“The A-Team” was a film based on one of my favorite television shows as a kid. It was a fun show and it clicked with audiences in the 1980s. I remember having A-Team toys and Mr. T seemed like he was everywhere, he was even on cereal boxes! The cultural impact of “The A-Team” can’t be ignored.
The basic story of the movie tells the origins of The A-Team which was narrated over the opening credits of the television show. A small group of soldiers were ordered to do an illegal mission, the mission backfired and then they were convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. The soldiers promptly escaped and set out on a mission to clear their name.
The cast is led by Liam Neeson who takes over the role of Hannibal, the leader of the team. He looks the role and has a natural command over the audience so you believe he could be a Colonel. Bradley Cooper portrays Lieutenant“Faceman” Peck. For such a skilled actor, Cooper doesn’t do much to make the character feel layered. “District 9” breakout Sharlto Copley gives the film’s most faithful performance as “Howling Mad” Murdock. His unstable performance seems lifted straight out of the show. As for B.A. Baracus, UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson took over the role from Mr. T. The problem with the character of B.A. Baracus is that Mr. T was so closely associated with the role that it’s hard to separate the actor from the character. Jackson doesn’t have the screen presence Mr. T had. Jackson also isn’t the best actor for a lead role.
The modern setting is part of the problem with the movie in my opinion. In a post Vietnam world of the 1980s, potentially living under the radar was more feasible. It was unrealistic that a group of ex-soldiers could survive as “soldiers of fortune” in the underground even back then. It is practically impossible nowadays. The Vietnam War setting was also important because it acted as a sort of allegory to how all the veterans of that war felt. They came home and felt out of place, accused of being criminals over a conflict they were forced to participate in. Now, veterans are considered heroes, there is no draft, and generally speaking, there are a lot of good programs out there to help veterans out. We live in a different world today partly because of Vietnam.
The television show wisely skipped over the part depicting the team’s “crimes” because that isn’t, for the most part, what the show wanted to focus on. It was a show about a group of misfits who help the helpless. The movie should have followed suit.
Grade: C
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