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Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 305 Ratings

  • Starring: Jason Statham, Jet Li, Sylvester Stallone
  • Summary: The only life they’ve known is war. The only loyalty they have is to each other. They are the Expendables: leader and mastermind Barney Ross, former SAS blade expert Lee Christmas, hand-to-hand combat specialist Yin Yang, long barrel weapons specialist Hale Caesar, demolitions expert Toll R Road, and precision sniper Gunnar Jensen. Living life in the fringes of the law, these hardened mercenaries take on what appears to be a routine assignment: a covert, CIA-funded operation to infiltrate the South American country of Vilena and overthrow its ruthless dictator General Garza. But when their job is revealed to be a suicide mission, the men are faced with a deadly choice, one that might redeem their souls…or destroy their brotherhood forever. (Lionsgate)
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 35
  2. Negative: 7 out of 35
  1. Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    75
    Expendables is the closest thing to movie Viagra yet invented. It's reprehensible. It's stoopid violent. It's a lot of unholy fun.
  2. A who's who of classic action stars light up the screen for pure combustible entertainment in Sly Stallone's The Expendables, a sort of "Dirty Dozen" meets "Inglourious Basterds"--and then some.
  3. Reviewed by: Genevieve Harrison
    60
    More The Wild Geese than The Wild Bunch, The Expendables is not a wasted opportunity, but more one not fully exploited.
  4. 38
    So why oh why is The Expendables such a limp-dick bust? Because Stallone forgets to include non-spazzy direction, a coherent plot, dialogue that actors can speak without cringing, stunts that don't fizzle, blood that isn't digital and an animating spirit that might convince us to give a damn.

See all 35 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 108
  2. Negative: 21 out of 108
  1. The critics couldn't be more wrong on this one. The Expandable is one of the best action movies of all time, it delivers on everything it promises and then some. Every time there was a fight scene, I was overwhelmed by the incredible action on the screen. Bottom line, don't listen to the reviews. Watch this movie. Expand
  2. I don't understand the bad reviews. The movie isn't trying to be anything other than a hark back to the action films of the 80's; lots of explosions, lots of violence and a cheesy plot. The acting is good for what it is (we're not talking Oscars here people) and the actors are all veterans of the silver screen, with the exception of Stone Cold and Randy Couture who actually did a fine job of playing their parts. Stallone movies will always be what they are, good, fun, mindless action flicks. He's had a couple of better roles (First Blood, Cop Land) but for the most part he always plays the unsung hero. Get over yourselves and just grab a bag of popcorn and have a good time. Expand
  3. no much of a story in it. screenplay was tight and gripping in the last 15 minutes. first half had its own dose of some humor sentiment and a bombing scene. second half picks up and ends as a action feast. direction by stallone is good in parts. jason sthatham himself and jet li performed very good. the girl character did not get importance. villain was wasted. casting was average as arnie and bruce willis did cameos for a while. sylvester and jason along with li are show stealers. technically movie is awesome. we have some striking background score , some rich visuals captured. good action scenes with fast camera movement, editing was abrupt at parts and second half was saved. over all expendables is average movie to normal viewers and it will be a good movie if script would have been tuned. Expand
  4. 4
    Action movies like this (think "Tropic Thunder" without the irony) will always have their, mostly male and indiscriminate audience satisfied with endless shoot-outs, explosions, beat-downs and big shiny guns and knives, but there is a way for such movies not to be this tired, unoriginal and humourless - a talented director and/or a good script. With a cast and budget like this, someone like Tarantino might have made a classic. Still, I hope Eric Roberts and Dolph Lundgren jump-start their careers with their villainous performances. Collapse

See all 108 User Reviews

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