The A-Team Review

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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I’ll be the first to tell you that Smokin’ Aces is one of the worst films ever made. When I was going into The A-Team I was expecting more of the same from Joe Carnahan, really poorly paced action without a single moment of redemption. I sit here now, after seeing the film and, I can say without a doubt, The A-Team is the best time I have had at the movies all year.

After being accused of a crime they didn’t commit, John “Hannibal” Smith, Templeton “Faceman” Peck, B.A. “Bad Attitude” Baracus, and H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock are sentenced to ten years in prison. After promptly making their escape, with the help of the CIA, they go on a mission to find the man that ruined them, and clear their names.

The first thing anyone will notice about this film is the characters. Now, I haven’t seen any episodes of the original series but, I really want to now. If the characters in the TV show are anything like what I saw here, then the show was really ahead of its time. In the first fifteen minutes, the team is formed for the first time, and we get the biggest action sequence of the year, well at least until the next action sequence begins after that. The best moments of the film come when the team is together. Whether they are falling out of a plane in a tank, or chilling at the army base, the dialogue between these men is absolutely amazing.

Now, as for the matter of the direction and cinematography, this film won’t win any CG awards but, the suspension of disbelief works, especially during the big action sequences. Carnahan’s directing is top notch here. It really feels like he understands these characters and known how to use his actors to the film’s advantage. Considering he also had a hand in the script, it’s clear he knows how to write a story that will keep the audience extremely entertained, much to my surprise after the horribly written Smokin’ Aces.

As for the movie’s entertainment value as a whole, it gets a ten. I was laughing all the way through at the absolute absurdity of the film, and yes, that is a compliment. The film is fully self aware and ends up coming completely out of left field as one of the best films of the year.

Now, all this praise doesn’t come without some minor criticism, most of which falls on the villains of the film. The problem is their intentions are never fully known and get very convoluted at times. Thankfully, because the characters of The A-Team itself are so good, I barely noticed.

If I could compare this film to anything, I would cite The Losers which came out earlier this year. The plots are nearly identical. Both teams are falsely accused of a crime and on the run. Both teams have great chemistry, both films have a really whacked out villain, both have great action but, the one thing The A-Team has, that The Losers did not, was story. Now, I love The Losers. I thought it was one of the better films this year but, there is a slow burn plot in The A-Team that allows the film to completely earn its final fight, which ironically, occurs in the same type of location that The Losers final fight did. O, and did I mention that The A-Team has much bigger booms?

Overall, The A-Team is a must see. I will be hard pressed to find a film that can match the level of flat out fun I experienced while watching this. This is summer movie making, hell it’s movie making at its finest. Here’s hoping this film does well enough (which it will) to get a sequel.

9/10