The A-Team: Extended Explosive Edition
The A-Team Plot Synopsis
The A-Team follows the exploits of a group of unlikely friends, who, after spending years as one of the military’s most trusted Special Forces units are sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit…
With no other choice, the team goes ‘rogue’ and utilises their unique talents in an attempt to find the true culprits and clear their names. Liam Neeson (Taken, Batman Begins), Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Yes Man), UFC Champion Quintin “Rampage” Jackson, and Sharlto Copley (District 9) are “The A-Team’!
The star-studded cast also features Jessica Biel (The Illusionist, Powder Blue) as Capt. Charissa Sosa, Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, The Switch) as the mysterious CIA operative, Lynch.
Review: The A-Team
Being old enough to remember watching the A-Team on tv as a kid, and given the fairly mixed reviews the movie got on it’s theatrical release, i approached this film with some intrepidation. Thankfully, my concern was unfounded. Yes, it’s a big silly action movie, but I really have no problem with that. What else would you expect from an A-Team flick!
The cast work really well together, and are a good match for their TV counterparts. Neeson’s Hannibal is a bit more ‘gung-ho’ than George Peppard’s, but it works as part of the movie. Sharlto Copley, who I loved in District 9, is a perfect fit for Murdock, as is Bradley Cooper as Face. And Rampage Jackson manages to navigate the iconic role of B.A. without it coming across as a bad Mr. T. impression.
The A-Team always had a rather comic book action towards it’s action and violence, and the movie picks up on that. Not to the point of the TV show – where you’d get a bad guys car flip over into a ditch after being shot up by the team, only to cut into a close up of the bad guys climbing out and dusting themselves off – but there’s very little blood or gratuitous violence shown on screen. It’s very much in keeping with the essence of the original show.
The plot twists and turns nicely, and the effects, whilst over the top, work in the context of the movie. Even the infamous ‘flying tank’ scene didn’t seem quite so ridiculous as it really should have.
Overall, if your after a great, fun, big budget, Saturday night action film, the A-Team is well worth a watch.
DVD/Blu-ray Extras
The A-Team: Extended Explosive Edition contains the Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions, 4 character postcards, and over 90 mins of additional content including:
- The Devil’s in the Details: Inside the Action with the Director
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel
- A Team Theme Mash Up Montage
- Plan of Attack
- Character Chronicles
- Visual Effects Before and After
The A-Team: Extended Explosive Edition is out on the 29th November 2010.
