The US Army (and the CIA) recruit a small group of outlaw bikers for a suicide mission behind enemy lines in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
No, this has nothing to do with the 2010 movie that starred Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, and Idris Elba.
Verdict
Flashes of brilliance amid the nihilism just barely elevate this above B-movie status.
Back in the ‘70s (which Crazy Uncle Rich began as a kid and finished as a teen), many filmmakers shot in the Philippines. The films were usually shot quickly, and were exploitative in terms of violence, or sexuality, or both.
They often served as training schools for people who continue to work as directors, editors, producers, and screenwriters today. Roger Corman, who is practically a film-making school in himself, shot many pictures in the Philippines.
These movies were meant for grindhouses and drive-ins, and they were cheap. Reportedly, the films could hire Philippine extras who would do their own stunts for a dollar a day.
Nam’s Angels, as this was also called, is one of those movies. It has, however, several things that set it apart. First, it has a fairly complex plot and it tries to be honest about US involvement in Vietnam.
The Army officer who comes up with the rescue plan is the brother of the lead biker, Link Thomas (played by William Smith). The diplomat was on a mission in Cambodia, trying to get the Cambodian government to keep the North Vietnamese from crossing the border. When the bikers get to the diplomat, he doesn’t want to be rescued. He thinks he is still accomplishing his mission.
The Losers directly addresses drug use and racism in the US military. Although it is clearly against the war, it makes an effort to present more than one side of the argument.
Second, The Losers has a good cast. Joe Bob Briggs once said that William Smith would have been a huge star in Hollywood, if he didn’t have the most boring name in showbiz. If you watch movies, you’ve seen Smith before. Heck, he played Conan’s dad in Conan The Barbarian.
In addition to William Smith, we get B-movie regulars like Bernie Hamilton, Paul Koslo, and John Garwood. They knew what kind of movie they were making, and they supported it. They bought into the film whole-heartedly. They never wink at the audience or act like they are too good for the film.
Third, director Jack Starrett was clearly a fan of Sam Peckinpah, and he used some of that director’s techniques with The Losers. The direction is good, as is the editing.
Finally, watch carefully for tropes that would show up in other movies and TV shows. I’m thinking particularly of how the bike-modification scenes in this movie pre-sage the build montages in The A-Team.
Overall
If you want to see what kind of Vietnam war movie we were making during the Vietnam war, watch a double feature of Machete Maidens Unleashed and The Losers. The first is a documentary about the Philippine film industry that includes some behind-the-scenes information on The Losers.
Heck, see the documentary on its own. You might learn something.
