The Losers

Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Oscar Jaenada, Jason Patric
Directed by: Sylvain White
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The Losers (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Oscar Jaenada) are framed and almost killed by the mysterious Max (Jason Patric). They team with a woman (Zoe Saldana) out for revenge and plot to kill Max.

Review:

Tim: I was unfamiliar with "The Losers" comic book, so this movie felt less like a comic book movie, and more of an action movie, regardless of its origins. I was excited for it, because there have been too few truly enjoyable, borderline mindless action adventure movies lately. There is something to be said for shutting your brain off and just enjoying the ride. However, with The Losers, it doesn't exactly capture this. Any enjoyment you have is completely guilty, but there isn't enough enjoyment to go around.

The biggest problem is that this film is riddled with cliches. Our heroes, in the first five minutes, sacrifice themselves and risk death to save a group of orphan children. Later in the film, our villain pointlessly murders a female assistant for making a small mistake, which really wasn't her fault. It's these overly obvious cliches that hurt the movie. The film just seems so tired and redundant. There are some terrific scenes throughout the movie, but these can't solve the problem that the entire movie just feels recycled from previous films. That is the deathblow for this film.

The disappointing thing is that if not for the flaws, this could have been a very good movie. The cast might have worked well. I really like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but I am not sure if he is at that point in his career where he can carry a movie on his own. He looks charismatic and strong, but he needs more experience as an actor. As a result, I thought he did a good job, but not an outstanding one. I also typically like Zoe Saldana, but her character here was a bit weak. I liked seein her here, but she didn't really add a whole lot to the film. I wish her character had been more fully developed. Plus, she only has lukewarm chemistry with Morgan. This aspect of the film could have been stronger.

I was really glad to see Chris Evans cast in a supporting role here. I really like Evans and think he brings a great deal to his films. He was the funniest, most enjoyable actor in the film. I loved that he embraced his geeky side for this movie. That was a nice change of pace. Sadly, there are too many moments where his performance is forced and way, way too over-the-top. The writing was pretty bad, and he legitimately had some bad dialogue, but his performance wasn't always good, either. There is plenty of blame to go around. Idris Elba, Columbus Short, and Oscar Jaenada were fine as the rest of the Losers, but none of them really emerged with a particularly strong performance. At first, I loved the idea of Jason Patric being cast as the villain. However, his character and his performance were just too farfetched. I couldn't take him seriously because his one-dimensional, ridiculous character just didn't work. This movie needed a serious dose of restraint, and without it, the film disappointed.

There were some legitimately terrific moments throughout the film. Chris Evans' hands-as-guns moment was perhaps the highlight of the film, and one of the coolest scenes in recent memory. I desperately wish there were more of these moments. The assault on the motorcade was very cool, too. However, these moments are too few. The film's conclusion was a bit of a letdown, as it felt too bland and predictable. This hurts the film quite a bit.

The Losers is an average, run-of-the-mill action/adventure movie. I liked the idea of the cast, but with the weak script and the very silly dialogue, no one can manage to do much of anything of real impact. I was very surprised when this movie disappointed at the box office (although I never made it there myself), but now I know why. This isn't a very good movie. There are indeed some very good action scenes, and the back-and-forth banter between the Losers is occasionally entertaining. However, the strengths just don't manage to overcome the cliches and the flaws. This movie could have been much better. DC Comics really need to get their act together.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Jonah Hex, The A-Team, Watchmen, Cellular