The A-Team (2010)
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Written Joe Carnahan, Skip Woods, Brian Bloom
Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Rampage Jackson, Sharlito Copley
Release Date July 10th, 2010
Published July 10th, 2010
It seems like such an awful idea. Another cheesy TV show getting a big screen treatment? Ugh. But, then the makers of “The A-Team” made some very sly moves. First they hired writer-director Joe Carnahan (Narc) to rewrite the script and direct. Then they brought in Liam Neeson, just off of his badass turn in “Taken,” and Bradley Cooper, hot off his star-making role in “The Hangover.”
Even better, the producers nabbed Sharlto Copley hot off of surprise Oscar nominee “District 9” and plucked UFC star Rampage Jackson from the hottest sport in the country to take on the iconic role made famous by Mr. T. Each move was spot on and the final product, while not great cinema, is a near perfect summer movie, a smart blend of action, star power and over the top fun.
Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson) is a longtime Colonel with the elite Army Rangers. With his team, including Lt. Templeton 'Faceman' Peck (Cooper), Captain H.M 'Howling Mad' Murdock (Copley) and Corporal Bosco 'B.A' Baracus, Colonel Smith have run successful missions around the globe.
The latest mission takes the so-called 'A-Team' to Iraq where stolen mint plates could allow bad guys to print unlimited amounts of American currency. The A-Team must retrieve the plates and the money from an armored transport crawling with armed insurgents. This task turns out to be the easy part.
The hard part comes when Smith and his team are double-crossed by American mercenaries for hire who kill the General who sent the A-Team on their mission, steal the plates and leave the A-Team to take the blame. Under arrest and court martial from the military, Hannibal Smith and his team will need to escape if they want to clear their names and seek revenge against those that set them up.
On opposite ends of this conspiracy are CIA Agent Lynch (Patrick Wilson) and Department of Justice Investigator Charisa Sosa (Jessica Biel). Lynch was there when Smith was given the assignment to retrieve the plates and turns up to help the team escape prison. Sosa was the one who warned Face not to take the assignment, and ended up arresting the team and leading the search to recapture them. She, of course, also has a history with Face.
The plot is a mere litany of set up, big explosion, brief aftermath and repeat. It's all very easy to follow and never intrudes on the true intent of “The A-Team,” which is to provide goofball, over the top, summer movie action and fun. Though not entirely brain free, “The A-Team” will not be mistaken for great cinema; it exists and succeeds on a different path, as a well-crafted nostalgia product.
Director Joe Carnahan is a master of clever carnage, setting his stage for big explosions and surrounding the massive special effects with lighthearted character scenes, aided greatly by a game cast. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley have endless fun with these goofy, charming characters. UFC fighter Rampage Jackson is fun as well but his strain as an actor, especially opposite such natural performers, is quite noticeable.
The smartest aspect of The “A-Team” is never attempting to be more than it is. This is a goofy Summer Blockbuster that aspires to nothing more than thrilling special effects and clever, funny action and character bits. The best of the bunch has the team escaping a crashing plane inside a tank with parachutes and using the tank's gun to aim the falling tank toward a lake for a safe landing all while defending themselves from attacking drone aircraft.
“The A-Team” will leave you shaking your head at how completely off the charts goofy it is, but you will be smiling the whole time. The terrific cast seems to be having as much fun playing these goofy scenes as we have watching them and director Joe Carnahan corrals all of the charm and chaos of “The A-Team” into one terrific summer blockbuster.
