Movie Review: “A-Team”

Preposterously outrageous, “A-Team” is A-AWEsome! Big, bold, bawdy death-defying stunts that stun.

To those in the audience who are not familiar with the TV series from the 1980s, the movie opens with Mexico, providing about the background of the band formation of the fearless foursome. Liam Neeson as Hannibal is the brain of the operations; Bradley Cooper as ‘Face’ is easy-on-the-eyes all-around go-to guy; Quinton Jackson as Barracus is the big brawn with a teddy-bear heart and a flying-phobe; and Sharlto Copley (virtually unknown prior to last year’s “District 9”) is the insanely frenzied super-pilot. The buddy-chemistry cranks up the scenes; I was bowled over with laughter.

8 years and 80 missions later, they go to Baghdad on a black ops mission to recover millions in money plates. Predictably, they’re setup by a conspiracy – without anyone in authority who could vouch for said mission, and subsequently find themselves court-marshalled and imprisoned. Chaos ensues. There’s the army (Gerald McRaney), CIA (Patrick Wilson), mercenaries (Brian Bloom), Arab figure, Face’s former flame (Jessica Biel). Who double-crosses who? Who’s friend and who’s foe? Who dunnit?

None will argue that the plot is muddled, the “strategies” are flawed, or that such actions are implausible to execute. Never fear – the plans of distraction, diversion and division launch the fireworks and that’s all it matters. Commandeering a flying tank while shooting out drones in the sky? Sniper-shooting a building window and breaking into a room at hundreds of feet in the air? Skidding down a skyscraper among shards of glass? No big deal!

This is one of those “mission impossible” movies that thrives on the thrill of the skills in pulling off such impossible missions on accelerated speed, and dodging dramatic crashes and blasts. It propels ‘cool’ to the next level. No brain power required – enjoy the ride!