“A FILM WITH FIREPOWER”
Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short and Jason Patric
Directed by: Sylvain White
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality and language.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Thriller and Adaptation
Release date: April 23, 2010
By John Delia
Another film based on a comic book called The Losers blasts into theatres and although the acting isn’t as good as in Kick-Ass, it still entertains. The dark action adventure is more like the upcoming A-Team rather than the ‘superhero’ script of Kick-Ass and The Losers lacks their hard-core dialogue. But, if it’s high-energy thrills you are looking for then look to The Losers for a shot to kick up your male testosterone levels.
A dark film with intermittent comedy, The Losers concerns a different type of hero, an elite U.S. Special forces team that together are taking on a military weapons dealer king pin who wants to take over the world. But I’m getting ahead of the story. Team Captain Clay (Morgan), Jensen (Chris Evans), Roque (Idris Alba), Pooch (Columbus Short) and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) fake their deaths when their mission in the Bolivian jungle goes badly and some children get killed setting the squad up for the fall. They are longing to get back to the U.S. but are hiding until they can prove their innocence. When Aisha (Saldana) shows up talking about a plan that can set them free, Clay reluctantly takes the proposal.
The movie features a rather unknown cast of B list actors that do their best to bring their characters to life. Except for a hot Zoe Saldana (the blue bomb shell from Avatar) who kicks, shoots and claws her way though the film, there isn’t a whole lot of exceptional performances. Morgan (a Javier Bardem look alike) cruises through the movie spouting dialogue but doesn’t seem to have control of his character. He actually looks too old for the part and not aggressive enough to be a leader.
I did like the performances by Jason Patric as Max the antagonist and Oscar Jaenada as Cougar. Patric plays this wisecracking, uncaring; mean ass killer who thinks that slaughtering a busload of Bolivian Kids is just collateral damage. Most of the dark comedy surrounds Max and he pulls it off very chillingly.  Jaenada has the task of bringing a character to life that doesn’t have a lot of dialogue. His actions blew me away, like shooting a target blocks away with pinpoint accuracy or blowing up a cyclist in order to take out a more important target. Well, you have to see it to know what I mean.
The film ends with sequel written all over it and rightly so because this could easily be a franchise if all goes well at the box-office. But, and that’s a huge BUT, it goes up against it’s arch enemy another comic book flick called Kick-Ass. It will be fun to see who kicks the biggest butt this weekend and my money is on Kick-Ass with The Losers, well loosing, yet trailing very close behind.
The Losers is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality and language.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A bold action film with some firepower. (3.5 of 5 Palm Trees)