"THE LOSERS" (2010) (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Moderate Extreme Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Extreme None Moderate Moderate Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Moderate Heavy Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action: After being targeted for death by their enigmatic handler, a small group of military commandos, joined by a mysterious woman, set out to get revenge on the man they've never met. PLOT: In a Bolivian jungle, Lt. Col. Franklin Clay (JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN) is leading his small team of commandos -- Cpt. William Roque (IDRIS ELBA), tech specialist Cpl. Jake Jensen (CHRIS EVANS), sniper Sgt. Carlos 'Cougar' Alvarez (OSCAR JAENADA) and transportation guru Sgt. Linwood 'Pooch' Porteous (COLUMBUS SHORT) -- on a mission to take out a suspected drug kingpin. When they realize children have been brought to the location, Clay tries to call off the pending airstrike, but their handler -- an enigmatic CIA figure known only as Max (JASON PATRIC) -- disregards the notice. As a result, the team races in and rescues the kids, only to see them and their rescue chopper be shot from the sky by one of their own jets. Knowing they were supposed to be on that helicopter and that Max wanted and now believes them to be dead, the team wants revenge. They get their chance when Roque agent Aisha (ZOE SALDANA), who also has a vendetta against Max, smuggles them back into the U.S. As they plan their attack, they must not only contend with their handler's heavily armed goons -- led by ex Special Forces operative Wade (HOLT McCALLANY) -- but also the fact that he's trying to buy and deploy some technologically advanced and quite dangerous weapons to unleash on the world. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're into action movies featuring wise-cracking commandos (and can't wait for the release of "The A-Team") and/or are fans of anyone in the cast, they might show some interest. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sequences of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN plays the team leader who's more than a bit miffed that their handler targeted them for death and thus wants to get revenge on him, although some of his solemn moments indicate something a bit deeper is going on inside him as well. He uses profanity, has sex with Aisha, and drinks some. ZOE SALDANA plays a femme fatale type woman who uses her sexuality to entice Clay in helping her get revenge on Max. She has sex with Clay but isn't above using and discarding anyone whom she no longer needs. She drinks some. IDRIS ELBA plays the team's second in command, an intense and angry man who only wants his old life back rather than revenge on Max and thus clashes repeatedly with Clay. He uses profanity. CHRIS EVANS plays the team's tech expert who seems to have the most fun in his job, delivers various wisecracks and uses profanity. COLUMBUS SHORT plays the team's transportation expert who's quick with the wisecracks and uses profanity. OSCAR JAENADA plays the team's mostly silent but highly effective sniper who saves the day on more than one occasion. JASON PATRIC plays the team's initially enigmatic and then oddball but lunatic handler who tries to have them killed multiple times while arranging to get his hands on some highly advanced and quite dangerous weapons. He uses profanity. HOLT McCALLANY plays his formidable and deadly right-hand man who's quick to kill others. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this action film that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue and humor are present, as are several scenes of fooling around that lead to off-screen sex. Scantily clad women are seen in several scenes, while some women ogle a man's unintentional nudity (not seen). Violence consists of people (including children in one scene) being killed by various means (mostly gunfire and military style weaponry) while fighting is also present. Some of that has bloody results (but not really until near the end of the film) and some moments and material might be unsettling for some viewers. Bad attitudes are present, while kids might be enticed to imitate the fighting, stunts and other behavior. Some drinking occurs, while there's talk of a drug kingpin (but no use occurs). A person takes a hit from hookah, while some tense family material is also present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, varying amounts of camera movement (sometimes a lot) occur throughout the movie. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE There's talk of a drug kingpin, but no drugs or use are seen. Clay has a beer and there's a comment made about that by him and Roque. Clay has a beer in a bar where others drink. Aisha then walks up with shots of liquor for him and herself. When they return to his motel room, she's carrying a bottle of booze, but neither has any. About what Wade's interested in, Max guesses one part of that is "big t*tties," while Wade mentions what he likes, including beer. The song "Don't Stop Believin" includes "A singer in a smoky room. The smell of wine and cheap perfume." We then hear the actual song on the soundtrack and then again later in the film. Aisha and various team members celebrate a birth with champagne (drinking from the bottle). BLOOD/GORE Jensen makes up a story about experiments done on him, saying it was spooky stuff and "anal stuff." We see that Max has a badly scarred hand (usually covered by a glove). Clay has a little blood on his head and what looks like a little bit in his mouth after being hit. Clay's shirtsleeve is bloody when a man slices him there with his knife, while that man's face is bloody after Clay gouges his eye. Clay's shirtsleeve is bloody after he's shot there (seen then, and later on a bus). Pooch's wife tells him to change their infant's diaper, with him then trying to pass that off to Clay who says he'd rather jump on a grenade. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The team discovers that a drug kingpin is using children as his drug mules. When they find the kingpin, he holds a knife to one boy's throat. With an air strike on the way, the team learns that children have been brought to a drug kingpin's compound, and try to call off the attack, but Max (elsewhere) orders that it continue. The latter then orders a hit on the rescue chopper that was supposed to lift the team out, but it contains those children instead, resulting in their deaths. Later in the film, he kills or has other people killed and wants a number of powerful weapons to use on the world. Various people watch a competitive cockfight in Bolivia. Wade grabs an uncooperative guy, takes him to the edge of a high-rise, and pushes him off (we don't see the impact down below). He's Max's right-hand man and does his bidding without question or conscience. Aisha smuggles the team back into the U.S. inside separate coffins. Roque refers to Aisha as a little girl and then holds his handgun to her head, threatening to shoot her. Following orders from Max, Wade agrees to kill a number of men he hired, including his brother-in-law (but we don't know if that happens). Seeing a short bodyguard, Max comments, "God, you are short" and then jokingly asks if he's standing in a hole. He also mocks the accent of those men. One of the team members turns out to be in cahoots with the bad guys. Two big thugs take Max's watch from him on a bus. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. With an air strike on the way, the team learns that children have been brought to a drug kingpin's compound, and then race to evacuate them before time runs out. That includes having to kill various goons, rescue a boy who has a knife to his throat, and then drive off fast as the blast and resultant fireball from the explosion quickly gains ground on their fleeing school bus. Roque refers to Aisha as a little girl and then holds his handgun to her head, threatening to shoot her. Clay leaps off a platform and falls a long way into the water below as he tries to catch a pressure-based detonator that Max has thrown away (and thus try to prevent an explosion within a matter of seconds). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Missiles & rockets/Knives: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound and/or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. The guys gamble, using weapons as their currency. Roque casually plays with a knife. We see a demonstration of an advanced weapon that creates a destructive vortex on and above a small island, eventually resulting in its complete destruction and sinking into the sea (we don't know if anyone was on it). Pooch fires a missile through the sky with a tracking device on it. Jensen wears a t-shirt with a large handgun image on it. All of the team members are captured at gunpoint near the end of the film. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck deals," "Can't say sh*t," "A classic piece of sh*t," "You're not gonna believe this sh*t," "(Revenge/Yankee-doodle tough guy) bullsh*t," "I don't give a sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Can't do that sh*t no more," "The angle of the dangle" (penis related), "She's got a gun and it's pointed at my d*ck," "No muss, no fuss," "Get the hell out," "A hell of a plan," "Chick," "What the hell was that?" "Fat ass," "Friggin,'" "That sucked," "Shut up," "What the hell's going on?" "You've just been chopper-jacked," "Loser," "Showtime," "Dawg," "That's right, bitches" (said toward men), "Oh, that's just peachy," "God, you are short," "You sons of bitches," "Hot ass," "Last chance to get the hell out of Dodge," "You're a G*ddamn traitor," "That's a bad-ass chick," "Payback's a bitch," "What kind of dumb-ass question is that?" "Giant, vibrating Easter egg from Hell," "Crappy," "Bummer" and "Where the hell have you been?" The fighting, stunts and other action might be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. Most, if not all of the team members have various sorts of tattoos (and Aisha has one on her shoulder), while various miscellaneous characters have the same (some a lot). Various people watch a competitive cockfight in Bolivia. Aisha has a pierced eyebrow. Roque casually plays with a knife. Aisha smuggles the team back into the U.S. inside separate coffins. The team fakes a highway accident to lure a military chopper into a trap. Aisha wears a midriff-revealing top. Cougar and Jensen run and jump from one cargo holder to another. Pooch spits in a goon's face after being captured, causing that man to shoot him in both legs. Clay leaps off a platform and falls a long way into the water below as he tries to catch a pressure-based detonator that Max has thrown away (and thus try to prevent an explosion within a matter of seconds). JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) The song "Black Betty" has "damn" in it. Some songs had lyrics that we couldn't understand or hear in full, thus presenting the possibility of them potentially containing something objectionable. A song sounded like it was glorifying gangsters and killers, although the lyrics weren't/couldn't be heard in full. Jensen sings some of the lyrics to "Don't Stop Believin" that include "A singer in a smoky room. The smell of wine and cheap perfume. For a smile they can share the night. It goes on and on and on and on." We then hear the actual song on the soundtrack and then again later in the film. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 24 "s" words, 3 slang terms for male genitals ("d*ck" and "unit"), 1 for breasts ("t*tties"), 12 hells, 5 asses (1 used with "hole"), 4 S.O.B.s, 2 damns, 1 crap, 4 uses of "Jesus," 3 of "G-damn," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "God" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY Jensen playfully positions some dinosaur or similar toys into a rear entry sex position. When one guy mentions a great feeling about something, another jokingly replies that the other's mom had a great feeling last night. As the team raids a drug kingpin compound, two young women in bikinis rush out. We see Cougar shirtless. Roque mentions setting up something (nonsexual) over by some hookers. Aisha approaches Clay in a bar (we see a close-up rear view of her clothed butt as she walks along), and comments on him not looking relaxed and whether she can do something about that. They then head to his motel room (she carrying a bottle of booze), presumably for sex, with her asking (about a comment he made) if he's trying to turn "yes" (sex) into "no." After the two stretch in separate rooms, they get back together and she acts alluringly toward him, but the two end up in a violent fight (although it's somewhat sexualized, including with both ending up on top of the other and him pressed up against her against a wall while her leg is up in the air, etc.). Cougar and Jensen ride up to the rest of the team on motorbikes driven by some cleavage-revealing women who kiss them good-bye. There's talk of Clay's past with women, and he states that he didn't sleep with one particular one who's mentioned. About what Wade's interested in, Max guesses one part of that is "big t*tties," while Wade mentions what he likes, including beer. Jensen wears a t-shirt with a suggestive and close-up image of a woman about to put a hot dog in her mouth. When Wade mentions "Clay and his unit" (meaning his team), Max jokes, "That sounds like a porno." Aisha (in a camisole and panties) climbs onto Clay who's seated with his shirt open. They passionately kiss, with her then removing her top (bare back, but no complete breast views, all heavily stylized). It's implied that they have sex, and they're later seen after this, both shirtless, with her lying on top of him (no breast views). They then start kissing more and the scene ends, but when they get into a vehicle with the rest of the waiting team, Roque realizes what's happened and sarcastically states, "Oh, that's just peachy." The song "Don't Stop Believin" includes "A singer in a smoky room. The smell of wine and cheap perfume. For a smile they can share the night. It goes on and on and on and on." We then hear the actual song on the soundtrack and then again later in the film. Jensen races to change clothes in an elevator but the doors open and some women see him and admire the sight of him with his pants down. We don't see anything, but he jokingly comments about them liking the "angle of the dangle." Various bikini clad and otherwise cleavage-revealing women are around Max. Aisha arrives in Clay's room, starts unbuttoning his shirt and they kiss while he has his hand on her clothed butt. We then see them in bed, presumably following sex, with his lower half under the covers (he's then seen in his boxers) while she's in her camisole and panties. When it's revealed who she is, she aims her guns at various team members who've barged in, including Jensen who complains she's aiming one at his "d*ck." She then flees into another room and we see various slow-mo views of her diving into that room, scrambling away, etc. including rear views of her in those panties. SMOKING Max takes a hit from a small hookah held by someone else. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Pooch's wife reacts to news of his reported death (briefly seen). About Aisha and Roque bickering, Jensen says that sounds like his parents. Aisha angrily asks Clay if he killed her father, a drug kingpin (and he says yes). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Military special force ops. Revenge. Women who use their sexuality to entice and otherwise distract men. Dealing with terrorists. VIOLENCE With an air strike on the way, the team learns that children have been brought to a drug kingpin's compound, and then race to evacuate them before time runs out. The commandos then go on the attack, shooting (and wounding or killing) various goons (but with no bloody results), while Clay shoots the kingpin (impact not seen) who was just holding a knife to a boy's throat. They then drive off fast in a school bus as the missiles hit the compound. The resultant explosion and fireball then catch up to the fleeing school bus, sending it careening down a hill until it crashes to a sudden stop (while jostled, everyone is presumably okay). A fighter jet fires a missile at a chopper containing its crew and twenty-some young children who are being evacuated. The resultant explosion and crash kills everyone on board (no bodies are seen, but fiery wreckage is). What initially appears as if it will be a sexual encounter turns into a violent fight between Clay and Aisha, with him first disarming her of a small handgun. The two then proceed to bash, strike and throttle each other around a motel room, including her hitting him with the TV and furniture and kneeing him in the crotch, while he tries to choke her and throws her about the place. This causes a fire in the place and the two peacefully leave together after agreeing to a common goal. Wade grabs an uncooperative guy, takes him to the edge of a high-rise, and pushes him off (we don't see the impact down below). We see a demonstration of an advanced weapon that creates a destructive vortex on and above a small island, eventually resulting in its complete destruction and sinking into the sea (we don't know if anyone was on it). When a female assistant loses control of her large umbrella that's providing shade for Max, he nonchalantly shoots her dead (we don't see the impact -- played for comedy). The team shoots various members of a chopper crew (on the ground) with darts that render them unconscious. Cougar fires two shots at vehicles in Max's motorcade, causing damage to both vehicles and them or others to crash. Clay then fires tear gas into that scene, followed by Roque setting off an explosive that blows up one vehicle. Pooch and Aisha then fly over in an armored chopper, with Wade and his men opening fire on that with machine guns. After they use a huge magnet to grab and lift a truck off the street, Wade opens fire on the chopper with a massive machine gun, riddling part of it, but not hitting anyone inside. As they fly off, however, the truck dangling below them on the magnet hits a building. The team pours gasoline into a captured armored truck and then let the occupants loose. Those men come out with guns, but Clay reminds them that any muzzle flash with ignite them, so they give up, with the team shooting all of them with sedative darts. Clay punches Roque in the face, prompting him to draw his knives, and the two must then be separated by the others. Jensen hits a guard with a metal briefcase to escape from an office, but is then stopped by three guards with their handguns drawn. Jensen then pretends his hands are guns and shoots two of them dead (the shots actually coming from Cougar via his sniper rifle in another building). The team realizes Aisha's true identity and barge in on her and Clay in bed. She hops up and draws guns on them, resulting in a gun standoff. She then shoots Jensen in the shoulder (after he complains of her aiming her gun at his "d*ck"), followed by shooting out the bedroom ceiling mirrors to created a shower of broken glass. She then dives into the bathroom, with the team riddling that door and wall with gunfire (she isn't hit and escapes). Clay and Roque take out two goons upon arriving at a port, while Cougar shoots one guard who's spotted Jensen stuck in some barbed wire. Roque hits Clay with his gun, knocking him out. A goon hits one of the guys to make him kneel down. Pooch spits in a goon's face after being captured, causing that man to shoot him in both legs. Aisha fires a missile that strikes a vehicle, resulting in a huge explosion. The team then fights with the guards and goons, while Clay separately struggles with a driver, causing their van to crash. Pooch shoots the guard who earlier shot him, while Cougar stomps down on another man's face (we see the man's POV, but not the actual contact). Aisha holds her gun on Clay, but then shoots three goons who show up behind him. Goons riddle a van, that's driven through a fence, with gunfire. The team then jumps out and starts shooting the goons, followed by various gun battles. Clay and another man shoot at each other until their guns are empty. Clay then ducks when the man throws a large knife at him, followed by the two fighting (hard blows, along with the man slicing Clay's arm with a knife). Clay appears to break the man's arm and then gouges his eye, but the man kicks him out of the plane they're now on. Clay stands as a man on a motorcycle races toward him from one side, while a small jet approaches from the other. Cougar then uses his sniper rifle to shoot the guy on the bike, sending him flying through the air and into the jet's engine. The burning bike also goes airborne and crashes into the jet's cockpit, causing the plane to explode. Max shoots a man dead (we don't see the impact). Clay shoots a chopper that's arrived to rescue Max (it flies off), followed by shooting Clay in the arm. Jensen confronts a female referee for his young niece's soccer game (over a bad call) and the two bump chests repeatedly until they're separated (played for comedy). Reviewed April 19, 2010 / Posted April 22, 2010

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