After finding out that Silvain White was directing the Losers, the only thing that popped into my mind was Chris Evans, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Zoe Saldana stomping the yard. As you can tell, Stomp the Yard and its ridiculous title made my eyes roll, only second to You Got Served (I did like the dance sequences). But my negative thoughts quickly disappeared and I was enjoying the movie.

Our Losers, Jensen (Chris Evans, playing a dorky but funny tech), Pooch (Columbus Short, he’s the weapons guy with a baby coming), Roque (Idris Elba, he’s a badass mofo with the knives and Clay’s right hand man), Cougar (Oscar Jaenada, the quite, calm sniper), and Colonel Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the leader of the group) are a special forces unit on a mission in South America. They were betrayed and left for dead, thanks to a sinister and mysterious dude named Max (Jason Patrick).

At first, I thought I was watching a movie directed by the bastard child of Tony Scott, Paul Greengrass and Michael Bay with quick pans, shaky cams, and quick cuts. Mr. White, are you trying to make my head explode? Don’t worry, it’s not that bad afterwards.

The story isn’t really fleshed out, but what stands out are the characters, especially Chris Evans as Jensen and Jason Patrick as Max. Watching Chris Evans, I can’t stop thinking about him as Captain America. In Losers, Chris Evans amps up the nerd factor and comedy, always with the funny remarks and he has no luck with the ladies. There’s a scene where he’s trying to flirt with Aisha (Zoe Saldana, the mysterious woman who helps out the Losers) with awkward lines like, “So, uhh, what are your hobbies?” He’s got the best lines and the best scenes including a song cameo, “Don’t Stop Believin’” and a Mexican standoff between three guards using handgun gestures.

Jason Patrick as Max reminds me of those cartoon bad guys who are so over-the-top, that there’s no way they can exist in the real world. He’s out to get the latest technology that can dematerialize matter and everyone around him is disposable. He’s always making awkward jokes and looks to his cronies for approval, but they just give him a blank stare. This kind of awkwardness is what makes Max a funny character.

Columbus Short as Pooch plays the supportive role as the weapons expert who motivates the team into getting back their lives because he has a wife and newborn to go back to. Oscar Jaenada as Cougar is just sitting back and enjoying the ride. Idris Elba as Roque to me comes off as whiney. Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Clay plays it very straight with morals and his love interest Zoe Saldana struts her stuff in just her underwear in slomo (me likey).

Comic book films are pretty solid these days and this one is no different. The Losers is full of fun and action with a couple of twists. The cast is the main appeal of the movie and they’re chemistry is good. If these reasons aren’t good enough for you, then watch it for Chris Evans wearing a pink shirt.

Grade: B

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