What is more fun than being surprised at the movie theater? In our age of internet, Rotten Tomatoes and discotheques I am rarely pleasantly surprised with movies. Now I almost always enjoy movies I see, but that's because I know what to expect going in. Toy Story 3 was great and I knew this before going to see it. Inception was mind blowing and I had read this probably 20 before stepping foot in the theater. So whenever I can go into a movie not expecting much and be fairly well blown away, I love it. Such was the case with this year's underappreciated movie: The A-Team.
I was not a fanboy of the original series. I may have been if I was in the proper age group, but I was about five or so years too late to really be a part of the fanbase. None of that matters, though, because I know enough about the show to enjoy this movie. And besides, the movie is an origin story anyway so you can come to it knowing nothing and enjoy the ride. I'm sure there are references I miss, but I'm fine with that.
The movie is an action/comedy that actually has great action and superb comedy. The story follows Liam Neeson as Col. Hanniball Smith an Army Ranger who leads a team of crack soldiers on ridiculous missions. The team consists of Lt. "Face" Peck (Bradley Cooper), Cpl. B.A. Baracus (Quincy "Rampage" Jackson) and Cpt. H.M. Murdock (Sharlto Copley). Each member has their speciality. B.A. is the driver, Face is the point man and Murdock is the pilot/resident insane person. The story starts with the explanation of how the team got together in a chance meeting in Mexico and goes on to show how, eight years later, they were framed "for a crime they didn't commit." After breaking out of four individual high security prisons they go on a mission to clear their names. The crime they were imprisoned for is something about plates used to print money stolen by some other army like guys. Ultimately it doesn't matter it is a revenge story.
The story is convaluted. I don't know that I can fully explain it, but it doesn't matter. Like the original show (I'm told) the movie and the characters in the movie specialize in the ridiculous. Never for a second are we supposed to say, "That is so unrealistic." Of course it is! And that's the beauty of it all. We don't care that you can't actually fly a tank by shooting the turret to direct it while it falls. Sure helicopters probably can't doo barrel rolls and pull out of a free fall. Who cares! They say funny stuff while it happens.
By far the stand-out performance comes from Copley as the pilot, Murdock. We meet him masquerading as a doctor and stitching up B.A.'s arm in the shape of a lightning bolt. We're told several times that he is certified insane, but also the best pilot around. We also get plenty of opportunities to see both claims during the course of the movie. Copley plays the part so well I have a hard time believing he's not like that in real life.
While Murdock is the source of most of the humor during the film, the other characters hold their own. Each character has their moments. Face is the ladies man and has some great moments with that, B.A. is hard core, but can be very funny when you get him talking about his fear of flying, and Hanniball demands your attention as the leader of the group. All do well with the material they have. Jackson (as B.A.) is probably the weakest link, but he's a UFC fighter and reprising the role made famous by Mr. T so you can't fault him too much.
The greatest weaknesses come from the action scenes. While they are fun and fast paced they follow the same idea as a lot of action movies do now. The idea is that action scenes aren't shot so much as edited. Most of the time I knew someone had a gun and then shot that gun (because I heard it go off) and then some got hit, maybe? Sure it may be more realistic but in a movie sometimes I just want to see the action that's going on. Also you don't have to say, "I love it when a plan comes together!" everytime a plan comes together. Even if they said it in the original show.
This movie was such a surprise to me because it knew so well what it was. It never takes itself too seriously while simultaneously making the action scenes compelling and fun. The humor is derived in large part from the dialogue, so it doesn't feel worn or forced. The actors work well together and in the end you realize that you just watched something people had fun making. I would love to see a sequel, but alas poor reviews and a niche target audience may have made that impossible. Here's to hoping my unknown blog can make that a reality.
Rating: 56 Barrel rolls in a helicopter
