In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.
The series, off which the recent movie is based off of, was very popular all throughout the world. It starred some very well known people including Mister T, of Rocky III fame, and Dirk Benedict of Battlestar Gallactica. Like many action series of that age, The A-team had 80’s written all over it. From the fact not a single bullet hit a target to the fact that nobody ever seemed to die. If someone tossed a grenade, then the thing would explode in a small puff of smoke, causing a vehicle or person to be blown away by the sheer awesomeness of the actor. Or … you know, the effect being used at the time.
Ever since the mid 90’s, there has been talk of a movie about said team. However, these plans haven’t come to fruition until now. Whilst using a lot from the old series, the movie does update a few things and bring in a whole lotta new in order to have things set in today’s day and age.
This time the A-team finds their origins in Mexico, as the foursome meet up for the first time. Except for Hannibal and Face who already knew each other. After they met, the movie fast-forwards a couple o’ months to where the team is already a close unit who had done around 80 missions.
The United States is pulling out of Iraq but there is still one thing that needs to be done. CIA agent Lynch approached Hannibal for a mission to take back U.S. Treasure Plates stolen by terrorists. At the same time, a DCIS (Defense Criminal Investigative Service) agent known as Charissa Sosa warns Faceman not to go after said plates. With Hannibal informed, he wishes to go after these plates in the hope that the U.S. market doesn’t get flooded with very real fake money. After asking the OK from his general, Hannibal goes after the plates alongside his team. They manage to retrieve it but as you might as have guessed from the 80’s intro, the shit hit’s the fan.
I would have liked to say that the main story arc has more to it than that. Besides a few plot twists, that’s basically all you’re going to get. Under normal circumstances that would be a bad thing, but it seems to work just fine for this movie. Most of the character stories are devoted to who they are instead of their backstory. Only B.A. gets character development really. And Faceman in one regard. But it’s B.A. that gets most of the development. The other characters are there. And again, under normal circumstances that would have been a bad thing. But these characters are just plain fun to watch and interesting well on their own.
What I absolutely loved was how the A-team in this movie really felt like they were the A-team of back then. There might have been differences in the characters, but the similarities were just done uncannily well.
The story of this movie can be compared to a stereotypical summer blockbuster movie. Only done absolutely right. It’s by no means another Inception, but it gets the job done.
Speaking of characters, the actors hired for this movie do a pretty good job of portraying their counterpart in the series. Especially Murdock, who was done brilliantly. Funny thing is that whilst the characters were being introduced, you could only hear Bradley Cooper’s voice at one point and he was doing his thing so well, you knew it was Faceman from just the first few lines.
The other actors in this movie do a pretty good job for the parts they are given. No spectacularly good performances to be found here, but no terrible ones either.
Can’t end this paragraph without at least mentioning the return of two The A-Team cast members of days passed. Dwight Shultz and Dirk Benedict picked up cameo parts. They’re short but sweet. They kinda remind me of Stan Lee’s parts in the Marvel movies. Everytime you see him you’re like: Oh, look, Stan Lee! And then he’s gone.
With the exception of the theme song plastered here and there (one time in a particularly funny and awesome scene as they go and bail out Murdock), the music isn’t much to write home about.
Then there’s the action. Overall, it’s the action why we’re there. And, if you ask me, this movie brings back the 80’s a lot better than The Expendables. The thing about the 80’s was that the action was over the top, flashy and mindless. In this movie that’s compensated by the absolutely insane and physically impossible effects plastered all over the place. If it wasn’t for these utterly stupid moments, the movie would have been far worse.
In the end, The A-Team is a fun movie to watch when you want to be entertained and nothing more. Just like with the series, it’s a fun experience to behold. It may take a whole lot of liberties with the series, but you can’t deny that what it does take from it, it does beautifully.
8/10
Ever since the mid 90’s, there has been talk of a movie about said team. However, these plans haven’t come to fruition until now. Whilst using a lot from the old series, the movie does update a few things and bring in a whole lotta new in order to have things set in today’s day and age.
This time the A-team finds their origins in Mexico, as the foursome meet up for the first time. Except for Hannibal and Face who already knew each other. After they met, the movie fast-forwards a couple o’ months to where the team is already a close unit who had done around 80 missions.
The United States is pulling out of Iraq but there is still one thing that needs to be done. CIA agent Lynch approached Hannibal for a mission to take back U.S. Treasure Plates stolen by terrorists. At the same time, a DCIS (Defense Criminal Investigative Service) agent known as Charissa Sosa warns Faceman not to go after said plates. With Hannibal informed, he wishes to go after these plates in the hope that the U.S. market doesn’t get flooded with very real fake money. After asking the OK from his general, Hannibal goes after the plates alongside his team. They manage to retrieve it but as you might as have guessed from the 80’s intro, the shit hit’s the fan.
I would have liked to say that the main story arc has more to it than that. Besides a few plot twists, that’s basically all you’re going to get. Under normal circumstances that would be a bad thing, but it seems to work just fine for this movie. Most of the character stories are devoted to who they are instead of their backstory. Only B.A. gets character development really. And Faceman in one regard. But it’s B.A. that gets most of the development. The other characters are there. And again, under normal circumstances that would have been a bad thing. But these characters are just plain fun to watch and interesting well on their own.
What I absolutely loved was how the A-team in this movie really felt like they were the A-team of back then. There might have been differences in the characters, but the similarities were just done uncannily well.
The story of this movie can be compared to a stereotypical summer blockbuster movie. Only done absolutely right. It’s by no means another Inception, but it gets the job done.
Speaking of characters, the actors hired for this movie do a pretty good job of portraying their counterpart in the series. Especially Murdock, who was done brilliantly. Funny thing is that whilst the characters were being introduced, you could only hear Bradley Cooper’s voice at one point and he was doing his thing so well, you knew it was Faceman from just the first few lines.
The other actors in this movie do a pretty good job for the parts they are given. No spectacularly good performances to be found here, but no terrible ones either.
Can’t end this paragraph without at least mentioning the return of two The A-Team cast members of days passed. Dwight Shultz and Dirk Benedict picked up cameo parts. They’re short but sweet. They kinda remind me of Stan Lee’s parts in the Marvel movies. Everytime you see him you’re like: Oh, look, Stan Lee! And then he’s gone.
With the exception of the theme song plastered here and there (one time in a particularly funny and awesome scene as they go and bail out Murdock), the music isn’t much to write home about.
Then there’s the action. Overall, it’s the action why we’re there. And, if you ask me, this movie brings back the 80’s a lot better than The Expendables. The thing about the 80’s was that the action was over the top, flashy and mindless. In this movie that’s compensated by the absolutely insane and physically impossible effects plastered all over the place. If it wasn’t for these utterly stupid moments, the movie would have been far worse.
In the end, The A-Team is a fun movie to watch when you want to be entertained and nothing more. Just like with the series, it’s a fun experience to behold. It may take a whole lot of liberties with the series, but you can’t deny that what it does take from it, it does beautifully.
8/10
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