The A-Team (12A) – Review
You could spend hours trying to explain the plot of The A-Team, which is ironic as it is the hardly note worthy and not a patch on the original ’80s TV shoot-’em-up show. With outlandish escapades like flying a tank or playing three cups one ball with freight containers, it verges on the edge of absurd. The airborne spectacular was the trailer’s talking point, and trust marketing to steal from us this surprise. But at least you know what you’re paying for: a mile a minute, action packed circus act. However, this was part of the original’s appeal; daft, deliriously and entertaining. With four Vietnam vets whipping up some DIY weaponry cobbled together from items from the local B&Q as quickly as you could say montage! The war skirmishes may have changed — from Nam to the Iraq the setting the scene for the team’s disgrace — delightfully, little else has.
Like the show, the plot is only there to show off the characters, this is important in order to satisfy the nostalgic fans of the original because Hannibal, Face, B. A. and Murdoch are what make the A-Team unique. In today’s cinema, action scenes are often generic of often the same some crashing, a few loud bangs and a whole load of CGI thrown right in there. 20th Century Fox have approached this like James Bond or Jason Bourne, but with a four times the chance of viewers finding a hero: the wise one, the fit one, the hard one and of course the mad one. The actors hold solid to strong; Pro fighter ‘Rampage ’Jackson is lacking in Mr. T’s charisma but compensates with a full hearted performance. Liam Neeson has nailed George Peppard’s decency, but not his smugness – ‘I kinda like it when a plan comes together…’ but it’s Cooper and Copley who both best capture and yet somehow re-forge their iconic characters as well.
The introduction to each is quickly, slickly made, then suddenly “eight years… 80 successful missions later” – which I feel was somewhat a generic move that ruined the mood – the action explodes into motion; it becomes chaotic and somewhat of a rambling process, only saved by an narrative sleight of hand that catches the audience off guard. What we are given is an end to a movie that promises more! For good or bad, Carnahan has undoubtedly captured the TV series in this – their first but not last – film. Although the soundtrack cannot work without proper use of the glorious original theme, and the van… only including that in the first twenty or so minutes is like making the final Harry Potter film; without his scar, unacceptable! I pity the fool!
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