A-Minus

We have seen exactly 1 episode of the TV series that Joe Carnahan's The A-Team (2010) is based on. It was the one where Boy George is booked in place of country singer Cowboy George (Blues Brothers call your lawyers). I understand it isn't exactly typical. But the movie was directed by the director of Smokin' Aces, one of our favorites. So we gave it a try.

The movie is a bit of an origin story - the A-Team are Special Forces Rangers who do  crazy missions in Iraq. Watching this movie, I realized that the best part of A-Team was the iconic characters. The success of the movie would hinge on how well they embodied them. They are:

• Hannibal Smith: Cigar-smoking mastermind who loves it when a plan comes together. He's played by Liam Neeson, impressively grizzled and confident.
• Face: Good-looking, fast-talking conman. Bradley Cooper does a good job here, especially when he is romancing a dame or getting out of a tight spot.
• B.A. Baracus: Big, mean, big, mohawk-cut strongman with "PITY" tattooed on the knuckles of one hand, "FOOL" on the other. MMA fighter Rampage Jackson takes this iconic Mr. T role.
• "Mad" Murdock: Pilot and gadgeteer, and howling, instituionalized madman. Sharlto Copley gets to have fun with this role.

They have 3 sets up villains to fight: A team of mercenary contractors supposedly working for the government, a shadowy CIA type, and a military intelligence team lead by Jessica Beal. They are unjustly stripped of rank and imprisoned, so they break out to clear their names.

Except they don't clear their names. In the end, it's just more fun to stay outlaws.

No question, this was a fun action shoot-em-up. Ms. Spenser's favorite part was the ship full of shipping containers falling over. It may have helped that we went in with low expectations and not as fans of the TV show. We came out fans of the characters, at least these versions.

Also, we started watching the series, available on Netflix Streaming. I love it when a plan comes together.