Visitors Review

junktrash728 (2012-05-24 17:40)

Can't compare to original but keep an open mind

I am still a fan of the original series and had been awaiting for thismovie since the idea was toyed around years ago. As with most remakesit's hard to enjoy a movie if you keep comparing it to the original soI went into this film with an open mind. A quarter of the film wasspent on introducing the history of the characters for those who didn'tknow the concept of the A-Team. I thought it would have been muchbetter if they had used the narrative from the original intro at thebeginning of the movie and spent more time on the plot. The actionsequence is fast-paced and intense. Perhaps too over-the-top at timeswith CGI effects and unrealistic stunts. What I really enjoyed was howmuch of the original content they brought back. The new actors fit intotheir roles really well although Copley didn't quite nail the role ofMurdoch, which is a challenging role to begin with. Overall, I wassatisfied with the movie although I felt the plot wasn't that good andis keeping me from rating it higher. Since the A-Team are mercenariesfor hire, they should have helped regular civilians bring down the badguys instead of working for the government.

RandySpice (2012-05-24 13:04)

The A-Team exceeds expectations

When I first heard about this movie my first thought was: "why?" Itseemed fairly obvious to me that an A-Team movie would either behorribly dated or so different from the old TV-series that the heartand soul of it would be gone and the fans would be disappointed.When the trailer hit the screens I was firmly in the camp of theskeptics. Apparently they had gone for the latter option. The tone wasoff when Liam Neeson uttered Hannibal's trademark line, B.A. wassuddenly throwing words like "homie" around and Face and Murdock lookedalike to me.I went to see this movie with virtually zero expectations and came outwith a big grin on my face. The A-Team delivers. It by and largemanages to walk the fine line of changing what would no longer workfrom the series without losing the heart and soul."In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military courtfor a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from amaximum security stockade..." Remember these lines? Change the year andyou have the synopsis of this movie. This is the origin story for theA-Team, updated to today's war and today's standards and that is allyou need to know.The cast is great. All my concerns about the trailer flew right out thewindow after I had seen the introductions for the main characters.Neeson surprisingly nails it as Hannibal. Cooper is a very good Face,except for stubble Dirk Benedict would not be caught dead with. Thefinds of this movie are Jackson and Copley. They are very well cast andthey're very funny. Jackson doesn't glower enough to my taste, but thatis really the only gripe I have. The rest of the cast does a good jobwith limited screen time, especially the villains.The action is outstanding and outrageous at times, just like it'ssupposed to be. The flying tank scene is especially hilarious and thefinale especially spectacular. Very well done. One pet peeve: why cannobody in Hollywood keep those cameras steady anymore? Unfortunatelythis movie, like so many others these days, suffers from shaky camerasyndrome. Rampage Jackson is a top level fighter. It would be awesometo actually see more of his moves in stead of an indistinguishable messof limbs.Overall I would recommend this movie to those who loved the series andto everybody who wants to see a good summer action movie. It's funny,it's exciting to watch and it has the heart and soul that so many TVremakes seem to miss.

(2012-05-22 01:19)

I Pity the Fool that doesn't see this movie

This review is from: The A-Team (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I grew up watching episodes of The A-Team with Mr. T and George Pepard. This movie brings that all back with a much-needed update. The plot is, basically, the same. A group of commandoes gets framed and needs to clear their name. Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper shine as Hannibal and Face, respectively. Murdock, in this movie, adds some comedy to it and is a good addition to the cast. My only gripe is the fact that the red and black iconic van is not in it that much. As I remember, that was something which was in each episode. Jessica Biel was a good bad/good guy which one couldn't quite figure out whose side she was on. Overall, it was a good movie and worthy of being added to any DVD or Blu-ray collection. I, in fact, got the Blu-Ray for Christmas and it was my first Blu-Ray I ever purchased. It's a fun ride and there are many plot twists. The ending sequence leads one to believe there will be sequels. I hope the same cast returns and the plot is just as good.

Jackson Booth-Millard (2012-05-21 18:44)

The A-Team

Based on the popular TV show running from 1983-1987, I saw the imagesprovided in Empire magazine and the trailer in the cinemas, it wasn'tsomething that appealed to me, until it brought out on DVD anyway.Basically after escaping a Mexican prison, Col. John 'Hannibal' Smith(Liam Neeson) goes to rescue Lt. Templeton 'Faceman' Peck (TheHangover's Bradley Cooper), then Hannibal enlists Sgt. Bosco Albert'B.A.' Baracus (Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson), and they flee with the helpof eccentric pilot Capt. H.M. 'Howling Mad' Murdock (District 9'sSharlto Copley). Together after this successful mission, eight yearslater and eighty successful missions, the four are a highly-regardedelite combat unit called The A-Team. They are given the next mission,while in Iraq, to recover plates for printing 100 dollar bills, butafter completing the mission there is an explosion, killing Gen.Russell Morrison (Gerald McRaney), and the team have been framed. Whilethe plates are stolen by another operative, the four men are courtmarshaled and sent to different prisons for the crime they didn'tcommit. Six months pass, and after finding out what has happened to theplates, and who may be responsible for setting them up, Hannibal, alongwith B.A., Face and Murdoch make their escapes. The A-Team are nowpursuing the rival team of American soldiers in Vietnam, and the manresponsible, Lynch (Patrick Wilson), while at the same time Capt.Charissa Sosa (Jessica Biel) is on their tail. In the end, the villainsare defeated, the plates are recovered, and the team may be innocent oftheir crime, but they did break out to prove it, but don't worry,Hannibal gets a key to get away again. Also starring Henry Czerny asDirector McCready and Corey Burton as Narrator, and cameos fromoriginal stars Dirk Benedict as Pensacola Prisoner Milt and DwightSchultz as German Doctor #1, but no Mr. T? I thought from the ratingthe critics gave it, two stars out of five, that I would agree, but Ithough all the explosions and attempts to make it more modern did helpto make it quite exciting, not a bad action adventure. Okay!

(2012-05-20 23:04)

Plot? Where?

This review is from: The A-Team (DVD) My wife & I watched this last night and just laughed at how bad the lines and plot were. There are some nice action sequences but some of the scenes are just TOO fake to be believable. It's maybe worth a rent, but I regret purchasing it b/c I know we will never want to watch it again. If you are okay with bad lines and totally impossible action sequences, then you might like this one. My wife would be mad that I actually gave this 2 stars instead of 1.

(2012-05-20 14:48)

cute movie

This review is from: The A-Team (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) good movie to watch with your kids who do not remember the TV show. Good time to be had

(2012-05-20 04:35)

Appropriate for heavily intoxicated viewers.

The clear intent of the movie is rocking the theatre with noise, action, madness, and constant violence. Forget about the cause and effect. There are no connections or links that could be made between reality and the movie narration. Somehow a tough muscular guy could reek havoc in Mexico's drug dens with tattooed fists, and no firearms. Another team member got beaten up endlessly yet survived without scratch to finish the movie. The precious currency plates that were created to justify the violence in Iraq and Germany do not make any sense and sounded very stupid. Printing currency would require more than metal plates. It would take proper paper material and plenty of techniques that guns and violence alone could not guard. Somehow a punch of guys flying a Hercules military carrier ended up flying a tank and driving to Berlin on its back. You must be on heavy hallucinogens to digest the physics of such course of affairs. Definitely, the choice of each member of the A-Team was as poor as the illogical narration of the movie scenarios. One member of the team was chosen for his muscles mass with very limited ability to think out the box, let alone his fear from flying. Another team member was laughing constantly and never appeared to have high cerebral skills beside his angelical smiling face. Colonel Hannibal's role as the brain of the team totally exceeds his feeble physical ability. The remaining psychotic pilot was just that. So, how the Team earned the "A"? Definitely, the moviemakers were able to refine their story to make it logical, believable, and enduring. They must choose actors who appear and act with vigor. Their plot needs to appeal to sane viewers, beside the drugged one.

(2012-05-19 12:58)

A+ Action Flick

The A Team movie is a perfect example of a summer action movie. Just a fun ride from start to finish. The action is amazing, all the jokes are delivered well and the story line was a lot better than I expected. If you like fun action movies, then definitely go check this out.

Jonny_Numb (2012-05-19 17:43)

52 Pick-Up

I really wanted to like "The A-Team." I was fully prepared to set mybrain on the floor for 2 hours of bang-up action peppered withwisecracks from this motley, re-imagined bunch of fugitives who had"been framed for a crime they didn't commit." I had faith inco-writer/director Joe Carnahan, who has proved as adept at gritty copthrillers (the fantastic "Narc") as he is balls-to-the-wall jugglingacts of violence, diverse characters, and pulpy twists and turns withtheir own verve and energy (the cult favorite "Smokin' Aces"). When Ifound out Carnahan was at the helm of this big-screen relaunch of oneof my favorite childhood TV series, a strange optimism came over me:for a good long while, I had no doubt he would deliver on the B-listpremise and eclectic characters. So much for expectations. "The A-Team"is the summer-movie equivalent of 52 Pick-Up, the infamous game thatleaves novices collecting cards off the floor; while it nibbles aroundpossible goodness in its opening act, it progresses and finally ends ina mess that no one would want to be held accountable for. After adrawn-out prologue that introduces us to Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson),Templeton "Face" Peck (Bradley Cooper), "Howlin' Mad" Murdock (SharltoCopley), and B.A. Baracus (Quinton Jackson), we flash forward 8 yearsto the aftermath of the second Persian Gulf conflict, where Hannibaland his crew apprehend a convoy carrying counterfeiting plates inBaghdad, only to return from their successful mission to the death ofthe general (Gerald McRaney) that put them up to it. In the meantime,CIA operatives (Patrick Wilson), assassins-for-hire, and militaryliaisons with sculpted cheekbones (Jessica Biel, as one-note as ever)lurk in the shadows with only faint definition (but plenty of sceneryto chew). Carnahan, who showed a real cleverness in narrative trickeryand smoothly mapping out action scenes in "Aces" seems to be regressing(call it Michael Bay Syndrome) when it comes to "The A-Team"'s story (astring of clichés and double-crosses sandwiched between shootouts andexplosions) and action sequences (mostly hand-held, shaken and editedwith little regard for coherence or suspense). Early on, the tone feelsclose to Just Right, potentially capturing the spirit of the originalshow...but it simply devolves into a watered-down Tom Clancy thrillerwith jokes. The one area where Carnahan succeeds magnificently (but notmagnificently enough to save "The A-Team") is the casting: this quartetinteracts with as much chemistry as the original TV cast, and eachactor brings his own passionate spin to what has already beenestablished; put these guys in a film worthy of "The A-Team," and you'dtruly have a forced to be reckoned with, not thisover-achieving-through-excess/underachieving-through-everything-elsesummer blockbuster.4.5 out of 10

Wavy Davy (2012-05-19 10:07)

The A Team - A Wavy Davy Review

In 2006, Joe Carnahan managed to make a film about the worlds bestassassins all finding themselves in the same place, uninteresting. Nowhe has managed the same with The A Team.Now I not a hater of action movies. In fact, I am very much theopposite. I love The Rock, Armageddon, and I certainly LOVE Con Air,but the A-Team somehow fails where these classics have succeeded. The first problem is that the plot is far too convoluted for an actionmovie. It is quite confusing, especially since the villain, Lynch(Patrick Wilson) seems to change sides in an instant. The plot issomething to do with stealing meal plates, but I am still not sure whatrelevance or expense they have. The second main problem is the villains - the main ones are Lynch(Patrick Wilson), a CIA agent, and Pike (Brian Bloom), a cockymercenary. Lynch is no way near evil enough to succeed as the majorvillain in a film like 'The A Team'. The most evil Lynch gets is somenasty sarcasm. They needed a sadistic killer or a billionaireextremist. but what we get is a sarcastic CIA agent- hmm... It hardlykeeps in line with the director's last major feature, 'Smoking Aces',which had tonnes of cool villains (although then again, he managed tomake them boring in that film.) The third main problem is the final set piece in the film, set on ashipyard. Frankly, the explosion CGI looks like it should have be in avideo game, and while the film seems to think this set piece isextremely clever, it is in fact completely stupid, over-busy and noteven exciting.Another problem is Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's acting, which isactually okay, but because one is always comparing him to the kick-assMr T, we feel short-changed by the performance. It starts brilliantlywhere he beats up 20 men to get the famous A Team van....but then thevan never appears again in the movie....and from there BA Baracus' arcjust becomes clichéd and, again, boring.The strong points of this film is the opening 10 minutes, and the trioof Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley, who play 'Hannibal','Faceman' and 'Murdoch' respectively. Cooper, especially, oozes cool asFace. Unfortunately, his character is ruined somewhat by hisrelationship with Sosa (Jessica Biel), who is played by Biel in such anauto-pilot fashion that you can't help but yawn every time she comes onscreen.And another thing- even though the first ten minutes is good atintroducing all the characters and showing how they all met, a flaw ofthe film is that it skips 8 years, then GOES BACK to the charactersbeing separate, so that we can get re-introduced to them. WHY? It justseems like you have watched the opening to two movies! In summary, this film passes the time with some decent set pieces (NOTthe end one, but the one at the start and then a subsequent one inBaghdad) and some decent performances by 3 of the A-Team members.However, this film has too many flaws to get it a decent score so Igive it 5/10.

(2012-05-17 23:59)

You better watch this movie FOOL!

The A-Team was one of my TV serials from the 1980s, along with Airwolf, Quantum Leap, Tales of the Gold Monkey, etc... that mixed adventure, action, drama and romance with a large, mostly male cast full of bad guys in high places and good guys in secret hideouts. Few made it to the big screen, and many thought the A-team would never get a full Hollywood production. But it did, and it came out very well. Featuring the same characters as the original show, though updated to take place in the decade of Operation Iraqi Freedom, this movie is full of plot twists, character twists, gunfights, fistfights, ludicrous dialog, ridiculous action scenes, and all of the familiar hallmarks of the TV series, except overblown in every way possible. The casting was spot on for all the members of the team, along with all the villains of the movie. Clocking in at just around two hours in length, the movie has several climatic action scenes, hence moving the story along at a brisk pace. Who are the villains in the movie? Well, they are a combination of all the villains of the TV serial; drug lords, rogue military brass, the CIA, private military contractors, etc... Overall, a great movie worth multiple viewings. Probably the best part of this film is how it shows the origins of B.A. Baracus' fear of flying.

(2012-05-17 09:15)

I love it when a plot comes together!!!!

To many, "The A-Team" is just another in a long line of movies-made-from-TV-shows. But to me - and to those that grew up with the original like I did - this is a movie that you would hope to kick butt just as much as the TV show did. There were plenty of movies based on hit TV shows that failed miserably: Miami Vice (Unrated Director's Edition) [Blu-ray], S.W.A.T. [Blu-ray], Bewitched (Special Edition), The Dukes of Hazzard (Unrated Widescreen Edition), Lost in Space [Blu-ray], The Mod Squad, and The Avengers. Needless to say, I was nervous when I heard of 20th Century Fox's plans to remake the 1983 NBC hit show. Then, fortunately, I saw the movie trailer and all of my worries subsided as I saw the stellar cast of Liam Neeson (who is awesome in pretty much anything he does), Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Patrick Wilson, and Jessica Biel. I was worried about Quinton "Rampage" Jackson who didn't have any real acting experience before this film and is mostly known for his title as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light-Heavyweight Champion. However, upon Jackson's first 15 minutes on screen, my fears all disappeared. I was also a little worried about Copley's casting as "Mad" Murdock (that character being my favorite from the show), but he -- like Jackson -- took on the role and made it his own. He correctly captured all the genius, maddening humor that Dwight Schultz brought to the original.The first thing you should accept upon going into this film is that this is a fun, slam-bang action film. It's not to be taken too seriously but it's also not merely some silly popcorn flick that the studio put together merely for money and marketing. There's plenty of action and laughs but the story, acting and pacing are all up to par as well. I remember watching the television show when it originally aired and loved the setup of these rogue heroes helping a client in need every week (a popular formula that is most currently showcased in USA network's "Burn Notice"). Unlike most action shows of its day - and action shows on TV today - "The A-Team," with all of its bullets and explosions, had an extremely low death toll (only five people died during the entire run of the series and none of the deaths were caused by the A-Team themselves). The show's brilliant plot twists, action sequences, and customized weapons (take that, "MacGyver"!) kept all of us diehard fans coming back for five seasons. And those same elements, which are plentiful in this update, charge our enthusiasm to see the film.As I previously stated, Liam Neeson rocks in pretty much anything - any genre, any movie! He does not disappoint in this. His cigar-chomping, "love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together" leader Hannibal Smith does complete justice to original portrayer George Peppard. And there's no better actor I could think of today to portray Face than Bradley Cooper. Most know him as a comedic actor with prominent roles in "Wedding Crashers" and "The Hangover." But most don't know that he first appeared as a serious co-starring role in the J.J. Abrams/Jennifer Garner hit ABC series "Alias." So the man is multi-faceted; even though he's hilarious and I enjoy and look forward to seeing him in more comedic roles, I also hope to see him in more serious roles in the near future.If you haven't seen, or are not familiar with, the original TV show, you should know that it follows closely to the original series albeit with a few modernized plot points for making the film as contemporary as possible. Yes, this film is directed more toward guys but, ladies, if your boyfriend/husband/male friend talks you into viewing this film, don't roll your eyes just yet. Like I said, the story is enjoyable and Jessica Biel's presence is more female action star rather than just a sex symbol for show. Patrick Wilson's Agent Lynch is fun and deadly, which Jason Patric tried to capture as Max in The Losers [Blu-ray] -- a graphic novel-turned-movie that follows closely to The A-Team's premise -- but did not succeed. Director Joe Carnahan, who directed one of my favorite action flicks of all time, Smokin' Aces [Blu-ray], does an excellent job with both the direction and screenplay. The film runs at about two hours and yet I left the movie satisfied. I felt like I could've watched at least another hour. And the way the film ends (with a super cameo from Mad Men's Jon Hamm), I yearn for a sequel. Although, even if there isn't one, I won't be too disappointed as the film stands strongly by itself. Even though it's still early, I'll say that, so far, "The A-Team" is the best action film of the summer!

FC-5 (2012-05-16 19:54)

The A-team, nothing more and nothing less.

So it finally happened. A big budget Hollywood version of my childhoodheroes, whom I spent every afternoon watching after school at mygrandma's house. And since then have re-watched the last couple ofyears during the age of the DVD.At first I didn't know what to expect from The A-team, but went intothe movie theater with an open mind. I just hoped they wouldn't ruinit. And I believe that your opinion on this title varies a lotdepending on just that, what you expect. I experienced both positivesand negatives, sure. Some negatives which I wouldn't have accepted inany other film but since it's the A-team I let it slip. Again, the openmind.First of all, the cast was great. Liam Neeson was a good Hannibal andCooper a good Face (who I thought played a bit to big a part in theteam). Copley gives a great performance, as he did in District 9, and Ican't wait to see him in some more pictures. As for Rampage Jacksonspart I don't have a lot to complain about either. He's not the bestactor, alright, but then again neither is Mr. T.Storywise I liked how they somehow explained how the team came to meet,but in a way I found that the movie was a bit too chopped up. Firstthey met, then they were set up, then they escaped and then they wentfor revenge. Almost like four separate parts or episodes if you will.Like a TV-series? I personally also disliked the way that many of thescenes were shot with a close up camera making it hard to see whatactually went on in the many, many action sequences.The story is a little weak at some points. Some that I would have nevertaken from any other franchise or movie, as I'm usually quite botheredwith plot holes. But then again, I didn't think they would tell thegreatest story ever told. And revenge stories aren't very complex bynature, are they? All and all a good movie experience for someone whoknows the franchise and know what to expect. This is the A-team,nothing more, nothing less. And no, they didn't ruin it!

(2012-05-16 00:22)

Light-hearted action...don't take it any more seriously than it takes itself

This movie is a fun movie, but an absurd one -- and it makes no secret of the fact. It is, therefore, enjoyable as comedy-action. The characters are a band of misfits, weirdos and even a mentally unstable individual...but they're also super loyal, super skilled, super warriors. The adventures they go on are completely outrageous, but so are the characters...this is comedic action, after all. The storyline is a mediocre and implausible, but nonetheless entertaining, one -- in keeping with the rest of the film.This was by no means a CGI masterpiece (nor did I expect it to be), but there were times when things looked way too fake...like in the scene where everything was collapsing at the dock. There was also (spoiler) the cliched evil military contractors, Black Forest, up to no good, which was a little distracting by virtue of sheer overused stupidity...I donno who out there is thinking, "Gee, how about *another* movie/TV show/book about some ultra-villainous group of inept, abusive contractors who will have a name that hints to Blackwater, because that's sooooo original!"...but they need to get on with it. As it is, in A-Team, they refer to the Blackwater, errr, Black Forest guys as trigger happy frat boys...I don't know what planet they live on, but, in real life, inept kids in combat die...they don't become super villains. But I digress... Anyhow, the A-Team characters were all pretty likable, the adventures were entertaining, and the story was interesting enough to keep you watching. Again, this is NOT a serious attempt at a military intrigue/action film...this is meant to be a fun, silly movie, and it achieves that. 4/5 stars, for an amusing film that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not

rico_scp (2012-05-15 01:48)

Great movie!

What a great movie. I went to watch this movie yesterday with lowexpectations. I thought, well another remake of an old movie will bringnothing new and these unknown actors will make this a bad movie. But Iwas wrong! The movie has many hilarious moments, especially in thebeginning. The plot seems to be standard (retreive some dollar prints)but gets some nice twists. Lots of action in this movie which I liked(sometimes with some things that cannot be real like BA with his motoror shooting out of a falling tank) and great effects! The actors allacted well in my opinion. Hannibal looked the least like the oldHannibal but acted good. Also, as a big mma fan, I was very satisfiedwith the acting performance of Quinten Jackson! I thought, he will besome fighter that cannot act but he proved me wrong! And having JessicaBiel in this movie was also a nice move! Looking forward for part two!

Jonny Fendi (2012-05-14 05:49)

'A' for Action!

I'm impressed how they made thiz newest version worked. In thebeginning, I was very pessimistic about thiz "A-Team" will fall intoB-Class movie. The original image from authentic TV's version in 1980'swas very strong. The challenge was extremely hard, but they did itanyway. The A-Team consists of four war veterans with their own specialskills and unique styles. The leader and the brain is Col. 'Hannibal'Smith (Liam Neeson), the other members are: playboy and con man Lt.Templeton 'Facemen' Peck, the muscle and mechanic Sgt. B.A. Baracus,the loony and pilot Capt. H.M. Murdock. Neeson had always been a greatActor. There's no trouble for him to replace the late George Peppard'scharisma. The iconic B.A Baracus (originally played by Mr. T) whomseems will difficult to replace, played convincingly by QuintonJackson. Bradley Cooper also looked like had fun with his role as'Facemen'. And the last but not least, with his mimic and expression,Sharlto Copley made a new reincarnation of precise Murdoch's character.Previously, Copley was widely-recognized by his breakthroughperformance in "District 9" (2009). Plus Jessica Biel and PatrickWilson fill the supporting roles. Joe Carnahan (The Director of"Smokin' Aces" in 2006) seems to be success to maintain the fun factorsfrom one scene to another. The story easily flows since the earlyscene. The action scenes were very fun to watch, actually most of theactions were very absurd, but it was still acceptable to thiz kind ofpopcorn movie. I fully appreciate that the film makers work so hard tokeep the originality. Thiz film is a really a perfect copycat from itsoriginal, which make us realize maybe the time has changed, but "TheA-Team" is still the same. Everybody loves it when a plan comestogether.Visit My Blog on JONNY'S MOVEE : http://jonnyfendi.blogspot.com

alvarhaggis (2012-05-13 04:57)

The Z Team

I have just returned from a screener and all I can say is that is themost board I have ever been in my life. It was awful. I had moreentertainment in the theatre in moving from place to place in my seatso my ass would not go numb than I did form anything on the screen.It has absolutely zero connection to the original series or material.The characters are completely different in every way. The violence andprofane language do not pay any homage to the series.In fact, the only thing this has in common with the old series is thename of the movie and the characters.I personally see this bombing at the box office and rightly so. Thehumour is not humorous, the action is generic Hollywood crap and how onEarth they managed to get Liam Neeson in this beggars belief.this is Hoolywood trash at it's worst.

(2012-05-12 17:19)

Not Exactly the show, but fun neverless

When a group of war veterans are framed for a crime they didn't commit, they are out to clear their names and out for revenge as well! That isn't exactly the show since the A-Team just wanted to clear their names, they never killed anyone. Even when a truck went flying off a cliff in the show the bad guys would get out and just dust themselves off. The movie is a big non-stop action mess, but it's so silly that it's entertaining. What makes it better than a big mess like Transformers 2 though, is that it's great fun if you've seen the show. I mean Transformers 3 might as well be called the Adventures of Sam Witwicky. Here the characters from the show are at least alive again and so are some of their antics that we grew up with and loved. So in another words, the A-Team aren't side characters for a horny teen who's in love with a hot girl in tight clothes. When there's not brainless action, Sharlto Copley does get to have some fun being a nut, playing Howling Mad Murdock. While he has chemistry with Rampage Jackson, who plays B.A. They argue as much as they do in the show, but until Murdock cooks for B.A to calm him down. I don't think anything calmed down B.A in the show, but I found that humorous as well. While Bradley Cooper's Face, is more of a nut than Dirk Benedict's though. Dirk's Face hated to be punched in the face because it was his meal ticket, here Cooper even begs a guy to hit him. Cooper still has moments where his Face gets to flirt with woman though to get what he wants. Hannibal Smith isn't really done justice though. Liam Neeson hams it up as best as he can with big cigars and a sadistic smile, but no one could replace the late great George Peppard. Peppard brought so much energy to the show, that it's hard to believe that he died only 6 or 7 years after it was canceled. I did at least laugh in the film when Hannibal needed a disguise to walk through an airport.... he went as Liam Neeson lol. Well not literally, but he had the usual Liam Neeson look in that scene and in the scene that followed, he was back to Hannibals gray hair. So it's little things like that I found funny. When I heard Patrick Wilson was playing Lynch, I expected the serious Colonel from the show that was always in pursuit of the A-Team. But here, one of the silliest things is that a lot of guys have the name Lynch. So even though Wilson's Lynch is practically Michael Bay and likes blowing stuff up, doesn't mean he's supposed to be the Lynch from the show. But anyway, now that is cleared up, Patrick Wilson is surprisingly a lot of fun and livens up the brainless action scenes with funny one-liners, like "damn, that reminds me of playing Call of Duty".

(2012-05-08 00:38)

A few good performances in an otherwise forgettable film.

THE A-TEAM is one of those movies that is meant to be popcorn entertainment: nothing fancy, nothing of high quality, just a good way to kill a couple hours. It features a few hard-hitters (Liam Neeson, Patrick Wilson, Scott Cooper, Sharlto Copley), all of whom are slumming it (and apparently having fun). It features a lucrative, by-the-numbers plot; a very pro-violence message (a pacifist snaps a man's neck, and we're supposed to cheer); a lot of explosions and bullets and one-liners. It's an action movie.Then why the two stars? Because this film features one of the single worst directing jobs I've ever seen. This is surprising, as the film comes from Joe Carnahan, who gave us the action gem SMOKIN' ACES. But Carnahan doesn't seem to know what he's doing here. There are random cut-scenes and close-ups; the film almost feels like a music video in spots, the directing is so awkward and uneven. The script is terrible, even by action movie standards; the first twenty minutes of the movie are back story (how the team got together); and the next twenty are spent setting up the overall plot of the film. That's 40 minutes where nothing much happens. Even by so-bad-it's-good standards, THE A-TEAM lacks almost anything worthwhile.Then why two stars at all? Because of the performances. Some are terrible--"Rampage" Jackson should quit--but some are surprisingly good. Patrick Wilson makes perhaps the best smarmy CIA operative I've seen; his performance belongs in a much better movie. Liam Neeson is the epitome of cool here; his opening scene is fantastic, the drool-on-your-chin kind of awesomeness we rarely get anymore. Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley are hilarious and charming (well, Cooper; Copley is a bit dangerous, in a good way). These actors all have good chemistry together (again, Jackson is the exception), and deserve a better script and better directing. THE A-TEAM almost isn't worth your while. Yet, you're probably going to see it, because if you're honestly curious about it, then you're already preparing yourself. Just don't set the bar too high. If nothing else, revel in Wilson's performance, and remember Neeson's opening seen. Come to think of it, those two things are worth at least the price of a rental. Which is a shame, because the rest of the film borders on a waste of time.

RocketeerFlyer (2012-05-07 16:22)

Far Far Better than I Could Ever have Imagined...GREAT STUFF

My first review for IMDb but I'll make it reasonably short.I was a fan of the TV series (although it was by no means my favourite,in fact it wouldn't even make my Top 30 favourite TV shows/series but Idid enjoy it in the 80's as a teenager) Enjoyed the banter between thefour TV leads and thought this would be just another stupid & silly BIGSCREEN version of a TV show! how wrong was I...If your a fan of the TV show you should enjoy this movie (A LOT)An excellently made ALL-ACTION film with a super cast (that's perhapsand whisper this quietly...better than the TV cast) fun, engagingdialogue for such a film, OK there are a few things in the script thatyou'll see coming a mile off but who cares when the movie is this muchfun...break-outs, helicopter chases, planes with tanks and knowingwinks & cameos to the original TV show, GREAT STUFF.Perhaps a case could be made for the ever so slightly disappointingending scenario especially after what had gone before it but I was OKwith it...could have been better but was possibly setting things up forthe hopefully upcoming Sequel? although the possibilities for the nextA-Team movie are endless!!!What shocked me in to writing this review was the 6.9 current rating. Ivery much enjoyed "FAST" 5 but whilst that film gets all the kudos andcongratulations I have to say I thought this was BY FAR THE MOREENTERTAINING Film...Must be some out there that agree with me?I can't imagine how they could have made a better A-Team movie.Give it a go, watch this on Blu-Ray and let's get this rating into the8's (at least) PRAYING for a SEQUEL as I'd warrant this a successsimilar to the recent STAR TREK reboot which I'd also rate as a 9/10.RocketeerFlyer's....Up Up and Away