The A-Team

The A-Team is an explosive romp through a series of ridiculous events, each more so than the last, with a cast of characters that are completely over-the-top. The action makes little sense and the suspension of disbelief is pushed to the limit with almost every set piece. And yes, it's just as much fun as it sounds.

Hannibal (Liam Neeson) is their grizzled leader. Face (Bradley Cooper) is the good-looking, wise-cracking one. B.A. Baracus (Quinton "Rampage" Jackson) is tough as nails with a soft spot for his van. And Murdock (Sharlto Copley) is their pilot. He's also residing in a mental institution when we first meet him. This is the man responsible for getting them airborne, something that Face and B.A. are understandably upset about.

It's an eclectic cast and it works wonderfully. Everyone inhabits their role with just the right amount of seriousness, which is none at all. This is not Shakespeare. Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper are as good as you'd expect, but it's Jackson and Copley that are the stars here. I never thought I'd highlight the acting of a UFC athlete in a movie review, especially concerning a movie starring Liam Neeson, but here it is. Jackson does an excellent job of filling Mr. T's iconic role with the appropriate amount of machismo. There may be one too many "fools" thrown in there, but that's likely the fault of the screenwriter.

Copley's Murdock is possibly the biggest draw of the movie. The man does crazy so good that it's scary and consistently delivers laugh-out-loud lines. It's hard to believe that this is the timid reporter from District 9. Copley deserves a long and prosperous career.

After a short prologue, we fast forward to much later in the lives of these men, after they've worked together for the better part of a decade. On a top secret mission, their framed for murder and end up having to prove their innocence. The plot is odd in that it doesn't really matter, because you came to see big explosions. But at the same time, it's impossible not to love these characters, so you want to see them rise to the occasion and clear their names. Preferably by blowing stuff up.

Those looking for realistic action have no business here. That isn't what the film provides, nor does it try to. In a genre populated with films that take themselves too seriously, here is an action flick that shows no shame in acknowledging its exaggerations. Even in the world of the A-Team, the team is known for their stunts. As Jessica Biel's character once puts it, "they specialize in the ridiculous."

There is a scene in which they fly a tank. They don't just ride a plummeting tank, but they make an honest attempt at piloting it. "Are they trying to shoot that other drone?" one of the technicians asks. "No," Biel's character replies, "they're trying to fly that tank."

That really tells you all you need to know.

The A-Team is not without its faults. It's not a deep film. It doesn't try to be, it's happy being surface-level entertainment and it succeeds beautifully, but the downside is this is not a movie that will stick with you for very long. And the action, while most of it is unique and charming, sometimes becomes so grand that it's too much to take. Still, the movie is too much fun not to recommend.

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