Just when I thought movies made out of the comic book craze were over, another film is made based on yet another comic book.
But this time, the movie has a cheeky, comical sensibility. Don’t get me wrong. The Losers is not a saccharine sweet film about super heroes. It’s more of a violent comedy.
In The Losers, Clay played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his unit — Pooch (Columbus Short), Roque (Idris Elba), Jensen (Chris Evans), and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) — are running a government ops mission that goes wrong. In the process, all five men are believed to be dead and have nothing left to do but track down the man responsible for their predicament. The man in question is simply named Max (Jason Patric), some kind of super American that even the CIA won’t touch.
The plot is a little far-fetched, but has its own comedic moments. Screenwriters Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt showed just how ruthless Max can be by having him shoot his assistant for not keeping his umbrella steady over his head. Even though that sounds pretty violent, with the film’s PG-13 rating, director Sylvain White managed to make the scene comical. That’s not the only comical scene in the film.
From start to finish, The Losers pokes fun at other action films that take themselves too seriously. You get the strong sense that the actors had fun playing their roles and ad-libbing. Between Jensen’s need to be a sensitive, yet nicely buffed man and Pooch’s need to bring the group together, they bring a lot of lightness to a run-of-the-mill terrorist/action movie plot.
Speaking of the actors, Morgan is way more likable than his Comedian in Watchmen. And Elba’s Roque is a little whiney for my taste. I prefer my Idris Elba to be his regular suave, in-control self, rather than some sniveling, complaining, shifty-eyed man.
Short as Pooch gets to flex his comedic and action muscles without having to dance for it. Short had a little help playing the family man from real-life wife Tanee McCall, who plays Pooch’s pregnant wife, Jolene. McCall got only a few minutes in the entire film; which isn’t so bad; but she still has some growing to do in the believable acting department.
Evans is hilarious in Losers. He’s quietly making the ranks in Hollywood, which is good. His smart role choices are paying off. Evans is going to be Captain America in the Avengers franchise, out in 2011; a well-sought after role.
Zoe Saldana, who plays Aisha, kicks butt as she brings a feminine touch to the film and the men. It’s nice to see a female in an action film who doesn’t need a knight in shining armor.
Newcomer Jaenada is the ultra sexy silent type in Losers. His role in the film is more silent and deadly, but welcomed, nonetheless. What’s so great about Jaenada is that he’s mysterious, with a wink.
All in all, The Losers is a great watch. It does have quite a bit of violence, but not so much that its audience would be grossed out. I only had to cover my eyes one time during the whole movie.
KAliciaG@Aol.com
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