Although it’s based off the DC/Vertigo comic book series also titled The Losers, I can’t help but make the comparison of this action packed film to the A-Team which was released about a month and a half after it. The concepts of a group of U.S. Special Forces members who are framed and forced to live life on the run are rather similar. But despite the related aspects, it does still hold its own as a product of entertainment and enjoyment.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, and Oscar Jaenada make up the team of Losers. Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar are, as stated before, members of a U.S. military Special Forces team. While on an assignment in the jungles of Bolivia, they are set up to be killed but narrowly avoid this consequence while an innocent group others take their place instead. After being believed that this mishap was completely their fault, they have no choice but to remain in Bolivia.
Unable to re-enter the United States, they are approached by a woman named Aisha (Zoe Saldana) who offers to get them back into the U.S. if they agree to help her stop the man who is responsible for trying to kill them. After disagreements and debates within the group, they agree to take her up on her offer and form a plan to capture this mystery man known only as Max (Jason Patric).
As I said before, this film was pretty close in attire to the A-Team but stood alone on certain qualities. The addition of a female character, Aisha, who seemingly became another member of the team in order to complete their common goal, had a little more taste to it than your common eye candy. She, of course, held her own. Lethal, skilled, intelligent and very sexy, she brought a much desired attribute to a group of testosterone-only soldiers.
Although not the funniest action film I’ve seen, it contained more comedy that was actually funny than I expected. The majority of the comic relief derived from the characters simply being themselves and not from them forcing unneeded jokes into the dialogue. With each member showcasing their own specific skills as well as personality and how those features related to their position on the team contributed to that factor.
In addition to the already established camaraderie between the team, Jeffrey Morgan’s character, Clay, showed a lot of care and responsibility for his team as leader. According to sources, Morgan took his role as leader very seriously and showed up on set everyday even if he wasn’t shooting a scene. Perhaps that level of professionalism and attention carried through into his role and showed up in the finished product.
The action and special effects were probably the best parts of the film. Using a lot of slow motion visuals and explosions, director Sylvain White did a good job of not going overboard with it which can take away from other characteristics of a movie. Decent hand-to-hand fight scenes and stand offs were well put together and did their part in entertaining although not very breathtaking.
With a respectable plotline and fun special effects, this movie finishes at an honest spot on the lengthy list of good action movies. I would still place A-Team higher but perhaps because it holds a sacred spot from my childhood. I give The Losers “3.5 stories of framed special forces teams out of 5”.
“That’s right bitches; I got a crossbow!”
A lot of people have compared The Losers with The A-Team. And it isn’t hard to see why. They both are specially trained units with a hardened yet loveable leader. They both are exiled (in their own ways) from the USA, and they both have great action set-pieces.
But what makes them different are the actual characters themselves and this is where The Losers win.
All the actors have moments to shine and this works well, especially Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chris Evans. I do have to say that I was not the biggest Chris Evans fan, but after seeing him in this, I am now a fan.
The action is great and comic-bookish, but what do you expect from an adaptation of a comic series.