The Losers

While on a routine mission in Bolivia, an elite group of soldiers suddenly finds themselves betrayed by a man called Max. Left for dead and on the run from their own country, they meet up with a mysterious women who promises to gt their lives back and let them take a shot a taking out Max. Gunfights, explosions, and one-liners ensue, as they often do in situations like this.

Ah, the basic action movie, cornerstone of the matinee market. This particular pre-summer release is filled with all you'd expect in such a movie. There's plenty of guns being shot off, cars and other such objects exploding, teammates cracking wise at one another (and giving high fives afterward), and the usual amount of (PG-13 rated) T&A. It doesn't break new ground in any area, and is filled with a fair number of action movie clichés (you'll be able to see any kind of plot event coming from a mile away, and even the ones you don't see won't surprise you). It is, all in all, a good movie, but definitely not a great one.

So why am I recommending it? Simply for what it is. It's a breezy summer afternoon movie, the kind that (and this is key) doesn't do anything wrong. While it may not show you anything you haven't seen before, what is has to offer is still fun and enjoyable to watch. The action scenes are well played, the humor is (more often than not) very funny, the characters are interesting, and the pacing is quick. Yes, it's got a lot of clichés, but they're the kind that work in a movie like this (especially the big one in the beginning. Laughter all around in a weird sort of way).

It's a movie that feels like a typical 80's action movie that was brought forward to now and given updated set pieces. The kind of movie where they still make them these days (see also Taken last year), but you just never noticed. It's quick, it's colorful (that's something I actually give extra credit for in this movie, it's simply popping with bright and vibrant colors), most of all it's fun. I know that word is thrown around a lot these days, but it's completely true here. This is something to kill a few hours (mid day) at a theater and walk out with a smile on you face. It knows what it is, what it means to do, and it delivers on that. And for that, it gets my recommendation.

Trailer: