Das A-Team - Der Film

Being a fan of the 80's television series as a child, naturally I was pretty excited 3 or 4 years ago when i heard about a possible 'A-Team' feature film. Back then, I believe the rumoured cast included Bruce Willis and possibly Jim Carrey??? The years went by until about a year ago I saw a picture of the current A-team cast in "EMPIRE" magazine....what - no Mr T????? OUTRAGE!!!

I was disappointed in the least and my eagerness and enthusiasm for an "up-dated' version of a beloved classic jumped out the window and died! Then, 2010 roles upon us and the trailers for the film hit the internet and cinemas but still - it didn't grab me. It looked tacky, un-original(well it's Hollywood and a re-make so it still kind of is), with totally over-the-top and overblown Micheal Bay-style action sequences and not a single trace of any whit or plot visible!

If it was not for my Dad (also an avid fan of the show) offering to pay for me, I probably would not have bothered seeing the film. Well...not at the cinemas anyway.

We watched the film last night and i have to say, it was definitely better than I was expecting. It was actually and surprisingly very good! I was fearing all my fond memories of my favourite characters such as 'B.A. Barachus' and 'Mad Murdoch' would be spat on and watered-down into ironic cliché versions of what they originally were - instead, I was treated to a clever and accurate modernisation of one of the best T.V. shows of the 80's!

The main concept for A-team to work is all about a successful interpretation of the characters. If the characters aren't right - the film will fall flat and will only be branded as A-team by name alone, nothing more than a cash-in on the name. Fortunetly the characters, although played by different actors - are successfully updated and portrayed and still somehow feel the same as the originals with the humour and witty dialogue still there in spades!

The cast did a fine job in their respective roles especially South African actor Sharlto Copley as 'Howling mad Murdoch'! He was hilarious and out of all the cast - resembled his 80's counterpart most accurately in his appearance. Quinton Jackson, although not quite Mr T - still managed to portray a descent portrayal of 'B.A' and although I don't recall him saying his famous catch-phrase more than once, he made up for it with his witty tattoos! I thoroughly enjoyed the back-story to his fear of flying!!!

The action scenes (as obvious from the trailers) are pretty big and impressive which is normal by today's standards. Lot's of explosions, gun/fist fights and airplane chases a-plenty fill the plot (yes...there is actually a plot) in nicely. None of the action sequences are drawn out too long and although some of the scenes suffer a bit from a little too much CGI, shaky-cam and quick cuts making visibility difficult and a bit muddled, still doesn't take away from the film's overall entertainment value.

The plot is not overly complicated but it IS there and it is not completely dumbed-down and insulting to the viewers intellect. A perfect balance of action, story and humour make A-team a brilliant and successful up-dated film adaption that successfully brings The A-team into the new millennium yet doesn't tread over the original.

Thankfully the best bits aren't shown in the trailers and the film is most deserving of at least one more sequel!

I pity the fool who doesn't enjoy this film!

I remember first hearing about this. Cautious optimism was among my immediate reactions. Later, I caught a trailer(on that, do not think for a second that you saw all the good stuff, there's plenty they didn't give away). I was still not sure what to think. Then I watched it tonight. I enjoyed every single frame. No, I'm not kidding, this works from the very start and never loses you. I love the show, and this pays a lot of respect to it(at times, a tad much... early on, Neeson's every other line contains the word "plan"), and this not only nails the four characters(who all get an unforgettable introduction each, and several individual heroic moments), it doesn't merely imitate, but builds and slightly reinterprets to update them. They are played rather well; Liam looks like he was born with that cigar in his mouth, Bradley genuinely is charming and suave, Sharlto(from District 9; he reverts to his dialect here and there) comes across as a lunatic without that making us dislike him, and Jackson... well, he looks cool, he's not asked to do anything he can't handle, and he's certainly got more charisma than any other wrestlers on the silver screen(or Vin Diesel). The acting is in general marvelous, and every role is well-cast. Everybody is a bad-ass in this(on/off at least), and that does get old every now and then. Biel is largely eye-candy(as is all other females in this), though we know that she can do this kind of thing, and she doesn't let us down. The dialog wants to be as clever and full of banter as 2008's Iron Man, and this leads to it trying too hard some(with that said, two thirds of it works perfectly, and it's not a complete buzz-kill when it doesn't). It is hilarious a lot of the time, and the half-full theater I was in all clearly got a kick out of it. This is two hours of pure fun with non-stop, awesome action that doesn't repeat itself, with shoot-outs, chases and fights. It's not realistic, and it's not meant to be. The plans are *brilliant* and seeing them gather materials for them is a blast. This keeps to an immensely fast pace, without overwhelming us, and it fits in plenty of well-thought out plot(that doesn't confuse, in spite of twists and such, that hold up). The script is by the guy who did Wolverine, Swordfish and Hit-man and a rookie; however, maybe because of help from the director(who I've only seen one other thing by, his outstanding The Hire short), they turn in something magnificent. FX are plentiful(occasionally overshadowing the people... be careful, Carnahan), and excellent with a few brief poor bits. The editing is tight, cinematography stylish. While it's black and white, switch-off-your-brain-at-the-door, Hollywood popcorn flick, it doesn't claim or attempt to be anything else, and it's an utterly well-made and re-watchable one at that. There is a little strong language and brutality to the violence in this(no blood). I recommend this to fans of the television series who don't have impossible-to-reach expectations, and everyone who can get into a movie that just entertains you for a solid 120 minutes. 8/10

Amusing return to the classic series created by Stephen J Cannell , also here as producer along with Ridley Scott , with an appropriate cast and overwhelming C.G. special effects . Excellent homage to the entertaining episodes with a complex intrigue but following the canon and overemphasis on usual characterization and special effects . A new entry of the mythical series of ¨A Team¨ , this time written and directed by Joe Carnahan , the creator of the successful film titled "Smokin's aces" and many others ; here is developed the first meeting between Annibal Smith , and his pals . While on the lam, they became heroes for hire, working as good-guy vigilantes around the US or the world . At the end of their stint in Irak Col. John "Hannibal" Smith ( Liam Neeson in the role of the deceased George Peppard) and his team were framed for stealing some plates (which they had done, but under orders). The operative group is sent on an assignment to recover plates for printing 100 dollar bills that were utilized to print a billion dollars. After making the mission and returning to the base their commanding General (Gerald McRaney) is murdered in a blow up and the plates are robbed and they are condemned to an US and Germany military prison . They escaped and went on the run, pursued by Captain , later degraded Lieutenant Sosa (Jessica Biel). Hannibal Smith was their chief and an expert at disguises . Templeton Faceman (Bradley Cooper substituting Dirk Benedict) was the team's con artist and lady's man . M.A. Baracus (Quinton Rampage Jackson replacing Mr T) with extreme panic to flight , he was their mechanic , but also took care of mayhem and intimidation . The final member of the Team , "Howling Mad" Murdock (Sharlto Copley similar role to Dwight Schulz), was an expert but nutty pilot, and a certified lunatic , but they broke him out of a mental hospital whenever they needed him for a dangerous mission.

This entertaining story is concentrated on known characters as well as thrill-packed action and special effects although there're numerous of that too . The movie has unstopped ,tension, comedy , emotion, suspense and sensational scenarios like is customary development of the franchise . Spectacular , exciting , fast-paced , thrilling this is the description of this new cinematic outing of ¨A Team¨ , film that reinvents the saga through a perfect pulse narrative that does not give a second of rest to the spectator who is trapped for two hours approx. in a genuine visual spectacle . Humor , thrills , several agreeable characters and trademark effects abound and will please the series enthusiasts such as the neophyte .

The agreeable acting convinces , especially the leader Liam Neeson , the sympathetic Bradley Cooper and Brian Bloom in a super-villain role , while other players also make a nice work as Patrick Wilson and the gorgeous Jessica Biel. And of course , special appearance in brief cameos from Dwight Schulz and Dirk Benedict , though doesn't appear Mr. T. The moving final amazing the spectator , in which the stirring and spectacular scenes create a perfect union that terminates with an ending that leaves you stuck in the armchair facing the formidable spectacle as a privileged witness . It is the rebirth of the series, an enjoyable homage , the start of a new scenario . Fans of the series may find much to love , but others will be bewildered by excessive and breathtaking situations . Thrilling soundtrack by Alan Silvestri , he composes an impressive musical accompaniment to the film . Furthermore a colorful and glimmer cinematography by Mario Fiore . Suitable for family viewing , it's an entertaining adventure which young and old men will enjoy . Fans of the series will find very bemusing and fun . It is amusing to watch and aficionados are sure to love it , resulting to be one of the best adaptations based on TV series of the last times.

If any film demands to be graded on a curve, it's The A-Team.

Simply consider the notion of making a big-budget summer movie from of one of the cheesiest television shows of a cheesy TV era.

It's a crafty plan to lower your expectations. As long the movie isn't two hours of punching grandmothers and kicking puppies, you're likely to leave the theater saying, "That was better than I expected."

Guess what? It works like a charm.

The A-Team, against all odds, is one extremely entertaining film. It puts pedal to metal about 90 seconds in and never lets up. That's also savvy because it's also kind of a mess that would collapse under its own weight if it slowed down for more than two minutes.

Director Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, Narc) isn't taking that chance. Action scenes come flying at you hard and heavy from start to finish. The results are mixed: Some sequences are choppy and confusing, others thrilling. But like a comedy that never stops pitching jokes, content if only half of them stick, The A-Team pitches action, action, action, with a side of action and a little action to wash it down.

The plot follows the general concept of the TV series with a few tweaks. A (very) lengthy credits sequence set in Mexico shows us how the team of former Army Rangers comes together: Leader John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson), his right-hand man Templeton "Face" Peck (Bradley Cooper), powerful Bosco "B.A." Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) and loony pilot James "Howling Mad" Murdock (Sharlto Copley).

We jump ahead several years, where the A-Team is now an Army covert operations crew with dozens of successful missions under their belts. But when they're set up for a fall by a variety of villainous forces, the boys have to break out of jail and fight to clear their names.

That's pretty much all you wanted to know about the plot, right? Because it gets pretty confusing from there and doesn't matter in the slightest anyway. It's only there to support – that's right – action.

Before I tell you why A-Team is worth your hard-earned cash, I should lay out its many faults.

Though Carnahan directed, it's not surprising to see director Tony Scott was one of the producers. Too many scenes evince Scott's "look" – the camera shoved in way too tight on the actors, so you can't tell what the hell's going on in fight scenes or big gun battles.

The special effects are wildly uneven too, especially in the climax. It looks like the usual Hollywood problem of the CGI being "just good enough" to make a locked-in release date. This time, it's nowhere near good enough.

But then, The A-Team is a nitpicker's dream, if you really want to go there. Jessica Biel's casting seems like an inside joke – "we're not taking this seriously, and neither should you, so let's cast a gorgeous but astonishingly wooden actor in this role."

Maybe you're wondering whether she's really that bad. Look at it this way: This is the first major film role for "Rampage" Jackson, an MMA fighter. He's not great, but he's not too bad – and that's high praise for a non-actor stepping into the iconic role. Yet he's a good bit more believable than Biel.

So with those issues, what makes The A-Team so entertaining? The rest of the cast, actually. If you can look past Biel (actually, look right at her, that's what she's there for), the film is jam-packed with colorful, charismatic performances.

Neeson seems a bit odd at first stepping into George Peppard's shoes as Hannibal, being considerably taller, leaner and tougher. But that's appropriate for the movie, which is basically the TV show on (lots and lots of) steroids. No attempt is made to explain his Irish accent, nor that of Copley, who is South African. It doesn't matter: Somehow in this film, it works.

But the film decides early on to focus on Cooper, hot off his success in The Hangover, and it's the right choice. You'd never have guessed the guy who played eighth fiddle on Alias would be front-and-center for a star-making performance, but it's true.

The A-Team shows off Cooper's buffed-up physique almost to the point of absurdity – he's shirtless on screen more than Mark Wahlberg in Date Night – but Cooper's charisma carries the day throughout.

A well-rounded supporting cast also delivers. Patrick Wilson and Brian Bloom, as potentially shady characters related to the A-Team's troubles, steal every scene they're in. (It probably doesn't hurt that Bloom, a veteran actor mostly relegated to TV work, gets co-writing credit.) Their wonderfully brash characters bring welcome levity to the pounding machine of gunfights and explosions that propels The A-Team.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't note the drinking game that by all rights should be born from this film: Drink whenever a guy with icy blue eyes is on screen. You'd pass out halfway through the film.

There's Cooper and Neeson alone, plus Bloom and Wilson, with a little Gerald McRaney – yes, Major Dad himself – thrown in for good measure.

If you're really into dudes with bright blue eyes, The A-Team is like porn. If you're into nonstop action and lots of male bonding, The A-Team is like porn. If you're into deep, fully-realized female characters – well, look elsewhere.

But if you had to ask me what I would want a big-screen take on a really silly TV show to be, The A-Team more than fits the bill. It's ridiculous, sure. But it's also a ridiculous amount of fun.

Action packed film dedicated to the original TV series with the same name. Interesting at first because of its cast (Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Sharlito Copley) and because of the very fast pace right from the beginning of the film. The action sequences are messy but deliver entertainment throughout the movie and that overruns the sometimes flawed script and the plot holes. Acting is ok; the performance of Sharlito Copley is hilarious. He is spicing up the boring in between conversations of the characters and the things he says or does are very funny. Overall, entertaining blockbuster which still stands its ground. 7/10