I love the A-Team. I loved the show as a kid, and I really enjoyed the new movie. Now it’s been getting panned a bit by the critics, but I think the problem is most of them are forgetting what this movie is. The A-Team ran for five years in the 80s. It was a formulaic, cheesy little action show full of big explosions and crazy personalities. It wasn’t art or high drama, it was popcorn television and it kept me sitting in front of the TV every week for several years. The new movie is just that but bigger.
Cast wise I think they did an amazing job. I was a little worried about Liam Neeson as Hannibal, but he plays the role with relish and you can tell he loves it when a plan comes together.. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson channels his inner Mr. T superbly and gives a new generation its B.A. Baracus and Bradley Cooper does an admirable job as Face. But for me personally the show was stolen by Sharlto Copley; his “Howling Mad” Murdock was perfection. Much like the series the films villains are over the top clichés; the corrupt CIA agent Lynch and the evil gun for hire Pike are right out of the show. Rounding out the cast is the also lovely Jessica Biel who acts as both the military agent hunting for our heroes and an old flame for Face.
Considering the pedigree this is a movie where the action scenes are incredible important, and they don’t disappoint. The movie starts out with a small bang as the group falls together during a fight with a druglord in Mexico. From there every mission and fight they go into ends up bigger than the one before. From fighting off aerial drones while falling through the sky in a parachuting tank to the massive climatic battle at the end. A battle following the tried and true A-Team form, wherein the group goes into a montage as they turn seemingly random junk into weapons before taking on the bad guys. Unfortunately the CGI in the last fight is fairly obvious and a bit overused, its a somewhat minor quibble of course.
As I said the original series was very formulaic. Pretty much the same basic plot was followed every episode with only minor deviations in setting and characters. It certainly wasn’t the best written show on television and the movie won’t be winning any Oscar’s for its plot either. But it gets the job done and has enough little twists and turns to keep things interesting. They hit all the right beats and get all the right catch phrases in to make sure this is an A-Team movie and not just another generic team action film. And of course the old theme song gets worked in at all the right times.
Overall I give it a definite recommendation. I’ll likely be picking it up on Blu-Ray when it comes out, and though I’m sure it will look great this is definitely one of those films that looks so much better on the big screen.