Overkill is Underrated

The A-Team

**1/2 out of ****

Directed by: Joe Carnahan

Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jessica Biel

Running time: 117 minutes

At one point during the big screen adaptation of The A-Team, one character remarks that “Overkill is underrated.”

If you agree with that statement, you’ll be very pleased with the film, which packs in as many cheesy one-liners and relentlessly explosive action sequences that 117 minutes can offer.

It’s not high art, by any means. Nevertheless, it keeps itself reasonably grounded amidst all the mayhem due to the four central performances.

In the big screen update, the elite combat unit known as the A-Team still consists of cigar-munching strategy-man Hannibal (Liam Neeson), the slick, handsome Face (Bradley Cooper), the manic and insane (yet insanely funny) Murdock (District 9’s Sharlto Copley) and the hard-edged B.A. Baracus (newcomer Quinton Jackson).

But to keep up with modern times, they are stationed in Iraq.

The team receives word from CIA operative Lynch (Patrick Wilson) that insurgents have stolen valuable plates from the US treasury, which they are using to make counterfeit American currency. The crew sneak away in the night to retrieve the stolen goods, out of sight from the strict investigative captain, Sosa (Jessica Biel), who’s on their case.

But upon return to the base camp, the container with the money explodes. Since they disobeyed Sosa's orders, the team members are sent away to serve their prison sentences.

Of course, Hannibal has a plan to break them out – I’d say how but don’t want to spoil the silliness. Rejoining forces, the team is pumped up to retain the plates and seek revenge on those who put them away, clearing their names in the process.

Holding the bits of lunacy together is a great ensemble cast, which is the main reason to see The A-Team.

Neeson balances recklessness with a noble sincerity as Hannibal, and carries the film when the action dies down. As the cartoonishly romantic Face, Cooper has charisma to burn. As the cartoonishly offbeat Murdock, Copley brings a good barrage of laughs.

While mixed martial-arts star Jackson isn’t a full-fledged actor yet, he has an excellent screen presence and does well with the material. (Then again, nobody praised Mr. T for the depth of his performance, either.)

The film keeps the familiar catchphrases passed down from last generation’s TV show, but each member of the unit gets his own personality, style and formal introduction. They aren’t overly sophisticated, but what the characters do have they utilize well.

We are invested in their alpha-male types from the moment they appear on screen, which is boosted throughout by an excellent team chemistry.

Unfortunately, the other characters don't fare as well. Biel is quite useless as the DCIS captain and love-interest for Face. The A-Team also features one of the least menacing villains in recent cinematic memory.

On the brighter side, director Carnahan, whose last cinematic entry was the equally explosive ADD-actioner Smokin’ Aces, lets a lot fly – tanks included – in the highly-caffeinated action sequences. His thirst for high-octane thrills would make Carnahan an appropriate 5th member for the team.

His volatile method of filming, which includes camera shaking and extreme angles, helps capture the kinetic ridiculousness of what’s occurring on screen. Thankfully, it doesn’t make the sequences (which were likely written and story-boarded without the inclusion of gravity) hard to follow.

These accelerated bits of chaos keep our mouths full of popcorn, and are quite coherent due to some capable hands in the editing room.

Those who dismiss The A-Team as cinematic junk food are missing the point. It is junk food, knows it’s junk food, and knows the people who want to see it expect to stuff their faces full with sugar. And with a cast so good and such a shrill sense of goofy fun, there’s nothing wrong with that.