Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- bombastic
- irreverent
- gritty
- action movie night
- weekend blockbuster viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly agreed that the film delivers promised old-school explosive action and charismatic genre personalities, but falls short through a thin story and muddled execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The cast, one-liners, mercenary premise, and explosive shootouts explicitly evoke older action-star vehicles.
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and other established action performers share the central team.
Barney Ross must decide whether to abandon Sandra or risk a suicidal rescue that might save his soul.
The mission features heavy weapons, demolitions, sniper fire, martial arts, escapes, and violent set pieces.
Films like The Expendables, and why
The Dirty Dozen
shared old-school mercenary action, ensemble toughness, explosive set pieces, and testosterone-driven camaraderie
The A-Team
shared veteran action-star ensemble, military-style mission structure, irreverent banter, and bombastic combat
Predator
shared hyper-violent throwback action, charismatic tough-guy performers, and exaggerated shoot-em-up spectacle
The Wild Geese
shared mercenary team dynamics, South American setting, rescue mission, and gritty action-thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Sylvester Stallone
- Release Date
- 2010-08-07
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (8486)
Cast
- Sylvester Stallone
- Jason Statham
- Jet Li
- Dolph Lundgren
- Eric Roberts
- Randy Couture
- Steve Austin
- David Zayas
- Giselle Itié
- Charisma Carpenter
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Expendables about?
- A veteran mercenary assembles an elite team for a dictator assassination that becomes a dangerous test of loyalty and conscience.
- What is The Expendables like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Expendables as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Expendables violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Expendables as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Expendables?
- Critics broadly agreed that the film delivers promised old-school explosive action and charismatic genre personalities, but falls short through a thin story and muddled execution.
- Which films are like The Expendables?
- Films with a similar feel include The Dirty Dozen, The A-Team, Predator, and The Wild Geese.
- How long is The Expendables?
- The Expendables runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Expendables?
- In United States, The Expendables streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
