouraging its audience to cheer every gruesome death. It's not only morally bankrupt but, between the ludicrous script and Z-level acting, scrapes the bottom of the entertainment barrel, too.

New York Post V.A. Musetto

Sickeningly violent and inane movie.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

Wiper doesn't exploit the possibilities of his setting, so the only conflict is the fighting, the only suspense comes from waiting for the next character to pop out from behind a tree and do something possibly interesting.

The average user rating for this movie is 5.0 (out of 10) based on 53 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it an8:
This movie was so awesome. I know I should be dissing this movie, but it was so cool.

NIck T. gave it a10:
Hey the movie wasn't that bad. Okay it no way deserves the rating i gave it but still if critics can give an average score of 2.3 out of ten for a movie that deserves atleast 5 or 6, i can surely give a ten to this. The movie was decent with a neat story and mediocre acting. The fight scenes were nicely done. Steve Austin was wooden but perfectly played his role well. Vinnie Jones was okay . The Rosa's rape scene was a little distateful but the rest of the movie is passable.

Deni T. gave it a0:
This movie was the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen...the writer says "I've been watching all these reality tv shows lately and the idea came to me", get out. Try watching Battle Royale loser. Almost a genuine copy with the storyline. Real hard to enjoy when it's a good idea dumbed down for the masses.

Ricky B. gave it a10:
this move is sweet all of the people saying it is crap dont lessen to them they probably never seen it before in their life dont judge a book by its cover dude go see it then rate it i give it what it deserves a 10+++

Alex R. gave it an8:
Personally, I believe the movie is great, if rated as an action movie. It really depends on what the person expects to see. I watches Spiderman 3 the day before I saw the Condemned, and this movie was extremely better. It had more action, an interesting plot and comedical satire. I read most reviews of the movie, and they all judge it badly because "the only pupose of the movie was the violence, the blood and the profanity...". Obviously, you cannot compare the movie to The Departed, The Forgotten, Sixth Sense, Four Brothers, or any other tension-filled movies based solely on the plot, because in reality, this movie was not solely based on the plot; the main focus was the action (hence, "action movie"). Therefore, if you enjoy action movies, and you press the play button hoping to see some great stunts, fights, a blood-thirsty villian and a tough outgoing hero, then you will love this movie. However, if you hope for an excellently written script, original plot, a romantic struggle, a history-filled rivalry between the protagonist and antagonist, and a unimaginable climax (thinking this movie to be an outstanding novel), then I would just recommend to turn off your TV, and watch Titanic.

Jordan D. gave it a10:
This is the greastest combat film ever with so many great characters. a movie with Stonecold steve Austen has to be good because he is so hard. anybody who gives it less than 10 knoes absolutly nothing about films and should be mauled on sight by stonecold steve austen

Thomas D. gave it an8:
I can't believe The Marine got a higher average score than this movie, both with critics and reader reviews alike. This movie is way better than The Marine. Sure it's no Battle Royale, but it's still good. Sure does get dark about half-way through the movie though, and that, for me, isn't such a bad thing, since it allows some themes to stand out, even if they're cliche'. But come on, how many action movies out there don't have cliche's? At least this is a good action movie. Go see it!

Condemned, The Lions Gate Films

Condemned, The
Lions Gate Films