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Parents' Guide to

The Condemned

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Convicts fight to the death in reality-TV debacle.

Movie R 2007 100 minutes
The Condemned Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Plague
Plague Parent
April 8, 2010
age 13+

The Condemned

A great, intense, kill or be killed movie with a possitive hidden message within the plot. This movie includes a lot of blood and gruesome deaths. But if you were to stick 10 Death Row inmates on an island and forced them to kill eachother to ensure a hopeful freedom and a huge cash prize, what would you really expect? A tea party and a game of Red Rover? Nay I say.
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What's the Story?

While locked up in a Salvadorian prison, Jack Conrad (Steve Austin) catches the attention of Ian Breckel (Robert Mammone), a reality TV producer who's scouting talent for his latest whiz-bang of an idea: Ten death-row inmates get dumped on Papua New Guinea, where they fight to the death; the last one standing goes free. The live 30-hour pay-per-view event is to rake in millions. The game begins, and Jack finds himself surrounded by thugs and killers. Though he makes friends with Paco (Manu Bennett), Jack's one goal is to somehow contact his girlfriend back home. A 14-year veteran of the Special Forces, abandoned by the U.S. government during a black ops mission gone wrong, Jack appears to have something resembling a conscience; he's troubled after he kills someone. His adversaries include a loud-mouthed cretin named Nazi (Andy McPhee), a psycho martial artist (Masa Yamaguchi), and a cheater named Ewan (Vinnie Jones). As the fighting goes on and on, the moral lesson is pounded home. It's suggested that the extreme violence has "crossed a line" when people start getting blown up and raped, and a reporter accuses Breckel of producing a "live snuff film." Her disgust doesn't bother him, because he plans to be rich. But after Ewan and Jack wreak all manner of vengeance on these greedy "TV people," Donna shows up again in a coda: "Those of us who watch," she intones soberly, "we are the condemned."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

THE CONDEMNED borrows from a number of sources, but its focus on mass media ethics calls to mind the weirdly campy Running Man. That was the movie in which game show host Richard Dawson oversaw a to-the-death contest featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger (in an astounding pink Lycra suit). In Scott Wiper's version, the men wear manly clothes, the violence is more brutal, and the dialogue is less snappy. But the overly simplified point is the apparently same: TV producers are scum. And after the film delivers nearly two hours of bloody bedlam, one character puts the blame on viewers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence on television and other media. What are the effects of watching such violence? Does exposure to violent media make kids more aggressive?

  • How does The Condemned make a case against media violence even as it delivers exactly that?

  • Families can also discuss reality TV. Do you think any reality show would ever go this far? Why or why not?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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