Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • June 23, 2010 ‘The A-Team’ features explosions, crashes, gunfire by Dennis Seuling “The A-Team” was a TV action series that ran from 1983 to 1987. The lead was George Peppard, but Mr. T, with his scowl and mohawk hairdo, became the show’s breakout star. Most of each episode was devoted to blowing things up, and the show was a huge hit. It’s taken awhile, but Hollywood has finally given the show the big-screen treatment. To let the audience know right off the bat that this will be a retro tribute to its small-screen predecessor, the title is stamped on the screen in stenciled, military-style letters punctured by bullet holes, the same way the TV episodes began. Four former Rangers, stripped of their military rank and drummed out of the service because they messed up a mission to find and eliminate a counterfeiting ring in Iraq, conveniently reunite within the first 15 minutes of the movie. They are Captain Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), the group’s leader; B.A. Baracus (Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, taking over the Mr. T role); “Howling Man” Murdock (Sharlto Copley, “District 9”), the pilot with more than a few screws missing from his fuselage; and Face (Bradley Cooper), the guy who won’t let a dangerous mission get in the way of cozying up to the ladies. Director Joe Camahan dispenses with characterization early and quickly, moving at breakneck speed to the film’s pyrotechnics. Watching this testosterone-driven movie, I imagined that if, in editing, director Camahan saw three consecutive minutes without some form of mayhem, he instructed his editors to pep it up with some action. It is surprising to see an actor of Neeson’s caliber in a picture like this. Captain Smith is certainly not a role that calls for his range and training. I’m sure his name is what the producers were most interested in to draw audiences. The movie is so formulaic, so predictable, and so routine in plot that Neeson never gets a really good scene to shine, and ends up disappearing into the ensemble. Ensemble action is what the TV show emphasized, and the filmmakers wanted to be as true to the feel of the original as possible. Any attempt at wit seems to have been avoided, even though there are many opportunities to incorporate clever dialogue, snappy repartee, and quirky behavior ticks for the principals. Copley has the juiciest role, since his character is extremely eccentric, if not outright loony. “Howling Man” Murdock is reckless, getting his teammates into scrapes but just as adroitly saving them with his piloting skills and Bradley Cooper (left) and Liam Neeson star in ‘The A-Team,’ based on the 1980s TV action series. crazy invulnerability to fear. He’s completely unbelievable as a real character but the most enjoyable to watch, since one never knows what he will do or say. He is outrageous and unpredictable. As Baracus, Jackson never conveys the intimidation that Mr. T did, nor does he have the twinkle in his eye that tells the audience he’s in on the joke. His is a too-heavy performance for the movie’s style. There is a subplot that goes nowhere when he gets a conscience attack about the bodies he leaves in his wake and vows not to hurt anyone any more. The audience knows this won’t last, but what’s the point? The character is more fun when he’s a live-action cartoon. In the largely male cast, Jessica Biel, who plays Army Captain Charisa Sosa, is on hand mostly to ignite a bit of romantic interest for Face. She is a professional, not immune from his charm, but the romance holds up the plot. When the bullets are flying or guys are involved in highspeed chases, the movie is in gear. At other times, it limps along biding time until the next special effects-laden action sequence. Rated PG-13, “The A-Team” has plenty of stylized violence, but none of it is particularly graphic. The editing often renders these sequences exciting blurs of action, with the cutting as fast and choppy as the machine guns firing away. A word of caution: This movie was made by guys for guys. It is fine if you’re into the machismo that drips from every frame, but don’t expect these guys to come to terms with their inner souls or intellectually contemplate the pros and cons of their mission. 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