Flick Flak: The A-Team
The A-Team
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley
12A, 119mins
I did not go into this film with high expectations. I have never really watched the television series, but I knew the basics of the characters and the plot, and was relatively happy about going to see what would surely be a ridiculous, funny action film. Ridiculous it was, but it was sadly lacking in the humour and action departments. With all the globe-trotting, agency conspiracies and shaky hand camera action, The A-Team felt like Bourne, minus the brains.
I assume that the casting of the team would have been a big deal to fans of the original series. For me, the four actors are all pretty good. Liam Neeson does not stretch himself too hard as Hannibal Smith, and Bradley Cooper (of The Hangover fame) makes the pretty irritating 'Face' quite likeable. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson is perfectly serviceable as B.A. Baracus, and I would not have been able to guess that he was primarily a UFC fighter before being an actor. However the stand-out is Sharlto Copley as Murdock. Fantastic in the amazing District 9, Copley plays such a different character in The A-Team and gets the majority of the film's laughs. While his accent occasionally wanders back towards his native South African, he generally pulls off the Texan accent well, and his oddball activities successfully make being crazy funny. While the characters are likeable enough, they remain entirely two-dimensional. One line in the film where Hannibal accuses a military thug of being a "cartoon character" was particularly ironic.
I felt that there were precious few genuinely funny moments, mostly just Murdock's antics. Too many times jokes fell a bit flat, and many were just embarrassing. In fact the dialogue in general was too often cheesy to the point of being cringe-worthy, and while it clearly thought it was quite cool and clever, it felt like the film was trying a bit too hard. Particularly painful was the repeated use of "I love it when a plan comes together". OK, so that is a catchphrase in the television series, but catchphrases belong in 80s TV shows, and it felt a little embarrassing watching these great actors having to resort to them. One other problem I had with the dialogue was the annoying habit of 'self-censoring' that was going on. Face shouting "you mother..." and then being drowned out by the arrival of the A-Team van before he could raise the film's certificate seemed pointless, and this was not the only occasion. It is entirely possible to a make a film seem adult while still not swearing, and this seemed a very juvenile approach to it.
The plot of the film was never going to be its strongest element, but it still disappoints. While the early portions of the film were quite good - getting to see how Hannibal and his team meet, how B.A. develops his famous fear of flying, and then how the team end up as fugitives - the rest was dull, predictable and had some glaring holes in. For instance, how the CIA had a photo in which there was someone well-known to them, but despite all their analysts, had not noticed him (Think that should be spoiler-free). The climax of the film is daft even by the rest of the film's standards, and it finishes on some very cheesy moments.
However, the plot's worst feature is that it allows for very few original action set-pieces. Clearly the plot to a film like this is not going to be it's selling point, but too often the action scenes were deeply reminiscent of other daft action films (and some good films too).
Where the film should have been shining, it was producing some really duff action scenes. Two stand out as being good, and original: the team's escape in a military aeroplane and then tank (still airborne), and later, a scene that takes place on two skyscrapers is suitably vertigo-inducing. But even these scenes are affected by the use of CGI which makes an already absurd situation look videogame-esque. Sylvester Stallone, in upcoming daft action film The Expendables, has made a point of making his film in the style of 80s / 90s action films, and using all real stunts and explosions. On the basis of The A-Team this will be a good move.
Another issue I had with the action is how loud it is - to the extent that it drowns out dialogue! Far too often characters' witty remarks are completely lost in a barrage of explosion and gunfire sound effects. Plus, the film suffers from Quantum Of Solace syndrome: action scenes filmed on shaky cameras for 'immersive effect' only have the effect of confusing the audience as they lose track of what is happening.
To sum up, I could have forgiven a dodgy plot and even a lack of good dialogue if the action had been original and exciting. But likeable characters cannot elevate this uninspired special effects blast.
