Susan Granger’s review of “The A-Team” (20th Century-Fox)
Based on a campy 1980s TV series, starring Mr. T and George Peppard, that revolved around a ragtag quartet of Army Rangers who become soldiers-of-fortune after a miscarriage of military justice forces them to go rogue, this action comedy barely makes the grade, as these wisecracking, misfits cause mindless mayhem.
Assembled in Sonora, Mexico, the A-team consists of gruff Col. John “Hannibal” Smith (Liam Neeson) – whose mantra is “Overkill is underrated” – cocky con man Templeton “Face” Peck (Bradley Cooper), mentally unhinged pilot H.M. “Howlin’ Mad” Murdock (Sharlto Copley) and muscular Mohawk-wearing B.A. (for Bad Attitude) Baracus (Quinto Jackson, a.k.a. Rampage).
“Eight years and 80 successful missions later,” during the American invasion of Iraq, Gen. Morrison (Gerald McRaney) wants them to liberate a billion dollars in counterfeit U.S. currency in Baghdad, along with the printing plates used to manufacture it. But the ‘enemy’ isn’t as clear as it should be. Intergovernmental rivalries spur convoluted, often incoherent double crosses involving a slick ‘n’ sneaky CIA operative, Lynch (Patrick Wilson), and Charlisa Sosa (Jessica Biel), who’s not only a captain in the Defense Criminal Investigation Service but also Templeton Peck’s former flame. Plus there’s this mysterious private military contractor (Brian Bloom) who is on their tail.
Supposedly written by actor Brian Bloom, Skip Woods (“Swordfish”) and director Joe Carnahan (“Smokin’ Aces,” “Narc”), it seems to have evolved without script, using adrenaline and/or explosives to splice the raucous, repetitive scenes together. Or put it this way: it’s obvious that the stuntmen and special effect wizards were working much harder than the actors. Which is simply wasteful, given the recognized talents of Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List,” “Taken”), Bradley Cooper (“The Hangover”) and South Africa’s Sharlto Copley (“District 9”). Ultimate Fighting champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson does the best he can and Jessica Biel simply serves as eye-candy since no one in their right mind could really believe that she’s a military police officer.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The A-Team” is a testosterone-fueled 4, wasting no time on credibility or character development.
