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I don't think they should be "conscripts of some sort, forced to fight." The Zakos enter the fight voluntarily because they don't realize that they're about to "lose... miserably and hopelessly." 

Indeed their "demise is just insignificant to everyone... except me: the reader!" (And to their friends and relatives, who usually only appear in my imagination.)

And since it's so significant to me, it makes their fate the main part of the scene. As a result, it can make a bad movie appear much better. Casual viewers may say "it's obvious who will make it to the final battle and who will win. This is so boring!"

Meanwhile I keep my eyes peeled to find out what's going to happen to the cute redheaded guard standing near the doorway. Will she get knocked out or captured? Will she die in horrendous fashion or live to fight another day? Will her family ever learn what happened to her? It can make an otherwise bad movie really thrilling.

Unfortunately, it often works the other way around: The movie is over and I haven't seen my cute redhead again. And while casual viewers don't even notice, I'm seriously pissed about this stupid movie.