Movie Review: "The Losers"
Franck Tabouring
Seen on: April 20, 2010
The players: Director: Sylvain White, Writers: Peter Berg, James Vanderbilt, Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Jason Patric
Facts of interest: Sylvain White also directed "Stomp the Yard."
The plot: After a CIA black ops team is double-crossed by a ruthless official, they set out to seek revenge.
Our thoughts: Sylvain White’s “The Losers” are hitting the big screen this weekend, and believe it or not, it’s actually not a disaster. If you’re walking into this one without the highest expectations, chances are you’ll be leaving your screening both surprised and satisfied. “The Losers” is a completely ridiculous experience, but in a way, that’s exactly what makes it somewhat interesting.
As the movie opens, we meet Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar, the members of a CIA black ops team ordered to carry out a risky mission in the Bolivian jungle. When things suddenly spin out of control and the gang quickly realizes they’ve been double-crossed and left for dead by a powerful CIA official named Max, they decide to head out and seek revenge against those who betrayed them.
Joining them in their battle against the agency they used to work for is Aisha, a beautiful, yet mysterious woman who claims she can help them get to their target as long as they promise to let her personally deal with Max once and for all. With time running out, these so-called losers embark on an explosive mission to clear their names and stop a maniac from destroying the world as we know it.
“The Losers” is by no means the best comic book adaptation out there, but as a mindless action flick that doesn’t take itself seriously and clearly enjoys taking every single thing over the top, it works. This film is the epitome of a stupid movie stuffed with cheesy humor, a chaotic plot and eccentric characters, but much to my surprise, White made it all flow together pretty well.
None of what we get to see on the big screen in this thing is particularly new or even impressive, but White and his production team did a solid job at giving their film a pretty unique look. The visual style is what keeps things interesting throughout, and the crazy editing and strong color timing mostly overshadow the simplicity of the stunts and countless shoot-outs.
Other than that, there’s not much else to go crazy over in “The Losers.” Everything happens really fast and viewers are pretty much required to buy everything they see on the screen without asking a single questions, and a couple of explosive moments and laughable plot twists later, Clay and his gang are engaging in a showdown as absurd as a showdown in an overblown action pic can get.
I know it may not exactly seems that way, but it all is somewhat entertaining enough to keep watching until the end. One other thing the movie has going for it is the solid cast. Everybody gets to have a lot of fun, and in some way, that energy translates very well into the performances. Chris Evans makes some stupid jokes, Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a convincing leader, and Zoe Saldana just looks stunning.
The highlight, however, is Jason Patric in the role of Max, the deranged villain. I’m not saying his acting here is outstanding, but his character and the way he plays him make for the film’s funniest moments. I know the goal is not to laugh at a villain, but Max’s attitude and his way of displaying he’s a tough bad boy is just priceless. That guy alone earns this film points, I can tell you that much.
Freaky quote: "Want your life back? You're gonna have to steal it!" - Jeffrey Dean Morgan
The final word: If you’re looking for some brainless action entertainment this weekend, “The Losers” will do the job, for sure. None of what you get to see in this thing has the ability to blow you away (especially in terms of action and suspense), but the film’s crazy style saves it some embarrassment. Would I revisit “The Losers”? Probably, yes…
Article by Franck Tabouring
Reader Comments (3)
How can you say that Patrics acting is not outstanding, yet you call him the highlight of the film? you sat his " character" is the funniest and his actions are "priceless" Do you think this just came out of nowhere? Perhaps that it was destined to be from the script? You are contradicting yourself.
Patric has been a stellar actor for almost 25 years now. He has never palyed a role like this, and if you thought Max was the best thing in the film, clearly an actor of Patric's caliber is the reason that the mark was made.
I saw the movie Tuesday, and I thought that Patric was BRILLiaNT. He had the entire moviehouse in hysterics.
Loser gets a 7, Patric gets a 10.
It's very simple: just because he is the highlight of this movie does not mean he deserves an Oscar. Just because he drops some cool lines and does well as a bad boy and makes people laugh because he is so ridiculous does not mean his acting is brilliant. After all, what he said came from the script, first of all, and most of what he said was funny in itself. Patric added a lot to it, but no, I would not call his performance amazing. As for the "priceless" quote, I clearly say Max as the character, his behavior. Sure, Patric brings him to life, but I don't think it took the last energy and effort out of him to act this silly.
The Losers plays like a grungy, sweaty action movie with all the energy sucked out of it. If while you're sitting in the theater watching it, you suspect that someone might have pumped Valium into the air conditioning vents, you're not alone.