Bechdel Test Movie List

/bech·del test/ n.
1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

[[3]] The Expendables 2 (2012) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by Maurice on 2012-08-20 22:09:17.

Reviews

Comments

Maurice said:
This movie has 2 women in it, they both are named, one is pretty much background. the other is a strong(very), non white and she never needs to be rescued, and she is very sexy in a non sexualized way. in a movie aimed @ men the woman in this movie is better represented than nearly any movie i have ever seen.
Message posted on 2012-08-20 22:09:18
Brendon said:
Maggie and the woman in the village talk. Maggie convinces her that they are there to provide support against a common enemy.
Message posted on 2012-08-21 19:19:04
Ruthie said:
I would say this passes AT LEAST two tests and arguably three (though by a small margin). There's Maggie (previously mentioned central non-white lady character who is crucial to the plot and never needs recusing), and Lacey (Jason Statham's love interest who had much more of a subplot in the previous movie, few lines in this one and virtually no direct relevance to anything central in this movie) who cheated on her Dude and was therefore Bad News.

There's also a whole posse of armed ladies in the middle of the film hiding their kids from the Bad Guys because their dudes were kidnapped by the Bad Guys. They are led by a lady named Pilar, and she along with two other Armed Ladies talk (not for LONG, mind you, except for Pilar herself, who has a brief but plot-advancing monologue about how Bad the Bad Guys are...the others are all listed as Village Woman 1, Village Woman 2, etc. in the credits). Maggie and Pilar exchange brief words when Maggie convinces Pilar that the she and Crazy Stallone Peeps are there to get the Bad Guys and thus that Armed Ladies shouldn't shoot her or the Stallone Posse (ok so I guess that this isn't technically talking about something besides a man/men, but I dunno, I figure "talking about a man" is more like gossiping/obsessing about husbands/boyfriends/fathers/sons, not "plz don't shoot any of us (all of whom besides me are men)"...to me that's a conversation about shooting, not about men).

There was also Sophia (Love Interest of Billy, the Young Guy Sadface), who was named and had like 10 seconds of screen time, but no lines.

So I'd argue that this passes the Bechdel Test. Barely. It's like a C- or something.
Message posted on 2013-01-15 05:02:02
neil (webmaster) said:
I've updated the rating from 1/3 to 3/3.
Message posted on 2013-02-16 23:48:03
Michael disagreed with the rating and said:
This is a horrible movie for women. Maggie is treated like a child andbis shoo'd away at the end of the film. Maggie apends most of the movie being the only woman in a group of idiots. She is the smartest one there and proves that she can fight as good as any of the men. Which is tbe moment she gains... well.. not really respect.at the end of the film she wants to stay with Stallone. Not for the money or to be part of a team (since she is a great mercenary) but because she loves Stallone. Who basically shakes his head going "women! Amirite?"
The women in the village are helpless fraus who are such bad shots they are literally taunted by the heroes.
Message posted on 2013-10-20 12:08:05
Juanfraner disagreed with the rating and said:
Maggie talks to Pilar, yes, but Pilar don't answer to her and stars almost inmediatly to talk to the guys.

2/3 IMO.
Message posted on 2017-06-24 22:19:19
Mercedes disagreed with the rating and said:
there are two named female characters, correct,
but they do not talk to each other, they do talk to other unnamed female characters
but that does not pass the test, it doesn't matter how many strong female characters are in the movie, that's not what the test is about, the test is also not about, if the movie is feminist or not,
there are feminist movies who don't pass this test, and really really misogynist movies who do
the test is an indicator,
and this movie doesn't pass because the named women don't talk to eachother, and the unnamed women who do talk with named women aren't named.
it's a 1/3
Message posted on 2020-12-14 16:27:45
Mercédès Meyer disagreed with the rating and said:
Just watched the movie again,
3 named women
Pilar, Maggie and ‘Cordelia’
Only in one scene 2 of them are present
Maggie says to Pilar
‘Hold your Fire these guys are here to help’
It’s arbitrary to discuss if this one line by s female
To another female is talking about men, because Pilar doesn’t respond,
So it’s not a conversation and only passes 1/3
Please update
Message posted on 2021-03-20 22:30:37
Marilyn disagreed with the rating and said:
Like others were saying, one person saying 1 line to another without the other responding is not talking.
Message posted on 2021-11-11 23:27:46

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