THE EXPENDABLES
Compelling macho action, but adults only.
Should You Watch It?
You get exactly what the title promises: a high-intensity action movie built around an A-list cast of action stars. The film delivers plenty of excitement, and its themes of heroism and sacrifice offer a few thoughtful moments beneath the explosions and gunfire.
The strongest reason to watch is the moral turn in Stallone’s character. He begins as a soldier for hire who stands for nothing, but a woman’s bravery against a corrupt regime awakens his conscience. His decision to risk everything to rescue her gives the movie sympathy and a redemptive element.
That moral center does not make this a family movie. The violence is very strong, bloody, and frequent, while the language is also strong. Take the trip only as a discerning adult; for children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA team of mercenaries is hired to overturn an evil, drug-smuggling, militaristic regime in Central America. These soldiers for hire normally complete their jobs and collect their pay without becoming emotionally involved.
This mission changes when the team leader is moved by Sandra, the freedom-loving daughter of the regime’s leader. After she stands against her father and is captured, the mercenaries face a dangerous choice: stay detached or risk everything to rescue her and confront the regime.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is an entertaining, effective action film with clear limitations. Written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, it delivers the action goods and makes good use of its star-studded cast, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The acting is better than many of the 1980s action movies on which stars such as Stallone built their careers. The movie also creates sympathy for Stallone’s character as he tries to rediscover his soul by saving a woman in distress.
Its limitations are substantial: the film is loaded with very strong violence, a high body count, bloody scenes and strong foul language. The result is compelling macho action, but not an easy recommendation.
The Worldview
The film begins with a bleak view of its mercenaries. They are soldiers for hire who complete their jobs for money and do not stand for anything. That changes when Sandra’s bravery against the corrupt regime awakens the team leader’s conscience and moves him toward sacrifice.
The movie opposes tyranny, drug smuggling, greed and the terrorization of villagers. It also includes lying, blackmail, revenge and mercenary violence. Its moral center is therefore mixed: heroism and sacrifice are treated positively, but the path toward them is filled with bloody retribution and morally compromised violence.
The film contains a light pagan element, including fantasy pictures of women resembling a native goddess, though no specific religious points seem to be made. A church appears in one scene, but the movie draws nothing really positive from that setting. The story’s redemptive movement is human and moral rather than explicitly Christian.
The film’s longing to recover a soul through sacrificial action can prompt a biblical question: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light mixed pagan worldview with strong moral, light redemptive elements and some American values opposing tyranny, light false religious element as woman paints fantasy pictures of women looking like a native goddess but no specific religious points seem to be made, plus one scene set in a church but the movie draws nothing really positive from that setting; at least 39 obscenities (including some “f” words) and three strong GD profanities; very strong war and action violence with significant images of blood includes gunfire, including machine guns that mow down soldiers, gunfire cuts man quickly in half but camera does not linger, knife chops off man’s hand, man twists knife into villain soldier’s neck, knives thrown at soldiers, hand to hand combat throughout, punching, kicking, stabbing, explosions, bombs, chase sequences, car chases, villagers are killed execution-style, evil regimes are overturned, knife fights, necks broken, villain burned with fire, men shot in chest, it is implied that a man has slapped woman around as her face is bruised, another woman is hit by mercenary and tortured with water-boarding; no sex scenes but two evil soldiers call captive woman a whore in Spanish and clearly want their way with her before they are stopped, unmarried couple hug and one man apparently has gone through a series of girlfriends; naturalistic upper male nudity in a few scenes and some female cleavage; beer consumed; cigar smoking and pipe smoking and ex-CIA agent works with militaristic regime to smuggle cocaine, plus one soldier is said to have become a junkie of some sort; and, strong miscellaneous immorality such as lying, blackmail, mercenaries, politics of greed, repressive militaristic regime threatens and terrorizes villagers and arrests local natives, and revenge.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The mercenaries begin by claiming they stand for nothing beyond the job. What changes when conscience and sacrifice enter the mission?
Romans 12:1 · John 15:13Sandra stands against a corrupt regime even when doing so puts her own safety at risk. When should you resist wrongdoing, and what might faithful courage cost?
Acts 5:29 · Proverbs 31:8–9The film connects the leader’s rescue mission with his attempt to rediscover his soul. How are regret, sacrifice and genuine moral change related?
2 Corinthians 7:10 · Ephesians 4:22–24The story includes revenge alongside its opposition to tyranny. How does Scripture distinguish justice from personal vengeance?
Romans 12:19 · Micah 6:8The Final Word
This is compelling, high-intensity action with better acting than many older action movies and positive themes of heroism and sacrifice. But its very strong violence and foul language make the answer clear: WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. Families seeking a different choice can begin here:.
