"The Losers:" B
Big guns, bigger explosions, crazy villains, fast-paced shootouts and a steamy love interest — it’s all an action fan can ask for. “The Losers” delivers even more.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short and Oscar Jaenada are an elite team of black-ops agents who are burned by the enigmatic Max (Jason Patric). Once in exile, they are approached by Aisha (Zoe Saldana), who promises them intelligence and aid in their quest for retribution. Naturally, a bloody barrage of bullets and vengeance ensues. It’s bedlam of the best variety with violence, humor and a playful self-awareness of absurdity. Still, it always stays just the right side of acceptable.
From the first moments, “Losers” sets a runner’s pace, sprinting energetically through a plot that needs no explanation and really shouldn’t be thought through too much. The Losers are good, Max is bad — that’s about all we really need to know. And that knowledge fuels a whirlwind international tour from South America to the Middle East and on to the United States. It doesn’t really matter where we are; all the audience cares about is that things go boom and we can laugh as they do — both of which offer a constant and enjoyable payoff.
While many action movies simply throw a bunch of likable guys on screen and pray that they’ll have chemistry, the Losers actually do. Each plays a unique role in the group dynamic, and each has their own personal brand of bravado and humor. Morgan is a leader that’s better at getting his team into trouble than out of it. Evans is the techno whiz — an over-the-top but ever-loveable dork who playfully feigns telekinetic powers. Jaenada is a world class who sniper can shoot the security guards harassing Evans from half a mile away. Elba carries enough knives to make Rambo and Crocodile Dundee jealous, and Short is thoroughly fun as the driver, pilot and demolitions expert of the team.
Never to be taken lightly, the Losers are always bad ass and often funny. No one character truly steals the screen, although Evans and Morgan certainly make their best efforts to stand out.
Director Sylvain White has come a long way from “Stomp the Yard,” his last directorial effort. “The Losers” knows better than to take itself too seriously. The violence is always fun, even though the stakes are life and death — not that we ever have a doubt who will emerge victorious. What we don’t know is how funny “Losers” manages to be, often turning to comedy spurred by ridiculous and fun action, as well as the ever palpable chemistry between the cast.
Based on a graphic novel of the same name by Andy Diggle, “The Losers” does, at times, have a true comic book feel. Usually a good thing, sometimes it does come too close to comic book and too far from movie, although it never makes the break entirely. Shots sometimes change at a dizzying pace, but it’s done in a fashion usually effective for building speed and energy into the scene.
A fun action flick, “The Losers” has the guns, bombs and beautiful women in all the right places. The cast sparks lightning, and you don’t want to miss it.
You can reach this staff writer at bkoenig@theeagleonline.com.
