THE LOSERS
US, 2010, 97 minutes, Colour.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jason Patric, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana.
Directed by Sylvain White.
Unfortunately, somebody else got in before me with The Dirty Five or The B Team. But that kind of indicates what to expect from this movie version of a comic strip. It is certainly written like one, filmed like one and acted like one – even to the most impossible high diving catch in movie history.
We are introduced to the five, with their action skills, before they go on an ill-fated mission to destroy a drug house. The villain behind the scenes then emerges as an oddball sounding and fashionably tailored megalomaniac who is not burdened by scruples about taking human life – and Jason Patric plays him just like that, a real comic strip, smooth baddie.
Just when we thought it was going to be a really macho show, in comes Aissa (Zoe Saldana from Avatar and Star Trek) and shows that where punch ups are needed (or, as here, not needed, but fought nonetheless) she is not to be beaten.
It starts in Bolivia, proceeds to Miami, while the villain seems to be able to turn up anywhere in the world from Mumbai to Los Angeles, and does.
There is revenge, betrayal, tricks and explosions going off big time. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the leader with Idris Elba clashing with him and Chris Evans doing some amusing turns as a computer nerd who is also big with action.
For those who enjoy the same old, same old...
1. The popularity of this kind of action adventure? The CIA? Covert operations? Latin America? Rogue agents?
2. Locations, Bolivia, the jungle? The druglords and missions? The compounds? Action sequences? Musical score?
3. The focus on Clay, the leader, the members of the group? Roque, Jensen? The strike? Confronting the druglords?
4. The compound, the slave children, their role in drug distribution?
5. Max, the commander, the planning of the mission, the request to call off the strike, his refusal? The shooting down of the helicopter with the children on board?
6. Clay, leader of the group on the ground, The Losers, the attempt to rescue the children? Max turning on the Losers?
7. Aisha, contacting Clay, helping to smuggle the Losers back home, the return to the US? Gratitude towards Max, vindictive?
8. The Losers and the attacks on Max, Max and the selling of weapons, to terrorist clients?
9. Aisha, the relationship with Clay, the revelation of who she was, the daughter of the drug lord? The death of the drug Lord, Aisha and her reaction, breaking with Clay, wanting revenge?
10. Max, the port, Max getting the weapons? Roque and his change of heart, betrayal, sabotaging the mission? His being killed, Max escaping?
11. Aisha and her help? Resuming the relationship with Clay? The Losers surviving, continuing their work?
