Rated R for pervasive strong brutal violence, and for language.
Directed by Scott Wiper
Starring Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Tory Mussett
I came into this film with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Mark this one under “guy film” right next to Commando or The Transporter. A true mindless action thriller.
The Condemned tells the story of Jack Conrad, who is awaiting the death penalty in a corrupt Central American prison. He is “purchased” by a wealthy television producer and taken to a desolate island where he must fight to the death against nine other condemned killers from all corners of the world, with freedom going to the sole survivor.
It would be a stretch to rate this film as theatre worthy, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed this movie. The action was good and the script was well written. I think the element I enjoyed the most was the number of redeemable characters. It’s nice to have several people to root for during a film, and I like people of some moral integrity. It may be hard to believe, but several people of moral conviction emerged in this story of corruption, greed and violence; my favorite being the hero, Jack Conrad, played by Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Steve is just likable. It’s as simple as that. He’s big, he’s tough, and he’s a polite Southern boy. Ya gotta love him… even when he’s breaking someone’s femur.
College guys night out? This is your film.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Young kids? Probably not. It was way too violent with some pretty cruel moments. But I think this one is okay for some teenagers. I elected to watch it with my high school aged son. The theme of the movie was actually against violence (ironically) and the film makers opted to leave the cruel, over the top moments off camera. But don’t get me wrong- the film was truly R-rated for language and violence.
Looking for something in this action category that is more acceptable for younger teens? Try Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s movie The Rundown with Christopher Walken and Seann William Scott. Truly classic action, hilarious, and fairly clean.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
