Oh the things I do for my loyal readers!!! Last Wednesday night, I got five hours of sleep studying for my last final in college (WooHoo!). Thursday I took the test then headed out to Glen Ellyn to referee some girls basketball games. Exhausted and bored out of my skull (this is the most interesting thing I’ve seen on women’s basketball) I hurried back and arrived at the theater at 11:45 to see The A-Team at the midnight premiere. I grabbed a half gallon of Coke for some caffeine and got cozy for a movie that I hoped would at least keep me awake.
The A-Team did much more than that. I must preface this entire review by saying that I have never watched the original TV show that the movie is based on. That being said, I thought it was a very good movie. The action is great and there is not a dull moment throughout. One of the best aspects of the movie is that even when the team is doing the ridiculous (flying a tank) you don’t find yourself complaining about how unrealistic it is. The movie does a great job of mixing humor with action and an adequate plot to create a movie that is very entertaining.
The greatest strength of the movie is the cast (with one exception). To pull off a remake of this caliber would require actors who can re-create the characters that had become so loved. Having long been a Liam Neeson fan, I was seeing the movie largely in part because I liked his acting. I was not disappointed. Neeson’s depiction of Hannibal reminded me a lot of the role he played in Taken except with less gratuitous violence and more intellect and wit. B.A Barracus played by Quinton ‘Rampage” Jackson was also a pleasant surprise. Being a UFC fighter, I wasn’t expecting a lot out of Rampage, but he actually is an OK actor. He obviously had the hardest part as he tried to live up to a character that was Mr. T, but he holds his own amongst the other three great performances. Bradley Cooper’s character, Face, was spot on. The ever-womanizing, smooth talker was perfect for him and he has some great one-liners. But at the end of the day, Sharlito Copley stole the show as Murdock. Copley’s rendition of the cooky pilot is very funny and he pulls off the half-there half-crazy war vet perfectly. The dynamic between the four is what propels most of the plot as the story is somewhat predictable. Their performances make the movie.
The one downfall was anything in the movie regarding Jessica Biel. I’ve gone on the record before as saying that I think she is over-rated, but in this movie she was, in a word, miserable. Her character could have been played by anyone who had a part in their high school musical. Her part in the plot was unnecessary and a feeble attempt at some sort of romance. She only acted to allow for restroom breaks between the intense action and steady one-liners. Seriously, if a scene opens with her, go grab some popcorn.
Like I said, this was a tough task. I cannot speak for those who grew up watching the television series, but as for myself, I thought it was a very good film. The action is great, the characters are tangible, and the plot doesn’t try to do to much. This is the quintessential guy movie and I can’t see many women flocking to see it (although Bradley Cooper is in it). But being a guy, I really enjoyed it.
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