The Losers (2010 97 mins) Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana , Chris Evans, Jason Patric

   The Losers centers around a team of CIA black operatives who do deadly jobs. However, someone tries to execute the team themselves but they manage to survive. They then need to find out who wants them dead and take them out themselves. It’s a typical A-Team type group with everyone having their “role” on the team and everyone is funny and quippy. I abosltely loved this movie. I tend to enjoy the team type movies with this premise. Sure it’s not entirely new (I am starting to think all the ideas of the world have been done a ton of times and all we get now is variations on the same 20 or so stories) but these guys are all likable and it makes the movie work. Jason Patric plays the maniac behind the attempted assassination and the movie’s villain. He plays it with such humor and aloofness that it almost comes off ridiculous, but it’s a perfect psycho intelligent villain. We want to both see him die and see him kill someone every time he is on screen.

   The Losers is based on a comic by DC. I am kinda surprised it didn’t do well at the movies b/c it’s such a fun escapist movie. I have one problem with the plot, but it’s a minor one and a spoiler so I will save it for after the verdict so that I don’t ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it and wants to. I am really hoping they make more of these b/c I really would like to see these guys working together in another movie. It kind of reminds me of the Ocean’s movies and the dynamic they all have together. However, unless the DVD and overseas sales turn out to be great I doubt it will happen but we can all hold out hope.

Verdict—> Get this movie if you see it. I put this in the top tier of Red Box rentals. Fun script with good actors and a lot of action make this a great movie. Get it witch Clash of the Titans for a good one two punch of action goodness!

Ok now the Spoiler/Rant ALERT!!!

One thing I absolutely hate, that action movies like to do, is the turncoat/traitor/sellout angle. Sometimes you can see it coming with the whole “new guy” on the team. But often it’s just a random thing the writer/directer uses for just throwing in the twist. Here, I absolutely hated it. There is no reason for it in this movie, other then to move the story along. It just doesn’t work as a plot twist. It’s simply not believable in the story. If these guys were supposed to be team members in the military/CIA for YEARS. You do not become, and stay, one of these members without full trust and love for the fellow team member. There is NO WAY one of these guys would turn in a member for greed, I just don’t buy it. Think of it this way, do you think BA Baracus would turn on one of the A-Team? No way no how. So stop using it Hollywood.

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