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As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, it becomes clear that summer is on its way—and, with it, those big-budget action movies like Iron Man 2 and Jonah Hex. With each new adrenaline-fueled, action-packed release, the excitement builds. But while director Sylvain White’s The Losers makes an enjoyable appetizer for the summer’s most anticipated releases, it also reminds us that we’re not quite there yet.
Colonel Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his CIA Special Forces team are in Bolivia when their latest mission goes horribly wrong, causing the deaths of a helicopter full of innocent kids. Presumed dead and blamed for the rogue mission gone awry, The Losers go into hiding while they try to figure out how to get back to the States unnoticed.
While in Bolivia, they meet Aisha (Zoe Saldana), who comes to them with a proposition: she’ll get them back into the States if they’ll kill Max (Jason Patric), the mysterious man who just happened to be behind the Bolivian mission. Aisha claims that Max is trying to start a massive international conflict, and she wants Clay and his men to stop him before it’s too late. Although Roque (Idris Elba) wants nothing to do with Aisha or her deal, the rest of the men follow Clay’s orders—even though they all know that they may not make it home alive.
Based on the comic series by writer Andy Diggle, The Losers is an explosive A-Team-like adventure—only this one comes complete with the stylized graphics, quick cuts, and corny one-liners that audiences expect from comic adaptations.
Adrenaline junkies will appreciate the fast and frenzied fight scenes and the massive blasts, though the story leaves something to be desired. In fact, the story often feels unimportant—just something to do between action sequences and one-liners. The details are pretty fuzzy, and the end is more a sequel setup than a satisfying conclusion.
The characters, too, aren’t developed as well as they could have been—and, for some, the most we get is a quick flash of each character’s name and specialty during the opening scenes. The rest is just action-film stereotype. Clay is the strong but benevolent leader with a weakness for women. Roque is the suspicious, insubordinate tough guy. Cougar (Óscar Jaenada) is silent but deadly. Pooch (Columbus Short) is the family guy. And Jensen (Chris Evans) is the chatty tech guy, who can be either amusing or annoying, depending on the scene.
The most entertaining (and intriguing) character, though, is Jason Patric’s Max, the megalomaniacal mystery man. He’s completely over-the-top—and often even ridiculous—but he’s so utterly and unquestionably malevolent that he adds personality to an otherwise rather commonplace action film.
Fortunately, though, The Losers refrains from taking itself too seriously, choosing instead to have some fun with the genre while fully embracing its geeky fanboy side. It’s irreverent and overcooked in the most amusing of ways. And although it may not be a flawless—or especially memorable—comic adventure, it’s entertaining nonetheless, and it’s sure to get you even more excited for what’s still to come this summer.
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