A Reel Review: THE A-TEAM

THE A-TEAM is a romp of a film filled with enough good times, wit and spectacle to make it one hell of a fun time. Although big on entertainment, it’s short in any sort of rich texture or deep thought. The flaws that it has are forgivable, as the film is just too damn fun to care about them.

Framed for a crime they did not commit, the A-Team, led by Col. Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), and rounded out by the charming Face (Bradley Cooper), the lunatic pilot Murdock (Sharlto Copley), and asskicker B.A. Baracus (Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson), embark on a series of schemes to try and clear their names. Along the way they must avoid the capture efforts of the Defense Department (represented by Jessica Biel), and uncover the CIA’s plot to undermine the U.S. Government.

THE A-TEAM is a very masculine men-on-a-mission story. What makes it succeed so well is that the mission is not only for an item (in this case, money-printing plates), but also for their lives as they try to clear their names. The mission is helped along by the buddy-buddy vibe of the group, as the characters’ chemistry feels genuine and real.

Being true to its 1980’s-era TV predecessor, THE A-TEAM’s mission and story is also helped along by the nearly zany and absurd “plans”, which are big on visuals and bangs. The plans, and subsequent action sequences are absurd and over the top, but somehow they manage to keep just enough realism involved where it almost doesn’t seem impossible. What also helps is that THE A-TEAM doesn’t try to take itself too seriously: the absurdity of the situations is actually mentioned in the dialogue several times.

Character development is a bit on the low side. Hannibal is not given much background other than a hard-nosed military genius, and his motivations or character arc are never present. Face and Murdock are also underdeveloped, and seem to exist to provide laughs, as they do get the best lines of the film. B.A. is given an interesting arc, but it’s not really fun to watch until his character comes full circle at the end.

Casting is perfect all around, as each actor fits right into their characters, keeping things fun and interesting all at the same time. What makes the casting work so well is the chemistry between all the actors, as they genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves on the screen, and when the actors are having fun, the audience will too. The actors’ fun carries over into their performances, as everyone is believable. High nods should go to Copley, who is a blast in every frame he appears in. Good credit should also go to Jackson and his B.A., who not only does justice to the iconic role set in stone before him, but manages to make it his own.

Director Joe Carnahan does a fine job with things. The highlight is not so much the action or the CGI (which isn’t too bad), but the smart inter-cutting between the TEAM’s formulation of their plans and the actual execution. It’s a smart move which brings about brisk pacing, and again, keeps the situations grounded. The action sequences are fun to watch, and things never really do get boring.

Several homages to the TV show are present throughout. Lines, vehicles, music, and other subtle references are scattered throughout to make the purists happy. This is a film not meant to inspire intelligent discussion or push a morality lesson, but to entertain and provide laughs. On that basis, THE A-TEAM is the most fun to be had in a movie theatre.

BOTTOM LINE: See it.