The Expendables – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Expendables

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2010

28%

WISE Score

Sylvester Stallone assembles aging action stars for a violently generic mercenary mission that's all explosions, zero substance.

6.2

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The Expendables

movie

2010

28%

WISE Score

Sylvester Stallone assembles aging action stars for a violently generic mercenary mission that's all explosions, zero substance.

6.2

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6.2

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Screenwise Verdict

The Expendables is exactly what it looks like: a bunch of aging action stars shooting, stabbing, and blowing things up for 103 minutes. There's no plot to speak of, no character development, no themes, no growth—just violence as wallpaper.

For parents, this is a hard pass for anyone under 17, and honestly, even for adults it's pretty forgettable. Reviews describe it as 'empty, yet entertaining' and 'checks all the action movie boxes,' which is damning with faint praise. It's not offensively bad, but it's aggressively mediocre and offers nothing beyond surface-level thrills.

If your teen is asking to watch it, the answer is no—and frankly, there are dozens of better action movies (Marvel, Mission: Impossible, even John Wick) that at least have style, craft, or something interesting to say. This is bottom-tier genre fare that even action fans found disappointing.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults 17+. The relentless graphic violence, lack of any redeeming educational or emotional value, and R-rating make it completely inappropriate for kids and teens. Even for adults, it's a low-substance popcorn flick.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a testosterone-fueled action movie built entirely around violence, explosions, and gunfights. It glorifies mercenary work and vigilante justice with minimal emotional depth or character development. The tone is macho and aggressive throughout, with no meaningful modeling of kindness or cooperation—just a band of tough guys shooting their way through problems. It's straightforward about what it is, but there's nothing emotionally healthy here.

Imaginative

The Expendables is aggressively unimaginative—it's a paint-by-numbers action movie that checks every predictable box. The premise (mercenaries go to South American island to kill dictator) is generic, the plot is straightforward, and the execution is purely functional. It doesn't invite curiosity, creative thinking, or exploration. The only 'imagination' on display is assembling a cast of 80s/90s action stars, which is more nostalgia-baiting than actual creativity.

Safe

Extremely violent throughout with constant gunfights, explosions, stabbings, and hand-to-hand combat. While it's rated R (presumably) and parents would know what they're getting into, the sheer volume of graphic violence—people being shot, blown up, and killed in various ways—makes this unsafe for kids. There's no surprise here (it's exactly what it advertises), but it's still wall-to-wall violence that would be completely inappropriate for children to watch.

Enriching

There's virtually nothing enriching here. No meaningful themes, no character growth, no ethical complexity, no skills being modeled beyond 'shoot things effectively.' The story is a thin excuse to string together action sequences. Reviews describe it as 'empty, yet entertaining' and a film that 'checks all the action movie boxes'—which is accurate but also means there's zero cognitive, ethical, or personal growth on offer. Pure escapism with no substance.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If you're an adult nostalgic for 80s/90s action heroes (Stallone, Statham, Lundgren, etc.), seeing them together might scratch that itch
Straightforward, no-frills action—it delivers exactly what it promises without pretense
Some viewers appreciate its 'turn your brain off' simplicity and old-school practical stunts

⚠

What to Watch For

Constant graphic violence—shootings, stabbings, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat throughout the entire runtime
Zero depth or character development; this is purely about watching things blow up
Aggressively macho tone that glorifies violence as problem-solving
Completely inappropriate for anyone under 17

Conversation Starters

"This is an adults-only movie, full stop—not happening in this house until you're much older"
"Why do you think some people enjoy watching violence as entertainment?"
"What makes a 'good' action movie versus one that's just mindless?"

Deep Dive

The VHS Dream Team on Digital

The Expendables is essentially a fantasy football draft for action fans that somehow got a massive production budget. On paper, seeing Barney Ross and Lee Christmas share the screen is a dream for anyone who grew up on a diet of muscle-bound heroes. In practice, the movie feels less like a classic and more like a loud, sweaty reunion tour where everyone forgot the lyrics. It relies entirely on the novelty of its cast rather than giving them anything interesting to do.

If you’re looking into Sylvester Stallone: Underdogs, Action Icons, and the 'Girl Dad' Pivot, this movie represents the "Action Icon" side of his career at its most unchecked. It’s a 103-minute victory lap that prioritizes explosions over actual storytelling. While critics were mixed, fans on Reddit often defend it as a "turn your brain off" experience. That’s fine for a Tuesday night on the couch, but don't expect a movie that stays with you after the credits roll.

The "Meat-Grinder" Factor

The violence here isn't the stylized, almost-dance-like choreography you see in modern blockbusters. It’s heavy. We’re talking about a movie where the "specialties" of the team include demolition and heavy weaponry. The camera work is often shaky and the editing is fast, which can make the hand-to-hand combat between characters like Yin Yang and Gunner Jensen feel more like a blur of limbs than a coherent scene.

For parents, the friction usually comes from the tone. It’s aggressively macho. Problems aren't solved with wit or strategy; they are solved by Lee Christmas throwing a knife into someone's chest. If your teen is used to the relatively bloodless stakes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this will be a shock to the system. It’s meaner, grittier, and significantly more graphic.

Better Ways to Scratch the Action Itch

If a kid or teen is asking for this because they saw a clip of a cool car chase or a fight scene, there are better entries into the genre. For parents wondering about the supporting cast, check out our breakdown of Jason Statham Action Movies: Which Ones Are Actually OK for 10-Year-Olds? to see if his solo work is a better entry point. Some of his other films manage to be fun without being quite so relentlessly grim.

If they want a "period piece" action movie that actually has a soul, you might steer them toward The Untouchables: Is This 80s Bloodbath Too Much for Your Teen?. It offers the same R-rated intensity but backs it up with a script that actually cares about its characters. The Expendables is a collection of stunts in search of a movie. It’s fine for a nostalgic adult, but for a younger viewer, it’s just 103 minutes of noise.

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