The A-Team
An elite team of military operatives is framed for a crime they didn't commit, and fights to clear their names. Sounds like good old summertime fun, doesn't it? Based on a (popular?) 80s television series of the same name, The A-Team premiered on June 11, 2010 in the US (June 10 in NZ) and received...mixed reviews. I don't know what movie the other critics were watching, but I very much liked what I saw.
First off, the story. Brash military renegades who always accomplish their missions with maximum precision and cool smart-assery are set up by their ham-handed corporate soldier rivals, get sent up the river and bust out to bring the real criminals to justice. I'm sure there were probably some plot holes or inconsistencies somewhere in this plot, but come on, this ain't meant to be opera. It's best enjoyed with the brain turned off and the 'OMG That's Cool' dial cranked up to eleven. For example, despite the fact that it's almost certainly physically impossible to actually do, this movie taught me how to fly a tank. And isn't education like that what great cinema is all about?
The writing is fantastic, if a little hyperactive. I don't think I went more than three minutes at a stretch without hearing some witty one-liner or snappy comeback, and while I appreciate the effort, by about halfway through the flick I was actually getting tired of being so entertained. There were some dramatic scenes of course, pushing the story along and revealing the real plot twists which you'll probably see coming, but they were few and far between and felt almost like little bites of seriousness salad in the middle of a buffet of comedy cakes. Delicious, delicious cakes.
Liam Neeson plays the gruff, master-planning, stogie-chomping team leader, John "Hannibal" Smith. His second in command, irrepressible charmer Templeton "Faceman" Peck, is played by Bradley Cooper of The Hangover fame. The part of Bosco "B.A." Barracus is helmed by UFC superstar Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (man, there are a lot of nicknames in this paragraph!), and Sharlto Copley, who to my shame I'd never heard of prior to viewing this film, plays Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, who may just be my new favorite action comedy character of all time.
At the beginning, the team has not yet been framed for their supposed crime; in fact, the team hasn't even been formed yet. The movie opens with Hannibal and Face in less-than-favorable conditions. Down in Mexico to remove a corrupt general from power, Hannibal is about to be executed by a pair of corrupt policia while the targeted general is getting ready to burn Face alive (for sleeping with his wife, which wasn't technically part of the plan but as a gleefully unrepentent Peck explains to the general, "we both hated you!"). Through the power of improbable coincidence, Hannibal manages to escape his captors and enlist the aid of B.A., who has just recovered his beloved custom van from a local chop shop, and the pair race to rescue Face from a fate worse than sunburn. The now-trio escapes with the general's men in hot pursuit and Hannibal firmly lecturing Face for deviating from their original plan by involving the general's wife.
After losing their pursuers for a few moments, the team stops at a local army base hospital in order to commandeer an Air-Evac helicopter to aid in their escape, and also to get B.A. some medical attention for a nasty bullet wound received during their flight. Along the way, Hannibal finds and convinces 'doctor' (read: psych ward patient) Captain Murdock to act as their pilot and fly them in the hospital's 'copter into nearby U.S. airspace. Thrilling aerobatics ensue, the team escapes safely, and thus we witness the initial formation of The A-Team!
For those who might expect this movie to just be one big, hilarious, gunpowder-packed sausagefest, fear not! The lovely Jessica Biel stars as the tenacious Agent Sosa, tasked with hunting down the team (especially Face, with whom she shares a romantic history) after their escape, a job she aggressively commits herself to. Biel's character lacks some of the development of her co-stars and sadly doesn't receive nearly as much screen time as perhaps she deserves, but I'm not sure whether that's due to the story not having enough room for her, or her character not having enough to do. Either way, her appearances were rather brief, but enjoyable.
On the whole, this was a really enjoyable movie, just the kind of mindless fun that you can pop in the DVD player and munch on an over-sized bowl of popcorn with your friends. It's a party flick, summer fare at its best. Maybe you don't have the space on your shelf or the green in your pocket to pick up a copy for keeps. But if you've got a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can rent...The A-Team.
Spoilers:
The original TV series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo.
Laurence Tureaud (AKA Mr. T), who played B.A. Barracus in the original series, was well known for his signature "I Pity the Fool" line. This line, while never spoken aloud in the film, is referenced by tattoos on Quinton Jackson's knuckles: "Pity" and "Fool", on his left and right hands, respectively.
Two of the actors from the original series, Dirk Benedict (Face) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock), had cameo roles at the end of the film with their respective film counterparts.
No comments:
Post a Comment