My Review: The A-Team (8/10)

¨They are the best, and they specialize in the ridiculous.¨

This movie is ridiculous yes, but it is also ridiculously funny and entertaining because the characters are simply the best. The A-Team was my favorite TV series growing up as a kid and it was a fun time to see them on the big screen again; different actors but the same characters. I was really looking forward to this movie and I wasn`t disappointed. It took me awhile to get into the movie and get used to the new actors, but after the first 15 minutes I began to enjoy it more and more. The A-Team is not a smart film and the plot is very absurd, but it is a very entertaining film mixing comedy with action and sticking to the main characteristics which made the TV series such a hit. This is a movie which doesn`t take itself seriously and neither should the viewer, but it does promise a lot of action and comedy. If you never saw the series then you might not enjoy this movie as much as I did, but if you were a fan then this is a movie you won`t want to miss because it will bring back some good memories. Just being able to hear Hannibal saying his famous ¨I love it when a plan comes together¨ line while putting the Cuban cigar on his mouth, laughing at Baracus`s fear of flying, at Murdock`s impersonations, or at Face for getting into trouble with the ladies brought back so many fond memories of the series. The performances were also good and I am glad the writers stuck with the main idea of the series. Director Joe Carnahan (who also directed the very entertaining Smokin` Aces) did a very good job at making this a highly entertaining and light action comedy.

The movie serves as a sort of prequel to the TV series as we get to know how each member of the A-Team meets and how they are later betrayed and turned into fugitives. It picks off in Mexico where Col. John Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson from Taken) is trying to save his partner Lt. Templeton Faceman Peck (Bradley Cooper from The Hangover) who seems to have got himself into trouble for sleeping with a criminal`s wife. While trying to save Face, Hannibal runs into Sgt. Bosco B.A. Baracus (Quinton Jackson) and after realizing they served in the same war together, Baracus decides to help him saving Face. Once they rescue Face, they search for a pilot who can take them back to the States and that is where they meet Capt. Howling Mad Murdock (Sharlto Copley from District 9). Together they form an elite team and are sent to the War in Iraq where they are betrayed and later imprisoned. With the help of a CIA agent named Lynch (Patrick Wilson) the A-Team escape and try to clear their name by finding the man who betrayed them: Pike (Brian Bloom).  Capt. Charisa Sosa (Jessica Biel) is in charge of bringing the fugitives back to prison although she has a past with Face. The plot is not the most attractive thing about this film, which takes itself very lightly.

I really loved the cast in this film. Bradley Cooper was great as Face, Jackson wasn´t bad either playing Baracus, Liam Neeson was great as always playing Hannibal, but the true star of this film in my opinion was District 9 star, Sharlto Copley, who once again nailed his role and got the most laughs out of me. He was just terrific. The movie doesn`t try to take itself seriously and it works because it serves as a sort of homage to the TV series. I was highly entertained and found this movie funnier than what I expected. I recommend this movie, although I don`t know if you will enjoy it as much if you weren`t familiar with the television series, but fans will definitely have a good time at the movies. 

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/