The A-Team

Rating: ***

Before seeing this film, I did not have the mind to revisit The A-Team television series created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1987. Sure, like any other child of the 80s I watched the show first run along with Dukes of Hazzard and Transformers, but I’ve felt no pressing need to re-familiarize myself with the material either, whether it was on my own or in the context of doing prep for the 2010 big screen version. Channel-surfing? Sure, I’d come across it occasionally, but I’d rarely watch beyond that awesome opening titles sequence. Family Guy references aside, The A-Team was something best left in the time capsule.

Flash-forward to our underwhelming blockbuster season that is the summer of 2010 thus far and what we have is a time when The A-Team, under the direction Joe Carnahan, gets to shine in all its glory once again. As far as action movies go, it’s as predicable as ever in terms of the underline formula. But within that formula works a filmmaker of skill and ability. There are some great chases, good humour and some dynamic team work courtesy of this A-Team for the new millennium.

Still our plot is pretty standard. We see how this Army Covert Ops Alpha Team – or A-Team – come together during a mission in Mexico that sees Face (Bradley Cooper) being rescued from the clutches of corrupt federals by erstwhile C.O. Col. “Hannibal” Smith (Liam Neeson) and wheel man Cpl. B.A. Baracus (Quinton “Rampage” Jackson) in that trademarked black GMC Vandura van. A quick helicopter getaway courtesy of Capt. “Howling Mad” Murdock (Sharlto Copley) completes the outfit, not to mention the pre-title sequence.

The rest of the film hinges on the A-Team’s attempt to clear their names for an operation in Baghdad where soldiers were killed and mercenaries got away with U.S. Treasury printing plates. Convicted of being co-conspirators in the theft, Hannibal and his men break out of prison to find the real thieves and the guys who set them up, which could be anyone from the C.I.A. to a group of Blackwater like soldiers of fortune to their own Army commanders. To complement the action, Jessica Biel is on hand as the pretty young thing playing Inspector Javert to this group of dysfunctional Valjeans.

Strictly in the context of judging a summer blockbuster by its unique character – meaning that this ain’t Oscar bait for anyone involved – A-Team is pretty darn close to being grade A it terms of fulfilling expectations. The action, which is pretty much wall-to-wall, is well executed with a monogram of flourish. Telling you that there’s a scene where the team uses the main gun of a tank to “pilot” said tank, while being suspended by one parachute, towards a lake to perform an emergency crash landing may sound ludicrous, but in the moment you just go with it. Restarting a helicopter in midair after performing barrel rolls and other air show routines in it? Sure, I’ll buy that. Jessica Biel as a straight-as-nails Army Captain? Yeah, I’ll buy that too.

But insane stunts are nothing new, the real question is can you make us care about the characters, especially since some people may level a kind of – ahem – iconic status on this movie’s TV origins. Well, all I can say is that Neeson channels the late, great George Pepard well. Having an actor of Neeson’s calibre in the middle of this thing, gives an air of respectability to the endeavour, as if the filmmakers were genuinely interested in reaching beyond the key demographic. And you can tell Neeson’s having fun too playing the alpha dog of the A-Team.

As for Jackson, one would have to pity the fool that tries to fill Mr. T’s shoes, which was why it was nice that he didn’t try. Aside from the mohawk, the name and the bad attitude, this B.A. is given, at least, some kind of depth beyond calling people foolish and looking menacing. In the mean time, Jackson gets to prove that there just might be life after mixed martial arts. Cooper and Copley also get a pass, if only for confirming their statuses as leading man hunk and quirky character actor respectively.

Not that this is a Royal Shakespeare Company production of The A-Team just to reiterate, but then again, it doesn’t have to be. This is satisfying action for the summer movie crowd who will give it a chance with good humour and an open mind. You don’t need to be a fan of the original A-Team to enjoy it, though I’m sure there will still be some fans riled up by the artistic direction of this interpretation. But The A-Team does impress that director Carnahan came to it with a degree of style that’s beyond the pressure cooker explosion factory of the average Michael Bay film. And let’s face facts, for salvaging the summer box office, there is no plan B.