Thanks for checking out our The A-Team Review
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel
Released: 11 June 2010
THE GENERAL IDEA
A colorful team of former Special Forces soldiers were set up for a crime they did not commit. Going “rogue,” they utilize their unique talents to try and clear their names and find the true culprit. Based on the 1980’s popular TV action series.
THE GOOD
From the get go, the movie does capture the spirit of the original 1980’s TV series. The cast does a magnificent job in mirroring the original characters and at the same time, making them their own. Neeson and Cooper were awesome in their perspective molds; this I expected somehow. The highlight of the film to me was Sharlto Copley. Acting for just his second movie ever, he just basically steals every scene his in. This guy is for real.
The action sets were crazy and fun. I loved how I was just sitting there laughing and having fun, simply because I was watching this bunch of guys having a blast and laughing while in the midst of an insane/dangerous actions scene. Them having fun and enjoying these ridiculous stunts was contagious. The movie is pretty funny, specially if you go in a little skeptical.
THE BAD
The plot is just ridiculous. Yes, there are plot holes, but for these kind of movies, I don’t care. The last act was a little long and kinda overstays it’s welcome. Some of the action scenes were too full of CGI effects. Nothing that would stand out – but in the last act, the CGI can get distracting and might take you out of the fun for a second. Beware, most of the action scenes are intensely over-the-top.
Acting-wise, I don’t know what’s going on with Jessica Biel. For the last couple of films, she’s just plain “blah”. Yes, she’s really hot, but her roles are just neutral and pointless. What do I mean? Well, it’s all eye-candy, they could’ve got another random actress in this role, ‘cus it was just, what I like to call, “standard procedure acting”. The other minor hiccup is that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson isn’t that menacing in the original Mr. T role. He does a fantastic job overall, but I missed the original mood/vibe of the original character. His character in this adaptation is less menacing, but in deed, more charming.
OVERALL
Overall, this is a great summer, action/comedy blockbuster. The action is loud, insane, over-the-top fun. It’s surprisingly funny and the cast does a great job mirroring the original characters. The movie does capture the spirit of the 1980’s TV series, but this time it’s more action and less campy. Minor hiccups include a dumb, predictable plot, some CGI effects overuse, and some underwhelming acting by minor characters.
That being said, I definitely recommend that you see this. If you were a hardcore fan of the original series, or just want to have some fun, go see it. Be sure to go in without high expectations and ready for some insane sequences. I did enjoy it for what it is.
I give The A-Team a 6.5 out of 10
