The Losers
A feel-good, enormously enjoyable blast of a summer movie
It may have comic book origins, but The Losers is way more A-Team than Kick-Ass. Having said that, it's so joyously overblown, I found it preferable to the try-hard latter. Seriously.
So, what's great about a film with bog-standard plot regarding a rogue CIA special ops team and a dastardly boss? For starters, the insanely fabulous cast, who create the ultimate buddy flick. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the leader of said team, betrayed by their mysterious boss in a surprisingly hard-hitting opening sequence in Bolivia. Dishevelled and devastatingly charming, the Watchmen star is a huge puppy dog of a man, sensitive in his approach to blowing shit up. Idris Elba (serious business, very imposing), Columbus Short (cute family man, no idea why he's in this job) and Oscar Jaenada (wears cool hat, great shot) make up the appealing Losers, always ready with a spectacular sequence or a witty quip. However, it's Chris Evans as the cocky, smart-arse tech whizz who almost steals the show, with his tragic tight t-shirts and soppy devotion to his niece's soccer team.
I say almost, because up pops Jason Patric in a demented performance that would give Nicolas Cage a run for his money. In a deadpan pastiche to movie bad guys, his evil Max is looking to take over the world by purchasing the deadliest of weapons. Look out for his less-than-effective haggling technique, a horrible but morbidly funny scene.
Battling against the testosterone is Zoe Saldana, a secret agent who turns up to help the boys get back to the US and get revenge. Yes, the Avatar star is a lithe, physical actress, but there are two, two extremely salacious shots of her on all fours. It's the only slightly uncomfortable bit in a film that is actually very tasteful when it comes to sex and violence, giving it a 12A rating. Most deaths are done for comedy effect (at the hands of Patric), jolting the viewer into remembering this is a comic book, and not to be taken at all seriously. Saldana and Morgan fight (blatant foreplay) and get it on, resulting in the hottest onscreen couple seen this year - sexy, tough and bold.
The whole thing is directed with flair by Sylvain White, who, while never finding his own style, cobbles together a gorgeous, glossy movie. The already fine-looking cast are shot in vibrant, rich colours and bathed in JJ Abrams-esque lens flare, with White capturing the quite obvious chemistry between the guys and gal. The snappy dialogue compensates for the unoriginal storyline, and for not caring as much as you should about the Losers' fate, which culminates in a suitably action-packed finale. Stay during the credits for an adorable and funny epilogue with Evans, a perfect ending to a feel-good, enormously enjoyable blast of a summer movie.
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