‘The A-Team’
Director: Joe Carnahan
Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel
Rating: PG-13
Grade: ?????
As a movie, “The A-Team” is kind of corny, campy, preposterous and very fun — meaning it’s a fitting tribute to the original (and beloved) ’80s TV show.
All of your favorite cast members (Hannibal, Face, B.A. Baracus, Murdock) are back, but what the TV show didn’t have — specifically bodacious CGI effects — “The A-Team” movie has in spades. And director Joe Carnahan knows how to work those effects in tandem with a punchy (yet slightly ridiculous) script by Joe Carnahan, Brian Bloom and Skip Woods.
But it’s the movie’s stars that really make “The A-Team” the first truly fun blockbuster of the summer. Bradley Cooper (Face), former UFC fighter Quinton Jackson (B.A. Baracus) and “District 9” star Sharlto Copley (Murdock) are, frankly, having a blast — so much that it’s impossible not to share their enthusiasm. Heck, even Liam Neeson (Hannibal) looks like he’s having a good time, and when’s the last time you saw that onscreen? They’re so amused that their performances border on being sloppy, but no matter. This is a huge Hollywood remake of a silly ’80s television series where a bunch of stuff gets blown up; it’s not high art, but it is well-made entertainment. What more do you want from your blockbusters?
