The A-Team

What makes The A-Team work is that everything is bigger than life. And to quote Col. Hannibal Smith, “Everything must be exactly the right measure.” We have big stunts, big action, affable characters, and shifty bad guys. No one element over powers the other. The balance for adventure is just right.

Liam Neeson (Taken) plays Col. Hannibal Smith, the man with a plan and the leader of of this ragtag Special Ops team. It’s wonderful that Liam has found his inner bad ass so late in life. He has really become quite the action star. Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) is The Face, a man who trades on his looks and charm as well as his steely nerve. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has stepped out of the ring to portray Bad Ass Baracus, a man with a mighty blow, and a new-found fear of flying. And Sharlto Copley (District 9) is Murdock, the world’s best pilot. He can fly anything, just ask his friends in the asylum.

This finely tuned team of lunatics are good at what they do and they specialize in the impossible. In eight years they have run eighty successful missions until one messes them up. The job is so covert that when it goes bad, no one can vouch for their honesty. They are set up, court-marshaled, stripped of their rank, and put in prison. Their next job is to clear their name.

Jessica Biel (Valentine’s Day) is out to get the boys. Their interference in her mission got her busted down to Lieutenant. She is also mad because she was led astray by Face, her ex-lover. She is still angry over their break-up and Face blames her for leaving him. Also entwined in this mess is CIA Operative Lynch, Patrick Wilson (Watchmen). He is so twisted no one knows where he is coming from, and Brian Bloom plays Pike. A Black Ops mercenary who is playing for himself. He’s the one who burns the A-Team. It’s him they want to get first, and Lynch is going to help them.

Like all good action films, the A-Team has excellent explosions, a little drama, close male bonding, death defying stunts, and plenty of witty banter. You have four unlikely heroes willing to back each other up and do the impossible to get the job done. I especially liked Sharlto Copley’s mental-patient pilot. He was always ready to try something new by pushing a plane to it’s limits. For him, survival is a bonus. He also is a impressive cook. Just the kind of guy you’d want around.

The A-Team is pure entertainment and designed for mindless fun. They tried to add some twists and turns, but I figured them out so early that I got impatient waiting for them to reveal. The best way to enjoy this film is to lean back and watch it go. For a summer flick, this one is ideal. Don’t let comparisons to the original keep you away. That would make you a fool.

Rating: First Run Good summer fun