Zchill in his natural habitat; animation.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Losers

Do you remember The Losers? It was one of the three or four movies this year where there is a group of commandos who get framed and work to clear their name (The A Team, The Expendables). The problem with The Losers is that it's like rush hour traffic. Just when you feel like the story and characters are likable, the movie comes to a screeching halt. Kind of a shame too, the trailer made it seem better than it turned out to be.

What I liked: Now there is a good deal to like about the movie, Even though there was no flow. Chris Evans was easily the best actor out there with charm enough to spare, this makes me excited that he's Captain America. The off-beat dialogue worked pretty well for the most part. The main villain Max was especially villainous, killing or having anyone killed who was going to get in his way. The action scenes were pretty good. Really, there's nothing special here. The characters are pretty much the saving point of this movie. If anything makes it watchable, it's the characters--specifically Chris Evans.

What I didn't like: We've mentioned the flow now let me elaborate on it. Usually in a movie, there is a running thread that ties all the plot together, and in this movie that thread is hard to find. I think a bit of that has to do with it being based on comics, which are released as stories you read every month. You can't effectively build tension in the scenes where you constantly having to slow down to try to be faithful to the source material. It just makes for a choppy movie and for action that just seems pointless since it's not building to anything. It's like the movie is caught between exposition and action and the movie suffers because of it. Also, the reason behind the villain's villainy is never really explained, and that kind of bothered me. Oh and a final note, the movie set itself up for a sequel instead of wrapping up the story it tried to tell making the whole movie kind of pointless. I guess the title was referring to the paying public who saw this movie.

Damn, I didn't think I didn't like it that much, but there you go.

"Okay wiseguy what should I watch instead?"

Okay so we have a theme of wrongfully accused group of people trying to accomplish the same goals in a modern movie that doesn't suck? Come on guys you make this too easy. Inception, all the way. Who didn't see that coming? Anyone?

I can't think of a reason to recommend this movie other than if you're a Chris Evans fan/ curious what he can bring to the Captain America role. Or, you know, you want to see Zoe Saldana half-naked riding some guy.

Actors:

Jeffrey Dean Morgan: He was the comedian in watchman and did a pretty good job at it. That's the only thing I've seen him in. He was also in Jonah Hex and Taking Woodstock.

Chris Evans: Fantastic Four and its sequel, Cellular, Scott Pilgrim vs the World (this weekend, I swear), and will be in The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger (lame lame lame title)

Zoe Saldana: Avatar and Star Trek, she's pretty much the next big thing.

Idris Elba: 28 Weeks Later, American Gangster, RocknRolla, and on the small screen as Charles Miner in "The Office."

That's it for now, but I figure I have one more post before I get to see Scott Pilgrim.

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