The A-Team - Review

When I heard that they were adapting the campy 80s action series, "The A-Team" into a big budget Hollywood blockbuster... I have to admit, I didn't really care. It wasn't a horrible show, but it was so silly and over-the-top, that its appeal was based entirely on camp, something that a lot of productions can only keep fresh for so long. So, I basically figured would be little more than a mindless summer blockbuster that would, at best, be a fun movie yet ultimately forgettable. After finally watching the flick, its actually a bit better than I had originally anticipated.

The movie follows the same basic plot as the show, updated for the current time period. The A-Team is a group of four elite soldiers with contrasting skills and personalities, currently serving in Iraq (as opposed to Vietnam from the original series), carrying out secret missions and tasks for the US government. The leader of the team is Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), the cigar smoking tactician who "Loves It When A Plan Comes Together." Faceman Peck (Bradley Cooper) serves as the smooth talking, good looking, conman, and ladies man of the group. B.A. Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) is the team's gruff enforcer and expert mechanic with a perpetual fear of flying. Finally there's the mentally unstable H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley), the team's highly skilled pilot and linguist. After carrying out a covert operation in Baghdad, their superior officer is killed, and the team is framed for crimes they did not commit. The four are sent to separate prisons, in which they all escape in an effort to clear their name.

There's usually an inherint problem with reviewing most summer blockbusters. Each season, you'll generally get one or two outstanding films and a few absolutely dreadful attempts at cinema. I can usually find a lot to say about a movie thats either extremely well made or the train wrecks. Of course, the average middle of the road summer blockbusters are more difficult to review. "The A-Team" definitely falls into the latter category, a stereotypical summer action flick. They appeal to a specific audience: those who love over-the-top action movies, and usually don't care about what critics say. That being said, it does have something of a charm compared to the usual summer lineup, enough to give it a bit of an edge.

That charm falls in the hands of the cast. One of the series' most enjoyable appeals came from the contrasting characters. The four have such different personalities, that their quarrels are often played out for some very enjoyable humour. Each actor plays their respective character perfectly. The two standouts for me are Liam Neeson, who looks like he's having a blast as Hannibal Smith, and District 9's Sharlto Coplay as the over-the-top H.M. Murdock. Of course, all four work off each other really well. Its this brilliant move in casting that give "The A-Team" an edge over the average blockbuster.

Now, a good portion of the reviews for this movie have been fairly negative. Many critics have criticized the movie's excessive noise, explosions, and ludicrous action scenes. My response to that is this... "What the hell did you expect???" Those were the kinds of things that I loved about this movie. Of course the logic makes absolutely no sense, the script is nowhere near free of holes, and that the action is excessive. Its okay, every now and then, to watch a movie for the sake of fun... do you remember that? I'm not giving "The A-Team" a free pass on the general rules of filmmaking, but every now and then, its okay to stop being a film snob and buy into the fun factor of a movie. The action was crazy, the movie was loud, and pracitcally nothing that happens would stand a chance of playing out in the real world, but for a film like this, I could really care less.

Thats really all I have to say about "The A-Team." If you're not a fan of over-the-top action movies, then you can probably skip it, just stop complaining. If you're looking for a fun filled, action packed, adrenaline rush, this should do the trick. I have a feeling that was the filmmaker's plan, and I do love when a plan comes together ;)

My Score: 3.5 out of 5!