50 Movies Like The Expendables 2 (2012) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View The Expendables 2 details →Simon West's 2012 action sequel reassembles the Expendables for a job that Mr. Church frames as an easy paycheck, only for the killing of one of their own to send the mercenary crew on a revenge mission deep into enemy territory and against an unexpected threat. The appeal is straightforward: a stacked roster of action veterans, heavy firepower and self-aware, throwback machismo. It suits viewers who want unpretentious, ensemble-driven gunplay and don't mind thin plotting or broad tone. Expect big explosions, one-liners and nostalgia over character depth or surprise; it delivers exactly the loud, muscular spectacle its premise promises, no more and no less.
If you loved The Expendables 2 (2012) by Simon West, here are 50 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are Anna, The Expendables 3, Commando. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to The Expendables 2
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with The Expendables 2 in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
Anna
2019 · Luc Besson
Beneath Anna Poliatova's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world's most feared government assassins.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Expendables 3
2014 · Patrick Hughes
Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and so
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Commando
1985 · Mark L. Lester
John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fi
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Rock
1996 · Michael Bay
When vengeful General Francis X. Hummel seizes control of Alcatraz Island and threatens to launch missiles loaded with deadly chemical weapons into San Francisco, only a young FBI chemical weapons exp
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Plane
2023 · Jean-François Richet
After a heroic job of successfully landing his storm-damaged aircraft in a war zone, a fearless pilot finds himself between the agendas of multiple militias planning to take the plane and its passenge
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Goldfinger
1964 · Guy Hamilton
Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to ra
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Counterattack
2025 · Chava Cartas
When a hostage rescue mission creates a new enemy, Capt. Guerrero and his elite soldiers must face an ambush by a criminal group.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Octopussy
1983 · John Glen
James Bond is sent to investigate after a fellow “00” agent is found dead with a priceless Indian Fabergé egg. Bond follows the mystery and uncovers a smuggling scandal and a Russian General who wants
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The World Is Not Enough
1999 · Michael Apted
Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time th
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
A View to a Kill
1985 · John Glen
A newly-developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. Jam
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
American Assassin
2017 · Michael Cuesta
Following the murder of his fiancée, Mitch Rapp trains under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley. The pair then is enlisted to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on military a
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Three Musketeers
2011 · Paul W. S. Anderson
The hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the Fren
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Skyscraper
2018 · Rawson Marshall Thurber
Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The 355
2022 · Simon Kinberg
A group of top female agents from American, British, Chinese, Colombian, and German government agencies are drawn together to try and stop an organization from acquiring a deadly weapon to send the wo
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Hanna
2011 · Joe Wright
Raised by her father, an ex-CIA agent, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna's upbringing has been geared to making her the perfect assassin. Sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys ac
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Ashfall
2019 · Kim Byung-seo
A group of unlikely heroes from across the Korean peninsula try to save the day after a volcano erupts on the mythical and majestic Baekdu Mountain.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Blacklight
2022 · Mark Williams
Travis Block is a shadowy Government agent who specializes in removing operatives whose covers have been exposed. He then has to uncover a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks that reaches the highe
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Retribution
2023 · Nimród Antal
When a mysterious caller plants a bomb under his car seat, a bank executive begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks — all with his kids trapped in the back sea
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
2011 · Brad Bird
Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Expend4bles
2023 · Scott Waugh
Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the ta
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Hunter Killer
2018 · Donovan Marsh
Captain Glass of the USS Arkansas discovers that a coup d'état is taking place in Russia, so he and his crew join an elite group working on the ground to prevent a war.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Jason Bourne
2016 · Paul Greengrass
The most dangerous former operative of the CIA is drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
GoldenEye
1995 · Martin Campbell
When a powerful secret defense system is stolen, James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using it.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
For Your Eyes Only
1981 · John Glen
A British spy ship has sunk and on board was a hi-tech encryption device. James Bond is sent to find the device that holds British launching instructions before the enemy Soviets get to it first.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Killer Elite
2011 · Gary McKendry
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world’s most elite operatives—Danny, an ex-special ops agent and Hunter, his longtime mentor—against the cunning leader of a secret militar
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Dr. No
1962 · Terence Young
Agent 007 battles mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must go to Jamaica, where he encounters beautiful Honey Ry
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Quantum of Solace
2008 · Marc Forster
Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Die Another Day
2002 · Lee Tamahori
James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Thunderball
1965 · Terence Young
A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
From Russia with Love
1963 · Terence Young
Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding de
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
You Only Live Twice
1967 · Lewis Gilbert
A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his arche
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Dante's Peak
1997 · Roger Donaldson
Volcanologist Harry Dalton comes to the sleepy town of Dante's Peak to investigate the recent rumblings of the dormant volcano the burg is named for. Before long, his worst fears are realized when a m
In common: Action · Adventure
Tomorrow Never Dies
1997 · Roger Spottiswoode
A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world's superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Poseidon
2006 · Wolfgang Petersen
A packed cruise ship traveling the Atlantic is hit and overturned by a massive wave, compelling the passengers to begin a dramatic fight for their lives.
In common: Action · Adventure
In the Heart of the Sea
2015 · Ron Howard
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex is assaulted by something no one could believe—a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance.
In common: Action · Adventure
The Spy Who Loved Me
1977 · Lewis Gilbert
Russian and British submarines with nuclear missiles on board both vanish from sight without a trace. England and Russia both blame each other as James Bond tries to solve the riddle of the disappeari
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Never Say Never Again
1983 · Irvin Kershner
James Bond returns as the secret agent 007 to battle the evil organization SPECTRE. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail. But Bond has an ally in Largo's gi
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The Living Daylights
1987 · John Glen
After a defecting Russian general reveals a plot to assassinate foreign spies, James Bond is assigned a secret mission to dispatch the new head of the KGB to prevent an escalation of tensions between
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
2025 · Christopher McQuarrie
Ethan Hunt and team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity — which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe — with the world's governments and a mysterious gho
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
2023 · Christopher McQuarrie
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the f
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Mission: Impossible
1996 · Brian De Palma
When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the pr
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Casino Royale
2006 · Martin Campbell
Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorists, is scheduled to participate in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro, where he intends to use his winnings to establish his financial grip on the terro
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
No Time to Die
2021 · Cary Joji Fukunaga
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnap
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Skyfall
2012 · Sam Mendes
When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong, agents around the world are exposed and MI6 headquarters is attacked. While M faces challenges to her authority and position from Gareth Mallory, the
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Spectre
2015 · Sam Mendes
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to r
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
The King's Man
2021 · Matthew Vaughn
As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them.
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Mission: Impossible III
2006 · J.J. Abrams
Retired from active duty, and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force, agent Ethan Hunt faces the toughest foe of his career: Owen Davian, an international broker of arms and information, w
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
Mission: Impossible II
2000 · John Woo
With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineere
In common: Action · Adventure · Thriller
National Treasure
2004 · Jon Turteltaub
Modern treasure hunters, led by archaeologist Ben Gates, search for a chest of riches rumored to have been stashed away by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin during the Revoluti
In common: Action · Adventure
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
2018 · Wes Ball
Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn
In common: Action · Adventure
Popular series
Breaking Bad
2008 · Michelle MacLaren
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
2023 · Kazutaka Yamanaka
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s m
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005 · Michael Dante DiMartino
In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.
