“The Losers” Lives Up To Its Name

“The Losers” advertises itself as an exciting action film about a group of CIA black ops soldiers who are sold out and left for dead by a member of their very own agency.  Based on a comic series by Andy Diggle, at first glance this film has the makings to be another major player in the string of comic adaptations to hit the big screen.  What director Sylvain White actually delivers though is a cliché movie that has uninteresting characters and never puts its heroes in real danger.

Three enjoyable aspects of the film come to mind: Chris Evans, a well-known song by the band Journey, and the villain Max played by Jason Patric.

Of the guys in the team, the communications officer Jensen played by Chris Evans  is by far the most entertaining.  His inability to talk to women, his offbeat sense of humor, and his penchant for wildly colored tee-shirts gives him more personality than the rest.

Without providing spoilers as to the exact song featured by Journey, it’s almost impossible to think of the band without thinking of this song.  Since Journey is a personal favorite, it’s easy for the movie to gain credibility based on music selection.

Jason Patric’s Max is an absolute a-hole for lack of a better word.  This guy is just a grade-A jerk who does not give a damn about anyone else.  He’s willing to do anything to accomplish his own evil plans, and he does not accept failure.  Max is so thoroughly unlikable you spend the whole time hoping the Losers take him down in a major way.

The rest of the film’s characters are one-dimensional and do not establish a rapport with the audience.  You do not feel any attachment or sympathy for them even when you discover one of them is working with the bad guys.

Visually it’s actually kind of pretty, which is surprising because it does not use refined slow motion shots that seem to be typical of the genre.  Action scenes look pretty through the lens of the camera, but they do not convey much excitement or danger for the Losers.  This is the type of movie where the packaging and the advertising looks enticing but when you get down to the content, it’s pretty disappointing.

My Grade: C-