THE LOSERS
(PG-13)
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After being framed for a horrible crime in Bolivia, an elite team of special ops soldiers have a chance to clear their name. A mysterious woman with connections to the American government offers to get them back to their home country if they help her take down the rogue CIA agent code-named Max.
WHAT I LIKED
Earlier this year, I said that a film like “The Losers” is something for guys like me, who like explosive action flicks. It whetted my appetite for “The A-Team,” which came out later in the summer, and I found this adaptation of the DC comic to be a hell of a lot of fun.
“The Losers” isn’t to be taken too seriously. The characters are extreme in their silliness and machismo. It’s really a place for certain actors to shine. Jeffrey Dean Morgan continues to build his credibility as a comic book anti-hero after “The Watchmen” in the lead. But it was Chris Evans as the dorky tech guy who really showed off the charm and proved that he has the chops to be Captain America.
In some ways, “The Losers” reminds me of a big, fat episode of “Burn Notice” with the explosive military strikes and the tongue-in-cheek humor of its characters. And it doesn’t hurt to have Zoë Saldana adding a little bit of feminine wiles to the group.
Sadly, this film did not do well at the box office, and it’s not perfect, but it’s still an enjoyable romp through gasoline and gunpowder.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Both when I watched this movie in the theaters and when I revisited it on Blu-ray, I couldn’t decide whether I liked Jason Patric’s goofy version of the villain. While I enjoyed his one-liners and some of his antics, I found him to be a little tedious. It’s a love-it or hate-it sort of character.
The other problem is that the movie leaves too many loose ends, hoping for a sequel that now seems unlikely (at least on the big screen) considering the film’s poor box office.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
In addition to being packaged with the DVD that includes digital copy, the Blu-ray includes a handful of featurettes that run five to ten minutes each. These include a spot about the military advisors, a look at the action, a look at shooting in Puerto Rico, interviews with the authors of the graphic novel and a spotlight on the lovely Miss Saldana.
There’s also a deleted scene which is somewhat insightful, as well as a 13-minute look at the upcoming Batman animated feature “Under the Red Hood.”
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
People who just couldn’t wait to see “The A-Team.”