History YMMV / TheExpendables

* CompleteMonster: [[RogueAgent Rogue CIA agent]] James Munroe is the BigBad of the first film. A drug smuggler and [[HiredGuns mercenary]], Munroe is responsible for his partner, [[TheGeneralissimo General Garza]], transforming the island of [[BananaRepublic Vilena]] into a PoliceState, using the people as labor in their drug operation. During his first scene, Munroe kills one prisoner, then derides Garza for his lack of spine, forcing the General to murder a second prisoner in order to save face. When the Expendables raid Vilena, Munroe captures Garza's daughter, Sandra, who opposes her father's government, and has her waterboarded over Garza's objections. He contracts former Expendable, Gunnar, to kill the rest of the team, and when Garza turns on him following the Expendables' assault on Vilena, he shoots the General IntheBack, kills the rest of his security detail, and tries to make good his escape, though not before instructing Paine and The Brit to torture Barney Ross, and taking Sandra hostage to use as a HumanShield. Caring only for [[OnlyInItForTheMoney his profits]], Munroe is willing to wreck an entire country [[{{greed}} in order to increase them]].

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fncp0sQvBM0 Call to Arms]] trailer for the first movie reminds you not to watch it off your torrents but "in a [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] theater where violence belongs". However, [[http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-expendables-3-leaks-online-3-weeks-ahead-of-release-20140725 the third movie was leaked online prior to release.]] That line is also fairly wince-inducing in light of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Aurora_shooting mass shooting]] that took place in a cinema right around the second film's release.

* [[JustHereForGodzilla Just Here For]] [[strike:[[JustHereForGodzilla Godzilla]]]]''[[JustHereForGodzilla THE WHOLE DAMN CAST]]''
* MemeticBadass: TheMovie.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGPxlMpzqYQ This fanmade musical]] of ''The Expendables'' contains a chorus that says "PG-13 is for pussies". Ironically, the third movie was eventually rated PG-13.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: [[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-china-expendables-dark-knight-rises-spider-man20121010,0,3607540.story The sequel outgrossed both The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man in China.]]

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGPxlMpzqYQ This fanmade musical]] of ''The Expendables'' contains a chorus that says "PG-13 is for pussies". The third movie was eventually rated PG-13.

* HoYay: Quite a lot.

* BrokenBase: The fact that the third movie [[http://collider.com/the-expendables-3-rating/ will be rated PG-13]] in contrast to the R ratings of the first two movies. Also, when a PG-13 rating was announced for the second movie, many fans were upset. Let's not forget that [[http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-expendables-3-leaks-online-3-weeks-ahead-of-release-20140725 the third movie was also leaked online]] before it could be released in theaters, with many fans fearing that the movie might not do well at the box office because of this leak.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment / HarsherInHindsight: Steve Austin plays a man who, as a plot point, WouldHitAGirl. Steve Austin has faced charges for domestic abuse in the past.
** The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fncp0sQvBM0 Call to Arms]] trailer for the first movie reminds you not to watch it off your torrents but "in a [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] theater where violence belongs". However, [[http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-expendables-3-leaks-online-3-weeks-ahead-of-release-20140725 the third movie was leaked online prior to release.]]
*** That line is also fairly wince-inducing in light of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Aurora_shooting mass shooting]] that took place in a cinema right around the film's release.

* CompleteMonster: [[RogueAgent Rogue CIA agent]] James Munroe is the BigBad of the first film. A drug smuggler and [[HiredGuns mercenary]], Munroe is responsible for his partner, [[TheGeneralissimo General Garza]], transforming the island of [[BananaRepublic Vilena]] into a PoliceState, using the people as labor in their drug operation. During his first scene, Munroe kills one prisoner, then derides [[EvenEvilHasStandards Garza]] for his lack of spine, forcing the [[NobleDemon General]] to murder a second prisoner in order to save face. When the Expendables raid Vilena, Munroe captures Garza's daughter, Sandra, who opposes her father's government, and has her waterboarded over [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Garza]]'s objections. He contracts former Expendable, Gunnar, to kill the rest of the team, and when Garza turns on him following the Expendables' assault on Vilena, he shoots the General IntheBack, kills the rest of his security detail, and tries to make good his escape, though not before instructing [[TheDragon Paine]] and [[TortureTechnician The Brit]] to torture [[TheHero Barney Ross]], and taking Sandra hostage to use as a HumanShield. Caring only for [[OnlyInItForTheMoney his profits]], Munroe is willing to wreck an entire country [[{{greed}} in order to increase them]].

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGPxlMpzqYQ This fanmade musical]] of ''The Expendables'' contains a chorus that says "PG-13 is for pussies". The third movie was eventually rated PG-13.

* HilariousInHindsight: WWE has adopted [[ImageSong Diamond Eyes]] as one of their themes. From a film that featured a classically-trained wrestler kicking a professional wrestler into a fire.

* {{HSQ}}: Off the charts for the final fight, in all three movies.

* {{HSQ}}: Off the charts for the final fight, in both movies.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Antonio Banderas as Galgo practically made Expendables 3 worthwhile. A rare occasion when a MotorMouth is the fan favorite, the fact he was genuinely funny ("I need a job! All I know what to do is kill! Goddammit!") and managed some pathos with his backstory helps.

* ContestedSequel: The third movie, due to its PG-13 rating, new characters not known to many people and taking up screen time, and that the movie made #4 at the box office on its opening weekend. Hopefully the upcoming fourth movie might WinBackTheCrowd.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Steve Austin plays a man who, as a plot point, WouldHitAGirl. Steve Austin has faced charges for domestic abuse in the past.

* HarsherInHindsight: The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fncp0sQvBM0 Call to Arms]] trailer for the first ''Expendables'' movie reminds you not to watch the movie off your torrents but "In a [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] theater... Where violence belongs." However, in the case of the third movie, [[http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-expendables-3-leaks-online-3-weeks-ahead-of-release-20140725 it was leaked online prior to release in theaters.]]

** There was some grumbling at the news that ''The Expendables 2'' would cut most hard profanity from the script to accommodate Creator/ChuckNorris at his request. Once the movie came out, though, pretty much everyone agreed that swapping out a few F-Bombs for an appearance from the MemeticBadass himself was a good trade.

* ContestedSequel: The third movie, due to its PG-13 rating. Hopefully the fourth movie might [[WinBackTheCrowd win the crowd back]].

* ClicheStorm: The reason it exists.

* BaseBreaker: There is a split on opinions on Billy the Kid. One half of the fanbase are willing to say that he was well-acted and functioned well within the team and for the most part is respected for not being as obnoxious and cliche as he could have been [[spoiler: and for facing death like a hero.]] The other half... well... just see WhatTheHellCastingAgency below.

** Early reviews have bemoaned that ''III'' is both PG-13 and devotes an unnecessary amount of screentime to the younger Expendables.

* ActorAllusion: WesleySnipes' role in ''Expendables 3'' seems to be a nod to his real-life imprisonment for tax charges.

* RealitySubtext: Possible case in that Barney's speech following [[spoiler: Billy]]'s death could also apply to the death of Stallone's son in RealLife:
-->'''Barney Ross:''' Why is it the ones who deserve to live, that want to live the most, die - and the ones that don't deserve to live, keep on going?

** Kelsey Grammer in. ''III''.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Creator/SylvesterStallone has said in interviews that he deliberately tries to cast guys who are either up-and-coming (Like Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin) and give them a nudge, or he tried to cast guys who got derailed (like Creator/DolphLundgren) and hopes it gives them a second chance. He has said this is why he wanted Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme in the first movie (and got him in the second), for example. He's also been trying to get roles for Michael Pare, Creator/StevenSeagal and Wesley Snipes for upcoming installments.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Well, it uses Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly's theme whenever [[ChuckNorris Booker]] appears.
* EvenBetterSequel: Just for the sake of adding more names, more action and LOTS more in jokes, 2 was almost uniformly better received than the first one.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: There was some grumbling at the news that ''The Expendables 2'' would cut most hard profanity from the script to accommodate ChuckNorris at his request. Once the movie came out, though, pretty much everyone agreed that swapping out a few F-Bombs for an appearance from the MemeticBadass himself was a good trade.