Review: The A Team

Plot: Based on the 80s hit television show, a team of elite Army Rangers consisting of Colonel John Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), Captain H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley), Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper), and Sergeant B.A. Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) are set up for a crime they didn't commit. Determined to get revenge and clear their names, the four soldiers escape and hatch a plan to settle the score.

Review: Over the last two decades there have been a slew of former television shows turned into movies, typically with disastrous results. Films like McHale's Navy, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Honeymooners, and Dudley Do-Right are classic examples of how poorly planned, poorly executed, and poorly directed television to film conversions can be. Therefore it is with a grateful sigh of relief that I can definitively state that director Joe Carnahan's The A-Team does not fall into that category. The A-Team was blast! A rip roaring, adrenaline laced, explosion filled fun fest that grabs you by the throat in the opening credits and doesn't let go until the closing moments. To say that The A-Team far exceeded my expectations is like saying that the oil debacle in the Gulf is just a little leak. When I was five years old television consisted of two things in my universe: The A-Team and The Dukes of Hazzard. Yet unlike the 2005 crapfest that was The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team delivers in every way when it comes to action. Car chases, helicopters, guns, explosions, daring escapes; it's all here. Moreover the film has a skillfully crafted plot. Joe Carnahan, Skip Woods, and Brian Bloom's script is tight and well executed, from the opening sequences in Mexico showing how the group met, to their daring escapes from prison, to the climactic final showdown between the A-Team and the nefarious forces who set them up. At its heart what makes this film succeed however is the excellent casting and chemistry between the four characters. Even at age 58 Liam Neeson's physical presence is in full gear. The Oscar nominated actor brings just the right amount of leadership, charisma, and ingenuity to Hannibal's character. Bradley Cooper shines as the arrogant, smooth talking Face and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson brings just the right intensity and malevolence to the character of B.A. Jackson doesn't open a can of whup-ass on his foes, he opens a keg. The guy who steals the show though is Murdock, played by District 9 actor Sharlto Copley. Copley captures the insanity of the half mad chopper pilot in a way that Dwight Schultz (the original Murdock) would be proud of. The chemistry between Jackson and Copley's characters is as sharp as it is hilarious. Unfortunately Jessica Biel isn't quite believable as Face's love interest Captain Charisa Sosa. She seemed a little miscast and over her head in the role, although to be fair I don't know if anyone could have done very well. Additionally, bad guys Lynch (Patrick Wilson) and Pike (Brian Bloom) aren't particularly strong and Carnahan's action sequences are a little choppy at times. However, it doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the film. Let's face it, with any action film there is going to be a certain amount of checking your brain at the door. I mean does anyone really believe that the A-Team could escape in a tank with parachutes and slow their descent by shooting rounds at the ground? No. But that's not the point. The point of an action movie is to have fun. And The A-Team delivers fun in spades. To quote Colonel Hannibal Smith, "I love it when a plan comes together."

My rating: 8/10