THE LOSERS proves to be a hilarious, action-packed thrill ride

Warner Bros. | 2010 | Rated PG-13 | 98 minutes

We’re all use to the big, summer blockbuster action films, replete with a driving soundtrack, so much excessive gunfire that one begins to wonder how either the good guys or the bad guys could stay in business with an ammo budget so high, and the requisite car chases, explosions galore and snappy one-liners. While these films grow exceedingly tiresome seeing the same stock story rolled out time and time again, THE LOSERS is actually something different. Yes, all of the above criteria are met in spades, but the fact is, THE LOSERS seems to be fresh and exciting. Based upon the DC Comics Vertigo comic book that ran from 2003-2006, THE LOSERS focuses on a group of Special Forces soldiers who are betrayed by their CIA handler Max and then left for dead. They decide to go to war against the evil Max to try and clear their names and to prevent him from carrying out any more of his diabolical plots. Staying true to the essence of the comics, THE LOSERS is wildly entertaining and one of the funnest times you’ll have at the theatre so far this year.

The film seamlessly blends together the cinematic and the world of comic books with some inspired cinematography including freeze frames during shooting sequences that capture the action and give it the individualistic feel of a comic book panel. Director Sylvain White (STOMP THE YARD) even chooses to introduce his characters to the audience by showing them in their original comic book forms at the beginning of the movie and this sets the tone for the entirety of the film. There are some pretty obvious nods to other cinematographic moments, including a slow motion walking scene reminiscent of Tarantino’s RESERVOIR DOGS, but for the most part, the look and feel of THE LOSERS never appears to just be another rehashing of the stock action film, but instead somehow comes across as being a fresh interpretation of the genre.

This is mostly attributed to a phenomenal cast, who while not household names, will definitely be recognizable, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan (John Winchester from “Supernatural”) as the Special Forces team leader Clay and Zoe Saldana (Uhura from STAR TREK) as the mysterious and deadly Aisha. Stealing the show though is Jason Patric (MY SISTER’S KEEPER) as the evil CIA agent Max. With a performance that is ripped directly from the pages of a comic book, Patric is able to do what Kevin Spacey was unfortunately not able to with his uber villain Lex Luthor in SUPERMAN RETURNS and create a quirky yet engaging antagonist.

That is the beauty of THE LOSERS. Even with stereotypical devices such as a cartoonish villain, in white suit with one gloved hand, or curt dialogue such as, “How is your steak?” “Medium.”, the film never descends into the tediousness that is usually found with stock storylines, but instead builds a momentum that carries the audience willingly through the entire film.

Adding to this a great tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, including Chris Evans’s (FANTASTIC FOUR) “Don’t Stop Believin’” scene that will have audiences in hysterics, THE LOSERS in the end is a surprisingly fun ride.

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Cover photo: CHRIS EVANS as Jensen in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Dark Castle Entertainment’s action thriller THE LOSERS, released by Warner Bros. Pictures. TM & © DC Comics. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures