The A-Team (2010) - a pity da' fool review

"In 2009 a smart ass was sent to Corporate America by an ever increasing amount of bills and financial aid for a type of job that he didn't really want to do. He promptly escaped from a maximum security reality to the Philadelphia underground. Today, still wanted by Corporate America, he survives as a blogger of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can read Enter The Man-Cave."

Sounds like a pretty catchy intro doesn't it? And a bit familiar? Yeah the A-Team changed up some wording and ripped it off from me. I forgive them though. It's in the past.

Let's get serious and talk about the film now. I have been looking forward to this remake since I posted the first released production still on this site late last fall. When the trailer was first released, I was a little taken back by the heavy CGI-infused clips. It wasn't what I was expecting the film to be at all. Let's just say that as time got closer to the film's release, the less excited I got about it and it fell into the "see you on cable" category. I'm a true blue A-Team fan, so I figured to be one of those disappointed moviegoers if I paid to see this one. So I decided to skip out.

Those plans changed when my wife, who is in mad love with Bradley Cooper (Philly-holla!), enticed me enough to give it a go in the theater. And I am glad I did.When I found out that Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley and Bradley Cooper, three actors who are on my cool list, were going to be playing Hannibal, Murdoch and Face, I was more than thrilled. But no one could fill Mr. T's shoes as B.A. Baracas in my eyes, and I feared that was going to be a major problem.


The remake's well chosen cast

The A-Team is a summer action yarn that takes place in an alternate A-Team universe. Not as extreme as last year's Star Trek, but by simply having it take place in current times and using the original mythos to build a story of its own. This is evident early in a scene with the original A-Team van.

The film has an exciting extended opening sequence that details how the guys meet and team up (not being punny either). There is also a hilarious scene on how B.A. develops his arial anxiety. The rest of the film deals with the group being setup "for a crime they didn't commit", their escape and serving up much needed vengenace.

You definitely get a whole lot of action. It's a fast paced film that barely gives you a chance to catch your breath. As another positive, you also get some great comedy too but as a negative, a love angle that is thankfully short and does not detract from the story. The main thing that sold this flick on me is the incredible acting.


"I love it when a plan...blows up"

In all seriousness, Liam Neeson is one of the greatest actors of our time (from my perspective) and he plays a Hannibal that would do the late, great George Peppard proud. Even under the makeup and wig, Neesoon gives it his all by soldifying the film's message of the benefit of having a "plan". Speaking of which - what is unintentionally funny later in the film, is when Hannibal, AKA Master of Disguise, goes incognito with an appearance that makes him look exactly like Liam Neeson himself. Again, I think it was unintentional but it serves a reminder of who the man behind the makeup really is.


He looked just like this in the scene I previously mentioned

Bradley Cooper plays a more vocal and foul-mouthed version of Face. The best thing about him is that you can tell Coop is having a ball with his role and that projects well to film. Some professional reviewers have called him annoying with how he acts in his part, but it's just Bradley Cooper doing what he does best and that is the type of portrayal I was expecting in his turn as a new Face.

The best acting out of the entire cast goes to Sharlto Copley. Easily. There were times when he had me and the entire crowd cracking up. The casting department gets mad props from me on their choice for wild man Murdoch. I liked the guy ever since last year's epic District 9 in which as a relative unknown, his performance took the film to the next level. In fact, District 9 was one of my top films selected in 2009's ETMC It and Shit Awards for Best Film and Copley was a big part of that honor. In another hilarious part, Copley has to use a South African accent at one point for his disguise and therefore uses his native tounge to speak. My wife and I kept looking at each other and saying "Fook! Fookin' prawns!" ala District 9.

Now we come to Jackson as the iconic B.A. Baracas. Surprisingly, I accepted his performance even though Mr. T will always be the real B.A. to me. I don't know whether it was his idea or the creators' idea, but Jackson does not even attempt to imitate Mr. T...thank God! He takes on a different persona for B.A. Sure he is tough and strong but he exemplifies more emotion and compassion in his role. If he started acting like T saying "I pity da' fool" etc and so forth, that would have killed this flick in a heartbeat. He has seamless chemistry with the rest of the cast, so I give him credit for trying to fill some unfillable shoes by doing his own thing.


No please don't hit me, T! You will always be the real B.A!

If I have to nitpick at this film, I will say that Jessica Biel is the real annoying one in this film, not Cooper. And no offense but age is starting to show on her face which is exposing her lack of acting talent. The creators could have grabbed any decent looking female for that part and had the same type of output. Her mouth also looks like Jack Nicholson's Joker from 1989's Batman. She has a good body and all but I never saw the big deal about Biel (I'm a poet and didn't know it). But I guess if Justin Timberlake mounts you, then you soar into stardom. Her performance was one-dimensional and her involvement in the film was annoying but not damaging.


"Wait til they get a load of me..."

As stated earlier, The A-Team is an action, popcorn flick that was great to experience on the big screen. I am not usually one to drool over SFX and am not a fan of CGI, but they served the purpose well here. As a longtime A-Team series fan, I recommend this film to other A-Team fans and action film junkies. This exceeded my expectations and was a worthy reimaging by paying homage to the source material. It was also good to see the band back together again in some fashion.


ETMC Extras:

- Don't make the same mistake I did and make sure to stay through the end credits. You will get to see some original series cameos.

- At a convention in 2000, Dirk Benedict told me that he, Dwight Schultz and T were filming an A-Team reunion film dealing with the loss of Hannibal (Peppard has passed on at this point) and clearing their names for good. What happened to this, Dirk? I love ya and all but were you pulling my leg?