Not convinced? Get a load of our The A-Team TV series original DVD collection (pictured above). Hubby bought all four seasons from the US some years back. When I first saw the trailer of The A-Team movie, I was both excited and skeptical. Can Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, and Sharlto Copley pull it off? My 9-year old son, who has watched all the TV episodes, immediately said "I like the old A-Team better," upon seeing the new cast.
Anyways, I got an invitation to the press screening of The A-Team last June 8, 2010 at Glorietta 3 Cinema 6. I really really wanted to see how it was going to turn out.Unlike the TV series, The A-Team movie gives a very clear back story on how the four main characters got together and formed the group. While the old A-Team has its roots in the Vietnam War, the new one has the Gulf War as their common denominator. They are charged with a crime they did not commit, and they eventually break out of prison to prove their innocence. Revealing any more of the plot will spoil the fun, and oh what great fun the movie was! Given that, I'll just proceed to share my opinions on how I found the new guys' portrayal of our old heroes.
- Liam Neeson got George Peppard's Col. John "Hannibal" Smith down to pat. If I close my eyes I could swear it was the old Hannibal from TV talking. Neeson got the tone, the voice, the inflections, and the speech patterns. I can tell he really familiarized and immersed himself with the original Hannibal, and it helps that he is very charismatic in his portrayal.
- Bradley Cooper is generally okay as Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, except that he is not refined enough for most part. The old Face was kind of like Pierce Brosnan's James Bond -- smooth as silk, suave, debonair, and always impeccable. Cooper's Face is uneven and markedly more coarse. He needs to get a clean close shave to boot as I have never seen Face rough and stubbly all over.
- Quinton Jackson's BA Baracus was kind of weak. He may have the build and the fighting skills but Mr. T has a lot more personality and it shines through every time he's in a scene.
- Sharlto Copley's Murdock was satisfactory, albeit not quite as funny or endearing as Dwight Schultz's.
Jessica Biel plays Capt. Carissa Sosa, the only female character in the film. She doubles as Face's old flame to make things more interesting.
All in all, The A-Team is great fun (especially if you just take it at face value and stop comparing with the original) even if you have absolutely no TV background. It has also been updated so the younger generation can relate to it. An engaging plot, a clear back story, and good performances make it some of the best 117 minutes you'll ever spend in a movie theater. In fact, I was surprised when I checked just now that the running time was almost two hours -- I certainly didn't feel it.
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