Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality and language.
B
THE OPENING
The Losers was a fun action film with some cool characters, great action sequences, and a dumb story.
THE STORY
Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar are a group of U.S. Special Ops, who called themselves The Losers. They get sent into locations no one else would dare. Here, they're sent to Bolivia, to help get rid of someone who may not be what he appears. It also turns out that they are doing it at the behest of a mysterious man named Max, who tries to kill the Losers and get rid of any evidence he exists. After months of laying low, the group is sought out by Aisha, a mysterious woman in her own right. She works with the group to get them back to the U.S. and hunt down Max and at the same time, get her own revenge.
THE REVIEW
So the basic plot of a group of soldiers framed for a crime they didn't commit sounds slightly familiar, right? *cough* The A-Team *cough* There were some similarities to character types, but let's now dwell on that. The difference here is that the Losers are trying to help themselves get out of a sticky situation, rather than become a mercenary group for hire. Although who knows, that may come later on. But beyond the revenge plot, there's this whole story about Max getting weapons of mass destruction which can apparently take out an entire island without leaving a trace. The environmentally friendly weapon. His reasons for doing it? To make America safer by triggering a war. I love terrorists in movies who use that as an excuse. Let's kill millions in order to save... other millions? Anyway, I suppose they needed to throw in some kind of ridiculous story since simple revenge wouldn't work, but it was rather dumb. Thankfully, the Losers (and Aisha) were strong enough to overcome even a betrayal from one of their own.
Jason Patric plays Max, the mysterious man running the show. He appears to be part of the government himself in some form or another, but frankly his background was a little murky. He has this issue with his hand which was never explained either. Patric played Max as a smart but slightly insane guy who seems to just enjoy hurting people. He was so over-the-top that it was rather funny whenever he said anything. His reaction to one of his henchmen accidentally pushing someone over the edge of a building was one of the funnier moments of the film. While I didn't find him particularly creepy, he had enough menace about him to make him formidable.
Then there were the Losers. Clay was the leader of the group, the one who decides what to do and how to do it. He took the mistake in Bolivia personally, as it killed 25 orphans who he thought he had just saved. Jensen was the hot shot who thought he was a ladies man, although he never did manage to land one. He was the computer expert who could take a bullet and make you laugh at the same time. Roque was the mean one who looked like he'd just as soon cut your throat as drink with you. He was the one who just wanted to forget what happened and live their lives, but he also had no connections back home. Pooch was the driver - the one who could take a beaten down bus and make it run. The Black MacGyver he called himself. He left a pregnant wife behind and needed to get back for the birth of his son. And finally there was Cougar, the man who could shoot the wings off a fly from 1000 feet. I think he had maybe 10 lines the entire movie but had this supreme coolness about him that the audience dug. And finally there was Aisha who was as beautiful as she was deadly. She has her own reasons for tracking down Max, but her world is about to be turned upside-down.
All in all the characters are what saved the movie. They were all likeable in their own way as they all appeared to be fighting for something more important than themselves. Until one of them turned on the others in a moment that actually was a little surprising to me. Each character had their own quirk which made them stand out from the others and you rooted for all of them. The other thing that was a lot of fun was the action sequences. Whether it was Clay fighting Aisha in the most sexual hand-to-hand battle you'll see (complete with setting the room on fire) or watching Cougar shoot a fast-moving motorcycle leading to a chain of events that you have to see to believe, the action was fast paced and exciting. There were plenty of explosions and fireballs and gun fights to keep you on your toes. The movie clocks in at just under 100 minutes so there weren't a lot of dead spots. And even though the story was dumb, Jason Patric managed to make those scenes lighthearted and humorous enough that you may not even notice.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So overall, I liked The Losers. A stronger story would have helped, but the characters and the action managed to overcome a weak plot. I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel down the road somewhere.
Then there were the Losers. Clay was the leader of the group, the one who decides what to do and how to do it. He took the mistake in Bolivia personally, as it killed 25 orphans who he thought he had just saved. Jensen was the hot shot who thought he was a ladies man, although he never did manage to land one. He was the computer expert who could take a bullet and make you laugh at the same time. Roque was the mean one who looked like he'd just as soon cut your throat as drink with you. He was the one who just wanted to forget what happened and live their lives, but he also had no connections back home. Pooch was the driver - the one who could take a beaten down bus and make it run. The Black MacGyver he called himself. He left a pregnant wife behind and needed to get back for the birth of his son. And finally there was Cougar, the man who could shoot the wings off a fly from 1000 feet. I think he had maybe 10 lines the entire movie but had this supreme coolness about him that the audience dug. And finally there was Aisha who was as beautiful as she was deadly. She has her own reasons for tracking down Max, but her world is about to be turned upside-down.
