Joe Carnahan, of Smokin' Aces fame, returned to the big screen this weekend with The A-Team reminding us all too well that this guy can do action. Entertaining in all the right ways, the film is in no way perfect but it earns every cent of your admission. Recent reports have said that Mr. T isn't a fan of the film; well, Mr. T, you are the fool, The A-Team is awesome.
The film opens with an extended credit sequence that introduces the future members of the A-team. Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson) is being beaten for information by a couple of corrupt Mexican officers. The officers have gotten what they need and leave Hannibal to be devoured by a couple of dogs. Yeah, that's not happening. The credits play out and each character is given his due time. Hannibal meets up with Bosco B.A. Baracus (Quinton Jackson) and the two rescue Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper) from a group of Mexicans. As the three look to finish their escape, they are partnered with H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley) who acts as their pilot. After an extended helicopter chase, the film fast-forwards 8 years to Iraq. The group has been working together and is the best at what they do. Information has surfaced that a group of Iraqis are in possession of U.S. treasury plates. CIA Agent Lynch (Patrick Wilson) comes to Hannibal to ask him to get those plates back. Going against the advice of his commanding officer, General Morrison, Hannibal takes the team on a covert mission to get the plates back. The mission is a success but following their return, everything goes wrong. The plates are stolen, the General is murdered and the A-team is blamed. They are each stripped of their rank, dishonorably discharged and sent to separate prisons. The rest of the film follows them as they attempt to clear their names.
As a fan of the original series, I had my reservations. I watched this film as it passed hands in development with ridiculous casting rumors, including Mr. T returning to play B.A., running amok. When it landed in the hands of Joe Carnahan, I was equal parts excited and skeptical. I was a fan of Smokin' Aces. Don't get me wrong; Smokin' Aces has its major flaws, including a story that tries a bit too hard. Nevertheless, I saw the potential for a great new action director. I didn't want Carnahan simply testing out his ideas on a franchise that I viewed as sacred. Now, I don't know if Carnahan is a fan of the original series or not, but from watching The A-Team my guess is that he is. Carnahan treats his source with the reverence that it is due.
A major problem with many remakes is the compulsion to stay too close to the source. The thought is that audiences have a love of the original and that they should just redo that making sure not to ruffle too many feathers along the way. Look, you are never going to be the original. The original is loved because it was great when it came out. We know that the original isn't perfect, but we don't care. The worst thing that could be done is to try to redo what has already been done. It is better to take the ideas, themes and great parts of the original and make it into something new. This is why The A-Team works. Carnahan recognizes that it isn't the 1980s anymore and that in the present things are done differently. He strikes the right balance between the world of today and the world the series lived in.
The key to the success of this film truly lies with its casting. The casting is inspired. Each actor is the embodiment of the character. I personally wasn't in the majority of fans that were screaming that Mr. T could not be replaced. I was worried about "Howling Mad" Murdock. Dwight Schulz was crazy and hilarious on the original and as a kid, he was my favorite character. Sharlto Copley is perfect in the role. He balances humor, intelligence and a believability that he is insane that is essential to the character. The majority of the laughs come about because of his performance. Neeson is badass as Hannibal, Cooper is charming as Face and Jackson is all B.A., but at the end of the film, I was still all about Murdock.
As I said before, the film is not perfect. The story is ridiculous. Carnahan seems to think that every good film needs a twist and in this film, they abound. Sometimes the twists seem unnecessary and usually they are predictable. The final action set piece requires the viewer to forget all common sense and just accept it. You would give yourself a headache if you insist on focusing on the moments that just wouldn't happen in the real world. There is some horribly annoying CGI and the villain's insistence on monologuing is frustrating. The film doesn't try to be something it isn't but its subscription to many action clichés is to its detriment.
The A-Team does not embarrass its source. The film captures the spirit of the show and that is what is most important. The casting of the A-team itself is absolutely fantastic. Each of the central four actors breathes new life into characters that I grew up loving. Despite a ridiculous story and a devotion to some unfortunate action clichés, the film is consistently entertaining. Made with an obvious love of its source, it may not be an award winner, but The A-Team does the original show right.
The film opens with an extended credit sequence that introduces the future members of the A-team. Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson) is being beaten for information by a couple of corrupt Mexican officers. The officers have gotten what they need and leave Hannibal to be devoured by a couple of dogs. Yeah, that's not happening. The credits play out and each character is given his due time. Hannibal meets up with Bosco B.A. Baracus (Quinton Jackson) and the two rescue Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Bradley Cooper) from a group of Mexicans. As the three look to finish their escape, they are partnered with H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley) who acts as their pilot. After an extended helicopter chase, the film fast-forwards 8 years to Iraq. The group has been working together and is the best at what they do. Information has surfaced that a group of Iraqis are in possession of U.S. treasury plates. CIA Agent Lynch (Patrick Wilson) comes to Hannibal to ask him to get those plates back. Going against the advice of his commanding officer, General Morrison, Hannibal takes the team on a covert mission to get the plates back. The mission is a success but following their return, everything goes wrong. The plates are stolen, the General is murdered and the A-team is blamed. They are each stripped of their rank, dishonorably discharged and sent to separate prisons. The rest of the film follows them as they attempt to clear their names.
As a fan of the original series, I had my reservations. I watched this film as it passed hands in development with ridiculous casting rumors, including Mr. T returning to play B.A., running amok. When it landed in the hands of Joe Carnahan, I was equal parts excited and skeptical. I was a fan of Smokin' Aces. Don't get me wrong; Smokin' Aces has its major flaws, including a story that tries a bit too hard. Nevertheless, I saw the potential for a great new action director. I didn't want Carnahan simply testing out his ideas on a franchise that I viewed as sacred. Now, I don't know if Carnahan is a fan of the original series or not, but from watching The A-Team my guess is that he is. Carnahan treats his source with the reverence that it is due.
A major problem with many remakes is the compulsion to stay too close to the source. The thought is that audiences have a love of the original and that they should just redo that making sure not to ruffle too many feathers along the way. Look, you are never going to be the original. The original is loved because it was great when it came out. We know that the original isn't perfect, but we don't care. The worst thing that could be done is to try to redo what has already been done. It is better to take the ideas, themes and great parts of the original and make it into something new. This is why The A-Team works. Carnahan recognizes that it isn't the 1980s anymore and that in the present things are done differently. He strikes the right balance between the world of today and the world the series lived in.
The key to the success of this film truly lies with its casting. The casting is inspired. Each actor is the embodiment of the character. I personally wasn't in the majority of fans that were screaming that Mr. T could not be replaced. I was worried about "Howling Mad" Murdock. Dwight Schulz was crazy and hilarious on the original and as a kid, he was my favorite character. Sharlto Copley is perfect in the role. He balances humor, intelligence and a believability that he is insane that is essential to the character. The majority of the laughs come about because of his performance. Neeson is badass as Hannibal, Cooper is charming as Face and Jackson is all B.A., but at the end of the film, I was still all about Murdock.
As I said before, the film is not perfect. The story is ridiculous. Carnahan seems to think that every good film needs a twist and in this film, they abound. Sometimes the twists seem unnecessary and usually they are predictable. The final action set piece requires the viewer to forget all common sense and just accept it. You would give yourself a headache if you insist on focusing on the moments that just wouldn't happen in the real world. There is some horribly annoying CGI and the villain's insistence on monologuing is frustrating. The film doesn't try to be something it isn't but its subscription to many action clichés is to its detriment.
The A-Team does not embarrass its source. The film captures the spirit of the show and that is what is most important. The casting of the A-team itself is absolutely fantastic. Each of the central four actors breathes new life into characters that I grew up loving. Despite a ridiculous story and a devotion to some unfortunate action clichés, the film is consistently entertaining. Made with an obvious love of its source, it may not be an award winner, but The A-Team does the original show right.