Movie Review: "The A-Team"

Seen on: June 8, 2010

The players: Director: Joe Carnahan, Writer: Brian Bloom, Joe Carnahan, Cast: Liam Neeson, Patrick Wilson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley

Facts of interest: Joe Carnahan also helmed "Narc."

The plot: Based on the TV series, the film follows a group of soliders trying to clear their names after being set up by a bunch of bad guys.

Our thoughts: It sure took long enough for this one to hit the big screen, but now “The A-Team” has finally arrived in theaters, and I would be lying if I told you I didn’t have a blast watching this crazy thing. Okay, it’s by far not a perfect action adventure, but then again, despite its utter ridiculousness, this movie is just so much fun to watch. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check it out.

If you know Joe Carnahan’s work, you also know he’s a director capable of some crazy things when it comes to fast-paced, action-loaded filmmaking. In “The A-Team,” he goes wild from start to finish, and what we’re left with is a highly entertaining blockbuster loaded with a solid dose of brainless action and at times quite delicious humor. Perfect combination, right?

Well… not quite. While I agree that this adaptation of the popular TV series is a blast in terms of pacing, the film falls a bit short in the story department. No, it’s certainly not a disaster, but in terms of plot, this one is as standard as a flick in this genre can get. The concept of “The A-Team” provides endless creative possibilities, and yet, I feel the screenwriters picked the easy way out this time.

Anyway, maybe it’s just me. The film kicks off with a cool segment that shows us how this team of military men comes together. Fast-forward almost a decade, and they’re just killing it in Iraq. Then comes a big mission that goes awry at the end, and next thing we know, the A-Team is framed for a brutal crime they had nothing to do with. With a jail sentence under their belt, they are separated indefinitely.

But wait! Col. Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson) always has a plan, and shortly after, Face (Bradley Cooper), B.A. (Quinton Jackson) and the insane Murdock (Sharlto Copley) are reunited, trying to clear their names while tracking down the bad guys who double-crossed them. This is the basic setup for the movie, and no, I definitely didn’t give away too much. It’s all in the trailer anyway.

Essentially, the movie is more about the A-Team trying to set things straight in their own corner versus helping innocent strangers fight back against ruthless terrorizers (as seen mostly on the show). I’m fine with that, even though I would have loved to see a more complex story unfold on the screen. I’m all for new directions and stuff, but this one is just a tad too simplistic at times.

That said, the film is loaded with excellent humor, most of which stems from Murdock and Face. Luckily, the cast does an awesome job here, and Cooper and Copley in particular deliver superb performances. They’re totally in character, and it’s a pleasure to see them enjoy themselves so much. Neeson and Jackson are solid as well though, and I’m beyond happy this cast works so well for this.

As I mentioned briefly, the action we get to see in “The A-Team” is beyond silly and implausible. Every big action sequence is filled with CGI (most of it is pretty bad), and our guys are just jumping, flying and shooting around like crazy. Luckily, this actually didn’t bother me that much this time. The good thing is that the action works no matter how stupid it really looks like.

So why don’t we just sum up my “A-Team” experience? The story could be better, but the acting and humor deliver for sure. Carnahan’s direction works, the visuals look okay, and the constant action, despite the horde of over-the-top stunts, turns this movie into an enjoyable big-screen experience I wouldn’t mind seeing again.

Freaky quote: "I love it when a plan comes together." - Liam Neeson

The final word: If “The A-Team” scores well enough at the box office, I am sure we will get to see a sequel soon enough. As long as the main players stay on board, count me in, because if the movie accomplishes one thing, it’s making you want to see more of this new A-Team. Don’t take this thing seriously and be open-minded enough, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. After all, there is no plan B, right?.

Article by Franck Tabouring