When a film hits the cinemas and you read the cast list and say WHO?, or 2 days before it gets released and you see a trailer and go WHAT? I always wonder one of 2 things - firstly, is this film that bad that no one has been talking about it and secondly, and most hopefully you discover a hidden gem that creeps up on you and covers all the basis for a great film - a total unexpected joy to behold.
And The losers definitely scores in the latter!!
On a closer look a few faces start to become familiar. The first is Clay, the lead character - he starred in "Watchmen" as Eddie Blake (The Comedian) and a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy and also Jensen, The Human Torch from Fantastic Four and the pre-announced "Captain America" due out in 2012. Add in Mr Jason Patrick from "Speed 2" and a leading lady who looks more like Thandie Newton than Thandie Newton does but isn't and all of a sudden you have an A-List to brag about.
You would be easily forgotten for believing this is a poor mans A-Team and the soldiers of fortune, wanted by their own government looking to clear their names definitely puts it in the same league but I thought this was great and should be considered not as a cheap imitation, but as a pretty good film in its own right.
It is full of action, humour, some nakedness and not forgetting some big ass guns. There is also and an egg shaped device that disintegrates land mass which is cool, albeit a little O.T.T
Easy plot, 5 guys in Bolivia call in an air strike on Mr Nasty Baddie before realising that 25 kids are in-house. A brave 8 minute rescue and 1 execution later the kids are free and the place is annihilated with seconds to spare.
Due to limited space on the evac chopper the kids go first leaving our heroes behind but sadly a devastating call of an air strike designed to take out the "losers" end up with the murder of 25 innocent kids by Max, a nasty CIA black ops dude hell bent on global destruction / domination.
Revenge takes it toll and when an opportunity rises for a return to the states to clear their names the plot races forward with a surge of brilliance through about 8 global cities to hunt down those responsible.
That's the action covered so onto the comedy. It does all of the above with a distinct hint of sarcasm and one of the funniest bits by far is Jensen's escape though a tower block, aptly set to the soundtrack of "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. Chris Evans (Jensen) is responsible for 90% of the humour in this and by far one of his best roles to date.
Another comic book re-make? You would think so. The the animators, especially in the title sequences have added a slant of Marvel meets DC with a slice of 2000 AD added but it does not carry the cheese of a Marvel movie, and the absence of Stan Lee confirmed it. So was it a comic book?
Yes. After a bit of web-searching the "Losers" comic book was published in 2004 under the "D.C Vertigo" label. Nerd Alert !!! (sorry!)
If, like me you cant wait for the A-Team then this is a great warm up to it, but it easily stands on its own too feet.
A hidden Gem, definitely.
See this movie if...............BOOM!
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