Review of JDM's "The Losers"

Back in January when I went to visit MJ, we went to see a couple of movies. While paying for the tickets for one of those movies, I earned a free movie pass. Monday was the last day before it expired, so I zipped over to the nearest theater to see The Losers, starring Papa Winchester...ah, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans (the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies), and some dudes I didn't know but ended up liking. Seems appropriate that I used the free pass to see a JDM movie since MJ is such a JDM fan.

The Losers is based on a series of graphic novels and has a bit of an A-Team vibe to it. In fact, there was a trailer for the new A-Team before the movie. Since I like JDM, wise-cracking humor and movies where things go boom, I and the five or six guys scattered around the theater were set for a good couple of hours. The premise is a familiar one among summer popcorn movies -- team of elite military types goes on mission, something unexpected and crappy happens on mission, a truly evil bad guy emerges as the focus of the team's hatred, and they proceed to kick some ass and take some names while going after said evil bad guy. Oh, and throw in a hot, kick-ass chick (this time Zoe Saldana of Star Trek and Avatar, my two favorite movies of the past year) just for good measure. This setup can be a recipe for a good movie or truly awful dreck, depending on how it's handled. The Losers was very entertaining for several reasons.

* JDM as the team leader, Clay. He can still kick butt, but he doesn't have to be all serious, all the time Papa Winchester.

* Chris Evans is so darn funny. He's one part dweeby computer hacker, one part wise-cracker, one part soldier. Plus, his character's name is Jensen. How funny is that?





























* Columbus Short, who plays Pooch, has some really funny lines too, even calling himself the Black McGyver aka Blackgyver. He and Evans play well off of each other.

* A new-to-me actor named Oscar Jaenada. He's the strong, silent, deadly-with-a-rifle type named Cougar. I admit it, I may have drooled. I also admit this character might now be my computer wallpaper.





























* For a girl skinny enough that she looks like a good swift breeze might break her, Zoe Saldana sure can more than hold her own against all the guys she plays against. For someone I'd not heard of before Star Trek came out last year, she has become one of the actresses I enjoy watching quite a lot. I might outweigh her, but I wouldn't want to meet her character, Aisha, if she didn't like me.





























* Jason Patric as the deliciously evil, impeccably well-dressed Max. He's the guy you love to hate but can't help but chuckle when he delivers some of his lines.

The Losers is set up to be the first in a series of movies, so I hope it can rise above mediocre weekend numbers at the box office and so-so reviews in some places so we can get those additional installments.

Have you seen The Losers? What did you think? Here's the trailer for your viewing pleasure: