The Losers
Yes, in all honesty, I did kind of doze off during this film, but it was after a long day at work and a longer break between said work and the movie. Usually I might wait until I’ve seen it again before writing it up, but I think my judgment is sound enough now to give it a fair shake.
Let’s start with Chris Evans. This guy has star written all over him, and his performance here is one of my favorites in this relatively young year. Yeah, he showed a jokey swagger in the “Fantastic Four” films that made those less intolerable, but as Jensen, the geeky tech of the titular team of black ops soldiers who’re on the lam when an operation goes awry, he’s really allowed to let his freak flag fly, making one anticipate his upcoming role as Marvel’s Captain America all the more. This is an actor one perfect role away from stardom.
Next, let’s look at Jeffrey Dean Morgan. As Clay, the leader of the ops team that is outed by the mysterious “Max” (Jason Patric in a winking and devious role), Morgan takes some of the misanthropic worldview of “Watchman’s” Comedian and turns it on its’ head, making this leader a smart man who cares about his unit, but also is acutely aware of how the world works.
And then, there’s Zoe Saldana, who between this, “Avatar,” “Star Trek,” and “Death at a Funeral” has been damn-near everywhere these days. I hope Hollywood’s recent infatuation doesn’t burn them out on hiring her, because aside from being genuinely “do-me” hot also has the sass, smarts, and strength to be a great ingenue for several years to come…provided she continues to get roles as well-considered as this one.
And then, there’s the movie itself. Why is it Warner Bros. has been so able to get the comics from Vertigo (an arm of DC) so right onscreen (see also “Constantine” and “V for Vendetta”), but save for the recent resurgence of Chris Nolan’s “Batman” franchise, doesn’t seem to know what to do with the company’s bread-and-butter characters (hopefully 2011’s “Green Lantern” will prove me wrong)? “The Losers” is a comic from DC’s Vertigo arm, and co-writers Peter Berg (who before directing the likes of “Hancock” and “The Kingdom” scripted the actioner “The Rundown”) and James Vanderbilt (“Zodiac”) make this material lightning fast and a lot of fun to watch, with director Sylvain White (“Stomp the Yard”- really?) absorbing a comic book aesthetic deep into this film’s DNA, making it as much fun to watch visually as it is to listen to when focusing on this odd bunch of characters. Still, “Losers” or not, you get on these guy’s side, whether it’s wanting to see Jensen make it to his niece’s soccer game or Pooch (Columbus Short) see his pregnant wife again, and yes the film maybe has a few too many plot twists than necessary, but when it’s this loose, and this enjoyable, do you really care? Really?
