Film Review: The A-Team

Director: Joe Carnahan

The popular 1980's TV Show is re-made for the big screen with a new cast playing the popular characters of Face (Bradley Cooper), Murdock (Sharlto Copley who is the most impressive of the four), Hannibal (Liam Neeson) and B.A (Quinton ''Rampage'' Jackson). The film had been in development since around 1995 with many different producers and writers having ideas for the project to then be shelved. It was finally released in 2010 and performed well at the box-office.

The plot covers a bit of the back-story that the TV series was based around with how the four became locked up in a maximum security prison for a crime they did not commit and also how B.A. became afraid of flying. Their mission revolves around some U.S. treasury plates that can print U.S. dollars which have fallen into the wrong hands and ends up being a search for the people inside the CIA behind the job with many explosions and gunfights ensue.

Face, Murdock, Hannibal and B.A.

Sharlto Copley as Murdock is absolutely hilarious during the movie and he plays the slightly mad pilot brilliantly, 90% of the funny moments from the film revolve around him. The other three are all decent in their roles but as a group of four they do have good chemistry which is visible on-screen. Jessica Biel really can't act and is supposed to be a tough woman with a soft side for Face but this is shambolic at best. The original cast were offered cameos which some accepted but only appear for about three seconds so blink and you miss them.

The plot at times is a mess and a bit incomprehensible but you could do a lot worse for an easy film to enjoy. The action sequences were a bit predictable in places and looked heavily CGI'd which always detracts from my enjoyment when you clearly can see it's not real. The story leaves it open for a possible sequel after a nice little cameo by Jon Hamm at the end.

2/4 funnier than expected but predictable action sequences