Review: THE LOSERS

A group of highly trained CIA special ops go into a jungle mission that seems too easy and find that the mission isn’t what they expected. Double-crossed, the team sets out on a mission of their own to exact revenge on the man responsible for ruining their lives. The story of THE LOSERS is nothing terribly original, but it’s the over-the-top outrageous nature of the film’s action and intrigue as well as the performances that separate this movie from it’s many genre counterparts.

Directed by Sylvain White (STOMP THE YARD) and co-written by Peter Berg (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) and James Vanderbilt (ZODIAC), THE LOSERS is adapted from DC Vertigo’s graphic novel of the same name. The film flaunts a snarky sense of humor matched only by the ridiculousness of the action. THE LOSERS often feels like it’s poking fun at itself, rarely portraying any significant seriousness to the extreme level of danger at hand.

While the lack of seriousness may seem like a terrible detriment to the film, THE LOSERS is actually an extremely enjoyable popcorn flick. Tons of guns, explosions and hand-to-hand combat plaster the big screen, commanding the audience’s attention. Sylvain White combines this action with an energetic visual style and an equally energetic soundtrack, but it’s the cast that delivers the goods in this otherwise standard stock.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (WATCHMEN) plays Clay, operation control and team leader of The Losers. Clay’s team is comprised of four skilled specialists, including Roque the fighter (Idris Elba), Pooch the driver (Colombus Short), Cougar the sharpshooter (Oscar Jaenada) and Jensen the techie (Chris Evans). Together, they’re an unstoppable force, until they butt heads with the mysterious Max (Jason Patric).

All five of the actors that portray the losers give solid performances, working well together to create a fun and often slightly tense chemistry. Morgan has a certain on screen charisma that’s difficult to deny, which is why his character is the ladies’ man whose tendencies tend to land the team in trouble. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Chris Evans’s performance as Jensen is perhaps the second most enjoyable of the film, a wannabe ladies’ man who’s brains and smart mouth consistently results in him (figuratively) shooting himself in the foot.

Zoe Saldana (AVATAR, STAR TREK) is well on her way to proving she’s got real, lasting talent as an actress, once again delivering a solid performance with range, even in a film somewhat lacking these qualities on the whole. Saldana plays Aisha, a mysterious rogue agent of unknown origins that shows up to offer The Losers a job they can’t refuse.

The real gem of THE LOSERS turns out to be the bad guy, Max, played by Jason Patric (YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS). Max is a sort of hybrid concoction of several villainous cinematic clichés that have been gene-spliced together to create the ultimate in evil, immoral, crazy and cocky. Primarily apparent are the qualities of his ego and ambition, reminiscent of Lex Luthor, with the added flair criminal mastermind quirks, such as one gloved hand, nostalgic of Doctor No. Long story short, Patric will surprise audiences with his uncharacteristically off beat, comical and slightly insane portrayal of a criminal boss without limits.

THE LOSERS may not succeed at presenting an entirely original story, groundbreaking visual prowess or some deeper level of meaning or purpose, but what it does do is entertain an audience hoping for an action-packed, often humorous thrill ride, just for the fun of having a good time.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars