Mercenaries Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A bunch of legally distinct ‘Expendabelles’ get sprung from prison to rescue the President’s daughter from a lady warlord who really doesn’t like men.

🍿 Mercenaries: Detailed Plot Synopsis

A President’s Daughter Kidnapped

While on a diplomatic tour in a conflict-ridden region, the daughter of the United States President, Elise, is captured. She is taken hostage by Ulrika, a ruthless female warlord seeking political power in the area. Ulrika holds Elise in a heavily fortified prison known as ‘The Citadel’ and issues demands to the U.S. government. With conventional military options deemed too risky, a clandestine plan is devised to rescue the President’s daughter.

Assembling an Unlikely Team

Facing an impossible infiltration mission, CIA Agent Mona Kendall decides to recruit a team from an unconventional source: the U.S. prison system. She handpicks four highly skilled but incarcerated women with diverse and dangerous backgrounds. The team includes former Delta Force soldier Cassandra Clay, ex-Marine Scout Sniper Kat Morgan, one-time CIA operative Raven, and explosives expert/pilot Mei-Lin Fong. Promised pardons for success, these hardened criminals are given a chance at freedom by undertaking the perilous rescue operation.

Infiltrating Hostile Territory

The makeshift team is sent into the dangerous territory controlled by Ulrika. Their mission is to infiltrate The Citadel, locate the President’s daughter, and extract her safely. Operating deep behind enemy lines, the mercenaries face numerous obstacles, including Ulrika’s heavily armed forces and the brutal environment of the war zone. Tensions rise within the team as they grapple with their pasts and the high stakes of their mission.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Cassandra Clay (Zoë Bell): The leader of the mercenary team, an ex-Delta Force soldier sent to rescue the President’s daughter.
• Kat Morgan (Kristanna Loken): A skilled former Marine Corps Scout Sniper who joins the mercenary team.
• Raven (Vivica A. Fox): A former CIA operative with wetworks experience recruited for the rescue mission.
• Ulrika (Brigitte Nielsen): The ruthless female warlord who kidnaps the President’s daughter.
• Mona (Cynthia Rothrock): The CIA agent responsible for recruiting the team of female prisoners for the mission.
• Mei-Lin Fong (Nicole Bilderback): The team’s explosives expert and pilot.
• Elise (Tiffany Panhilason): The President’s daughter who is captured and held hostage in a war zone.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Raven: “Hell, I might even fuck George Clooney – with a strap-on.” – Said during a moment of casual, crude conversation among the team, highlighting her tough and unfiltered personality.
• Cassandra Clay: “We’re going to do some very bad things to some very bad people.” – Explaining the dangerous and morally ambiguous nature of their rescue mission.
• Ulrika: “We’re not nice women.” – Stated to emphasize the ruthless and dangerous nature of herself and potentially her associates or the world they inhabit.

💰Box Office

• Budget: N/A
• Domestic Gross: N/A
• Worldwide Gross: N/A

💥 Mercenaries Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so I finally watched Mercenaries, and wow, it’s exactly the kind of bonkers B-movie chaos I expected from The Asylum with a cast like this. Honestly, just seeing Zoë Bell, Vivica Fox, Kristanna Loken, and Brigitte Nielsen all together was half the fun. It’s definitely not a ‘good’ movie by normal standards – the plot makes zero sense, the effects are… ambitious, and some of the acting is gloriously over-the-top. But I found myself grinning through a lot of it. Brigitte Nielsen as the villain Ulrika totally steals the show by just being *so* extra. Don’t go into this expecting high art or even competent filmmaking, but if you’re in the mood for a cheesy, brainless action flick featuring some legends giving it their best shot (or maybe their worst, in a fun way), you might just have a blast. It’s the kind of movie you watch on a lazy Saturday and laugh about later.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of low-budget action movies”
  • “Viewers who enjoy ‘so bad it’s good’ films”
  • “Fans of The Asylum productions”
  • “Enthusiasts of 80s/90s style B-action flicks”
  • “Fans of the specific cast members (Zoë Bell, Kristanna Loken, Vivica A. Fox, Brigitte Nielsen, Cynthia Rothrock)”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Action violence and gunplay”
  • “Brief depiction of torture”
  • “Suggested themes of human trafficking/assault (mentioned in one review, implicit in prison setting)”
  • “Potentially disturbing scenes (massacre of captives mentioned in one review)”
  • “Implied misogyny and xenophobia (mentioned in one review)”

Professional Reviews

• Reviewer Synthesis: “The Asylum takes a swing at the female action ensemble with ‘Mercenaries’, assembling a cast of notable B-movie veterans. While the concept is ripe for cheesy fun, the execution is wildly uneven. Action sequences are often hindered by awkward editing and low-budget effects. Performances range from surprisingly committed to utterly baffling, but the sheer presence of icons like Bell, Fox, Loken, and Nielsen offers intermittent moments of unintentional joy. It’s less a competent action flick and more a curiosity piece for fans of the cast or the ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ genre.
• Reviewer Synthesis: “‘Mercenaries’ feels like a direct-to-video relic from the 90s, for better or worse. The premise borrows heavily, and the script offers little in the way of originality or wit, despite a few one-liners. Production values are notably low, with unconvincing sets and shaky visuals. However, seeing these actresses, particularly Zoe Bell, in action can be mildly entertaining. It’s a film that demands significant suspension of disbelief and a high tolerance for melodrama and logic gaps. Best viewed with friends and a healthy dose of irony.

Audience Reactions

Seeing a team of classic action actresses together on screen was the main draw.: Viewers often found the movie unintentionally hilarious due to its low budget, questionable writing, and enthusiastic but sometimes awkward performances. Many appreciated the presence of known genre faces despite the film’s quality.

It delivered cheesy, brainless action that was surprisingly entertaining for some.: Those who went in with low expectations, understanding it was an Asylum production, found it provided simple, popcorn-style entertainment and dumb fun, especially appreciating the fight scenes involving Zoë Bell.

Overall Consensus: A widely panned low-budget action flick salvaged for some viewers by its cult cast and unintentional comedy, best enjoyed by fans of B-movies or those seeking cheesy entertainment rather than quality cinema.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Rebecca De Mornay was originally cast to play the role of Mona, but had to pull out. Cynthia Rothrock was offered the role only one day prior to filming.”
• “The movie was produced by The Asylum, a studio known for low-budget, direct-to-video films and ‘mockbusters’.”
• “Filming took place at the Sybil Brand Institute for Women in Monterey Park, California, which stood in for the Kazakhstan prison location.”

🖥️ How to Watch Mercenaries?

As a low-budget action film, Mercenaries (2014) has been available on various platforms over time. While availability can change, look for it on popular streaming services like Netflix (as noted in past reviews), Tubi, or Pluto TV for free streaming options. It may also be available to rent or purchase digitally on platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, or Google Play Movies. Check major retailers for DVD availability for physical media.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Mercenaries, you might like these similar films:

• The Expendables (2010): A direct comparison often made due to featuring an ensemble cast of action stars on a dangerous mission, though this film is the low-budget female version.
• Escape from New York (1981): Shares a similar plot where a protagonist or team must infiltrate a heavily guarded, isolated location to rescue a V.I.P.
• The Dirty Dozen (1967): Features a premise where a team of convicted criminals is assembled and promised pardons for undertaking a dangerous, near-suicidal military mission.
• Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003): Features Vivica A. Fox and is a cult classic known for stylish, intense female-led action and combat, appealing to fans of films with strong female fighters.
• Sharknado (2013): Another well-known, low-budget, over-the-top B-movie produced by The Asylum, sharing the same production house and appealing to audiences who enjoy cheesy genre films.

🛒 Mercenaries Related Products

• Mercenaries (2014) Blu-ray: Own the action-packed (and often hilarious) B-movie adventure featuring an all-star cast of female action icons. Experience the low-budget thrills in high definition, complete with questionable effects and unforgettable dialogue.
• The Asylum’s Greatest Mockbusters Collection: Dive deeper into the world of low-budget, high-concept filmmaking with a collection featuring other notable titles from the studio behind Mercenaries. Perfect for connoisseurs of ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ movies.
• Female Action Heroines: A Movie Fan’s Guide: Explore the history and impact of women in action cinema, featuring discussions of actresses like those in Mercenaries. This book offers context and appreciation for the genre.
• Cult Action Cinema T-Shirt: Show your appreciation for cult B-movies and the actresses who star in them with a stylish graphic tee inspired by the genre’s aesthetic. Features a design reminiscent of classic action movie posters.

🎧 Soundtrack

Mercenaries features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Saw, Drills and Glue Guns” – performed by The Dead Good

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Simple question 👀

Ever felt like a single scene in a movie asks the biggest, most uncomfortable question? This tiny clip titled ‘Simple question’ blew up with 10 million views – it must capture one of those defining, intense moments from Sicario that stuck with everyone!

He found an invisible mercenaries at his home🤯

Sicario is all about the hidden threats and the lines blurred between good and bad actors. This viral video, ‘He found an invisible mercenaries…’, totally taps into that feeling of pervasive, unseen danger the characters face. Check it out to see what they mean!

Mercenaries – Congo ’64

Curious about the real history and context behind characters like the ones you see in Sicario? This video dives into the world of mercenaries, specifically in Congo ’64. While not about the film directly, it could offer fascinating insights into the reality that inspires the movie’s intense world. Worth a watch for that extra layer of understanding!

✨ Rate