Film Review with Robert Mann – The Losers

1st June 2010

The Losers ****

As titles for action movies go, The Losers is hardly a winner. After all, it’s hardly a title that’s likely to draw in the action film crowd – anyone deciding whether or not to see the film based on its title alone would likely get the perception that the film’s protagonists are more likely to get their asses kicked than kick ass themselves – as evidenced by the film’s weak performance at the box office in America. Of course, it also hasn’t been helped by the fact the the trailers have made it look a lot like a low budget copy of this summer’s A-Team movie. You shouldn’t be put off by the title, however, or the fact that the film does bare more than a few similarities with The A-Team in its marketing, as The Losers – based on the comic series of the same name by Vertigo Comics – is in fact a very distinctive film that ensures that it overcomes any lack of confidence in it created by its title and establishes itself as a film that stands on its own – certainly not a masterpiece of filmmaking but a guilty pleasure that is definitely worth checking out.

An elite US Special Forces unit are sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. The team – leader Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), ruthless second-in-command Roque (Idris Elba), tech expert Jensen (Chris Evans), pilot Pooch (Columbus Short) and sniper Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) – find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max (Jason Patric). Presumed dead, the group make plans to even the score, and are joined by Aisha (Zoe Saldana), a mysterious agent with her own agenda. Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war.

It’s a real shame that The Losers didn’t perform better on its US release as, while it is indeed no masterpiece, there really is a lot to enjoy about it. This is one of those action movies that doesn’t take itself too seriously and it is this willingness on the part of director Sylvain White and screenwriters Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt to indulge so heavily in the OTT style that is prevalent here that makes the film work so well. There is no pretense of deeper substance or greater meaning, just an acceptance that a too serious approach would lessen the fun that is to be had with the concept. The film embraces it comic book roots, not being an entirely faithful adaptation of its source material but straying true to the comic style, with effective use (but not overuse) of comic panels in the opening studio idents and the introduction of the film’s protagonists, a fresh twist on on-screen text revealing the locations as the film’s events traverse the globe and vibrant use of colour in the cinematography which makes for a film that is very visually appealing. The comic style is also present in the action sequences and, while this is perhaps not the most action packed film you will see this year, the shootouts and fights are well choreographed and executed with precision and pinache, ensuring that they deliver exactly the kind of thrills you would hope for from a film such as this. Additionally, the old school approach that seems to have been adopted for shooting many of these sequences – i.e. shooting them practically as opposed to saturating them with CG effects – makes the result all the more satisfying. There is some CGI used in places but it never feels gratuitous or in your face, indeed being quite well done. On the writing front, the film also delivers for the most part. While the concept is hardly an original one and the story is pretty by the numbers, there are a few plot surprises in store and the characters are each imbued with their own distinctive personalities and quirks, as well as being given slick and sharp dialogue to speak which makes the banter between the characters seem organic and at times very funny. The humour is also a strong point, never feeling unnecessary or out of place and always a natural result of the interactions between the film’s disparic protagonists. The characters are all well realised by the film’s cast who, while hardly warranting any awards for their performances, all thoroughly entertain and convince as they are required to. Everyone delivers to some extent but a few stand out over the rest. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s natural charisma makes him perfect for the leading role, Chris Evans delivers wisecraks with his usual pitch perfect precision, Idris Elba perfectly capture the ruthless essence of his character and Zoe Saldana is the perfect balance of tough and sexy. As the villain of the piece, Jason Patric is evil incarnate, a bad guy with no human side, a James Bond style cartoon villain but a thoroughly entertaining one at that. So, overall, The Losers is a case of style over substance that works exactly because of its distinctive look and feel. It is enjoyably OTT and packed with enough thrills and laughs to ensure that you won’t feel like a loser if you see it.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

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