Saw this last night. Had to. I could foresee a time that I'd be talking to someone & the topic of conversation would turn towards it. I'd accuse the movie of sucking & would be required to cite specific examples. & as I'm reminded everyday, hating something isn't an excuse not to know things about it.
Anyhow, the writing was ... suspect. There's a rather lengthy flashback which isn't fun to sit through, but it provides what little background content there is. Some devices to move the plot forward were convoluted. Oh yeah, the director was trying to do his best Michael Bay impersonation because every fucking solid object explodes with little to no encouragement. Now, onto the important bits. The TV show was enjoyable because of the actors -- each excelled in his particular role. This is decidedly NOT the case in the flick. In no particular order ...
the assorted villains ... Generic thugs with little to no motive ever explained besides pure greed. Throwaway antagonists, completely.
Lynch/Fulbright/Decker/dude chasing the A-Team ... This role falls to Jessica Biel, of all people. While she doesn't fuck it up like a nuclear explosion, she's still forgettable. It feels like the entire movie could've been done without her character.
Liam Neeson as Hannibal : Ouch. This one hurt. A lot. He just doesn't have the perfect match of an insane mad scientist-experimentalist, throw caution to the wind attitude combined with bad-ass that Peppard brought. He would've been perfect in the Lynch/Fulbright/Decker role. At his best, Liam was a mediocre Hannibal. I would've liked to see someone like Harrison Ford instead.
Bradley Cooper as Faceman ... He was slightly too bad-ass. Way more direct & up-front than Faceman should be. But passable on the whole. They needed someone who can project less aggression.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as B.A. ... Blair Underwood would've been a better choice. Wayne Brady would've been a better choice. Chris Tucker, Bill Cosby, the list goes on & on. The only thing Jackson has in common with Mr. T is that both are large, black dudes. Absolutely hideous performance.
Sharlto Copley as Howlin' Mad Murdock ... He easily had the best performance of the four, earning a solid B+. Felt like he was the only one who actually put any effort into his character.
The general feeling is that isn't wasn't great, but wasn't a total waste. Let it pass & wait until it hits the dollar show or rent it or whatever.
The A-Team - movie
The general feeling is that isn't wasn't great, but wasn't a total waste.
Agreed. I'd see a sequel.
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell