The A-team returns

The beloved heroes of the 80’s, known as the A-team, return to the big screen with an eagerly anticipated remake of the film with the same title. Set in modern day Iraqi war time, the four veteran soldiers find themselves framed for a crime they did not commit. Determined to clear their names and reclaim their honor, Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck, Sgt. B.A. “Bad Attitude” Baracus, and Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, stop at nothing to defeat their unknown enemy.

While the plot remained true to the original series, the 2010 version is promised to be more than just a remake of the widely successful pop culture series. Joe Carnahan, the director, said the film had to be modernized. “This is a show that means to a lot of people and you have to respect that. I see it as summer’s most fun and most highly-flammable action-comedy.”

The film is packed with action and quickly gets the viewer’s adrenaline going from the very beginning. Beyond being a guy’s movie, the A-team offers viewers a lot of laughs with, as Rick Gershman puts it, colorful and charismatic performances from the male cast.

“I love it when a plan goes together.”

Putting together a cast to breathe new life to such powerhouse characters was not an easy feat. However, Carnahan was determined to live up to the task of re-imagining a childhood classic. In an article, he said, "Fox hired me to make it as emotional, real and accessible as possible without cheesing it up." And as Hannibal’s famous line goes, he proved his plan goes together.

Leading the pack is Col. John “Hannibal” Smith played by Liam Neeson, who described his working experience with the rest of the A-team in an interview as “lovely” as they all worked well together with a wonderful franchise, an excellent script and good camaraderie with fellow actors. While it was an enjoyable experience, it was not without challenges, especially physical ones, given the highly explosive stunts they were performing. Neeson went on to share how he had injured his rotator cuff in the first week of filming which left him in pain and unable to effectively use his arm for about three months. Nonetheless, he credited his colleagues for rallying around him to make the film work.

Neeson’s last film was the summer blockbuster Clash of the Titans where he took on the role of Zeus. However, it was his portrayal of a father searching for his kidnapped daughter in the film ‘Taken’ that caught Director Carnahan’s attention which led to him being handpicked for the role. Carnahan pointed out that he cast Neeson because he can do action well and having him in the cast makes it “clear to the world that you’re not making the cheesy, cornball version of the A-Team movie”.

Taking on Face, Lt. Templeton Peck, is comedic actor Bradley Cooper who showed off his acting chops in the film. Known more for his roles in hilarious comedies or light-hearted romantic films such as The Hangover, All About Steve, Valentine’s Day and He’s Just Not that into You, Cooper proved he can also take on high-powered action flicks as well.

Cooper fans may notice the drastic change in his physical appearance for the A-team. As compared to his lean, typical guy-next-door frame in his previous films, Cooper shows off a buffer body. He shared in an article that he underwent rigorous training and kept a strict diet regimen in order to bulk up for the role. He went on to say “ This cannot be me—that’s the way I look?…It was...surreal, ’cause as a kid I only fantasized about looking that way”.

Donning the signature mowhawk is the Ultimate Fighting Champion Quinton Jackson. More popularly knowns as “Rampage” in the Mixed Martial Arts arena, Jackson was faced a new kind of challenge as he went head-on with such an iconic character. Add to this, Jackson was one of the relative ‘unknowns’ cast in the film, especially alongside veteran actors Neeson and Cooper. After all, as he put it, “there’s only one Mr.T”. Jackson described his experience in shooting the A-team as “something else” in comparison to his background in the UFC.

Rounding out the team as Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, the highly-skilled-but-somewhat-crazy pilot is Sharlto Copley. Copley is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed movie, District 9. As a child growing up in South Africa, Copley was a die-hard fan of the series.

The rose among the thorns of this all-male cast is the sexy Jessica Biel, who plays a drastically different role from that of Mary Camden, the reverend's daughter in the hit television series 7th Heaven. Prior to being cast as Captain Carissa Sosa, Biel co-starred with Bradley Cooper in the star studded Valentine hit movie aptly entitled Valentine’s Day.

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"There is no plan B."

While the cast earned high marks from some reviewers, Mr. T., the original B.A. Baracus, slammed the film as too violent and filled with sex. In an article, he expressed disappointment at how the film adaptation was very different from the original family-oriented series.

While Mr. T opted not to appear in the film for a cameo role, Dirk Benedict, the original Faceman, agreed to one. However, Benedict expressed in an article that he wished he had not done so because “You'll miss me if you blink. I kind of regret doing it because it's a non-part. They wanted to be able to say, 'Oh yeah, the original cast are in it', but we're not. It is three seconds. It's kind of insulting."

Although the former A-team stars were disappointed with the film, the film was described as “the best film you could ask for from an “A-team” adaptation. Pidde Anderson said that while the A-team may have its flaws, the film was enjoyable. “It doesn't feel draggy, and the concept of a crack commando unit is still cool”. Local movie blogger Regnard Raquedan gave the film a 4 out of 5. “The A-Team is a fun watch and the characters (especially Copley's "Howling Mad" Murdock) are a joy to see on screen." As for this writer, the flick is truly a laugh trip worth going for.