After 5 seasons on the air and 23 years until now, The A-Team got what all long awaited shows get, a movie. Originally a mash up of ideas and concepts thrown into an oven and dished out on a testosterone plate, The A-Team of this millennium has one word written all over it, fun.
When the script calls for tanks being thrown out of exploding planes, sleeping with beautiful female reporters and a dash of intrigue, well you’re going to have a good time.
The movie opens with the foursome meeting by chance during the failed operation to take down General Javier Tuco by Face (Bradley Cooper, The Hangover). Hannibal (Liam Neeson, Taken) recruits B.A. Baracus (‘Rampage’ Jackson, UFC and The Ultimate Fighter) and Murdock (Sharlto Copley, District 9) to assist in Face’s rescue.
Once the gang was quickly thrown together the film begins to tell the story of how this ragtag group was forced on an operation that was twisted and made to look like their alpha team was responsible. They spent the rest of the film trying to clear their names and get reinstated.
The chemistry that this group had together was surprisingly cohesive. You get the sense that they were able to play off each other easily while it added to the character’s dynamics.
Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) plays Agent Lynch, a name that is just a container for a ghost CIA agent in the field. Smart, charming and arrogant, Lynch is the perfect protagonist for this covert team. With unlimited resources and political pull, Lynch stays steps ahead of a group that still bickers from within.
In a movie that is lined with male actors and male characters you really don’t need a female to distract you from the ensuing action, but Jessical Biel (Valentine’s Day) puts on a military uniform and wields a gun with the best of them, not afraid to get dirty with the boys.
Director Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces) has always been a director of over the top action sequences and bizarre characters, kind of a perfect fit to recreate the A-Team. With scenes like the tank drop into the German countryside and the quirky lines delivered during such, no other director would be able to pull this off.
Hands down The A-Team is fun and is going to be one of the best action films you will see this summer.
With the success of classic television series being adapted into blockbusters, don’t be surprised if some obscure show from your past comes back. It’s just a matter of time before we are watching the feature film version of Airwolf.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking.
