Look out Hollywood, there’s a new franchise on the block and it doesn’t include superheroes or characters from video games.  Instead, it’s old fashioned adaptation of TV shows for blockbuster theatrical release and this one includes top shelf production value that’s well worth the money.  I’ll give you The Call early and say this big screen revival of the show The A-Team that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1987 is a no brainer: spend the ten and have fun, then later contemplate why summer movies can’t all be this action-packed and agreeable.  With mediocre film after mediocre film it’s easy to forget that there is such a thing as skill in the art of Hollywood filmmaking, and that cream really does rise to the top.  The A-Team’s leader John ‘Hannibal’ Smith played here by Liam Neeson loves it when a plan comes together, but I love better when a movie comes together.



The Story:  A rag-tag bunch of Army Ranger misfits join together and bond in one action-packed conflict after another realizing there’s no task big enough that they can’t squash.  Until some U.S. Currency plates, the kind that Iraqis have made a billion dollars with, go missing in Bagdad.  The guys then find themselves in a predicament they’ve each not been a party to which involves accusations of disloyalty and crimes against their country. The gist of the TV series was that they go rogue and continue fighting enemies and solving mysteries while still fugitives for crimes they didn’t commit. The movie is no different, except in casting and in budget: Neeson plays the part of Colonel Hannibal, and does his best John Wayne but more importantly pays homage to George Peppard who portrayed the original Hannibal on TV; Bradley Cooper plays Templeton ‘Face’ Peck or Face for short, once played by Dirk Benedict; UFC light heavyweight fighter Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson plays Sergeant ‘B.A.’ Baracus, formerly played by Mr. T; and Sharlto Copley who played the lead in District 9 (2009) is ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock, pilot extraordinaire.  Together they are The A-Team for which no B-Team could come close.



The Goods:  But I have to say the real A-Team is director Joe Carnahan who wrote and directed Narc (2002) and Smokin’ Aces (2006). He co-wrote this script with writing partner Brian Bloom and more importantly Skip Woods who wrote Swordfish (2001) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).  These guys do something pretty cool with The A-Team which, in addition to writing great dialogue (and jokes) unique to each character, they give the movie an episodic feel just like TV.  What you essentially get here is a three-part mini-episode progression almost as if “to be continued” were edited out at each plot twist in the film; like watching three episodes on TV.  I think it’s genius structurally because it keeps the film sutured to its Television roots and gives us the kind of repetitive nature we’re accustomed to with serial TV shows.  Music by Alan Silvestri whose early years were spent composing music for TV’s CHiPs, shines in The A-Team with a heart-beat rhythm of percussion that literally pumps the film with life.  He keeps music pulsating discretely in the background even when there’s no conflict on screen, always keeping us on edge for what’s about to occur next.

The camera angles are often low, especially on Hannibal to suggest a strong patriarchal presence on film; the camera cranes and moves in on the characters additionally without losing focus and does so in the most unpredictable circumstances, like in the back of a helicopter or a C-130 cargo plane in the middle of a dog fight.  The only way you can tell it’s staged is that the camera is able to tighten in on what appears to be an improvised moment.  Lighting is contrasty and outlines our heroes with strong rim light always, to such a degree that you’re almost shockingly aware a large chunk of the budget has been spent to make you satisfied with the photography, like you’re watching a “real” movie not some watered down version like The Losers who most likely saw an early print of The A-Team and whipped up their film in days as opposed to months to get a jump on this more superior effort. The visual effects too, as you’ll see throughout The A-Team are tremendous.  Even if they make scenes at times unbelievable, such as flying a tank through the sky, it’s done with such great competence through Peter Jackson’s New Zealand effects company, Weta Digital, and a dozen others, that you almost believe a tank can do the things you’ll see it do.



It’s the little things though in The A-Team that give it flourishes of greatness and a small touch I love are conversations in progress between characters, often in discussions we can’t even hear, either in the background while Hannibal brings a plan together or at the lead of a scene while a character such as B.A. returns from the restroom and the guys are pre-discussing the details of hoo-rah from an explosive scene before.  It’s the kind of vision for developing atmosphere you don’t often see in movies and it really makes The A-Team shine.



The Flaws: There are only two flaws to all of this and that is one, just when you think this film can’t miss a beat it does in one long twenty minute emotional interval near the end of the second episode, right before we move into the third act.  Hannibal comes to the realization that his heart’s been screwed, that his trust has been dive bombed and scattered like shrapnel.  It takes a minute for him to catch his breath, for the boys get back up to speed but it’s the one main flaw in the film.  Had this scene been shortened we would all jump to the action a tad bit faster and out of the theater well under two hours still buzzing with conversation at how surprisingly good the film is.  Nearing two hours, however, with a running time of 118 minutes the euphoria of all the comedy and action is dampened slightly.  Instead of coming out of the theater energized you might come out looking for coffee.  I didn’t think this film could get bogged down but it does so be prepared with popcorn and Coke.



The only other flaw then is there isn’t enough Jessica Biel.  The film has so much testosterone that a little femininity would go a very long way.  One scene with Cooper and Biel creatively fighting in an airport photo booth sizzles, but only for a moment.



The Call: Other than these trite little defects The A-Team is just as good as any of the Lethal Weapon films and miles above any and all Mission Impossible product.  Like I said, spend the ten.  You’ll thank me later.



Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking.  Produced by master filmmaker brothers Tony and Ridley Scott.  Hang around until after the credits for something extra for original A-Team fans.