If you don’t like Joe Carnahan’s big-screen adaptation of The A-team, you have no soul. It is big, dumb and stupid. It full of explosions and ludicrous CGI. But it has more heart than a thousand Transformers movies, and it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on. It’s incredibly funny, and whenever I am at my lowest ebb, this brings a big, stupid grin to my face. Yes, it’s over-the-top. Yes, at times it makes no sense. But the original TV show was exactly the same!
I guess the only upside to the fact a sequel wasn’t greenlit was that Carnahan went ahead and made The Grey instead, which was not only one of the best films of 2012, but also one of Neeson’s greatest-ever performances. Still, there is always a 0.01% chance a sequel could be made, so I remain delusionally hopeful, and state the case to you all why it deserves a sequel.
8. The Team Chemistry
Maybe it’s because I was not brought up with the original show, but in my mind the superb ensemble were actually better than the original line-up. Quinton Jackson surprised me, Sharlto Copley is one of the best rising stars of the last 5 years, and both emanated their characters perfectly. Bradley Cooper gets better with every film, and I can’t imagine anyone else but the legend that is Liam Neeson as Hannibal. Cooper is cocky and charming enough to pull off Face, and Neeson brings enough grit and gravitas with a twinkle in his eye to create a lovable reinterpretation of a character made so memorable by George Peppard.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was surprisingly good- a De Niro he is not, but considering they got some MMA cage-fighter, they could have done a lot worse. Nobody thinks of B.A Baracus when they think of the original show, they think of Mr. T- the chains, the Mohawk and the catchphrases… Jackson actually inhabited the role of Baracus and made him a character in his own right, which is to be applauded. And what an entrance he makes! Granted, the whole “I found religion in prison and I can’t kill anyone” was a little hamfisted, but at least it gave the character an arc, and the payoff when he takes down Pike and reveals the return of his Mohawk is worth it.
Sharlto Copley, truly one of my favourite rising stars who’s set to go stratospheric this year after near-misses in Men In Black 3 and I Am Number Four, was inspired casting.. Whoever suggested he play ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock deserves a pat on a back. Granted the accent could be a little patch at times, but you can’t imagine anyone else having so much fun and understanding the role as well as Copley. You could have got the likes of Jim Carrey (though I am a fan, I shudder to think how grating he would have been…)
In all, nobody feels miscast, and they gel perfectly. Even if you think it’s stupid or boring, you’ve got to admit that everyone looks like they had a hell of time making this. If I was able to appear in one film, forget The Godfather, I’d want to be in The A-Team to spend time on set with this bunch. Something like The A-Team lives and dies on the team chemistry, and this is strongest factor of the movie. So frankly, I’d see a sequel purely to hang out with these guys some more.
We are currently seeking Film contributors on WhatCulture. To find out more about the perks of being a Film contributor, click here.
You Might Also Like...
- THE A-TEAM Blu-Ray Review: Light on Substance, Big on Brainless Thrills
- Interviews: The A-Team on THE A-TEAM!
- OWF’s DVD/Blu-Ray Picks: 21st July
8 Actresses Who Tricked You Into Thinking You Saw Them Nude
11 Irresistible Movie Moments That Wore Out Your Pause Button
100 Things Wrong With The Dark Knight Rises [Video]
10 Scenes You Won't Believe You Missed in 2012
10 Most Infuriating Movie Cliffhangers
10 Major Plot Holes You Probably Missed
10 Happy Movie Endings That Probably Had Horrific Consequences
12 Ruthless Movie Villains Who Were Defeated By Complete Fools
17 Comments
I would see a sequel to this! I saw the original on DVD and enjoyed it, with Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson again, I think it would do well.
‘The A Team’ should have been a ‘Dirty Dozen’ or ‘Wild Bunch’ for the modern day, but it was crushingly mediocre because of a crushingly mediocre script and crushingly mediocre villains… the casting for the four principals was inspired, however, and Joe Carnahan can make a great movie when the script is solid – both ‘Narc’ and ‘The Grey’ attest to that – but it was too big, too long, too expensive, and too convoluted!
It should have been a $70m film at most (before tax breaks), and with a much simpler and more focused script that played largely for laughs than any serious dramatic intent… more like the series in other words!
Fun fact: I got laid while watching this movie, so technically it was the most fun with my clothes off as well.
I thought it was a good enough movie for a sequel. I actually loved the bad guys in this and thought they were the best part. To each their own!
I have been waiting its sequel for almost 2 years,.
Honestly, I don’t really want a sequel to this movie because I loved it. I feel a sequel won’t end up doing it justice.
Another great article Mr. Harding but #6 doesn’t make sense. Did I miss a line somewhere before? I just don’t know who John Singleton is and why he isn’t a fit for the A-Team. This article might be helped by adding some background and clarity to point 6. Just some constructive criticism
I love this movie and it brings a smile to my face every time I watch it. Bring on a sequel!
I grew up on “The A-Team” series and frankly… I was hyped for this from the first promo. It was fantastic, I got to see it in a drive-in and it was fantastic. (Yes, it needed to be repeated – it was that good.) A sequel? Yes and Please.
And I agree that the chemistry was dead-on here. The original series was good, but in this, you actually got the feeling they were a team. They got each other and they got along with each other, despite bickering and plummeting from the sky and nonsense. The way the four actors related to each other was a gem. Loved it. Will love the sequel.
WHAT YOU GOT, B*TCHES? WHAT YOU GOT?
I also think a sequel would be great. I was skeptical of the casting at first, but after I saw the finished product, I was very pleased. I do think they could have spent less on the special effects and that would have brought the budget down to where they would have made more profit in the end, which would have helped the prospect of a sequel. I think they felt the need to “wow” people with Transformer type computer special effects which they really didn’t need for a movie like this. The original A-Team made do with hollywood prop guns and explosions. The great thing about the A-Team is the story that, while always outrageous and over the top, is just fun. Hopefully somone will recognize the potential for a a profitable sequel and learn from the mistakes you pointed out in your article.
They should absolutely make a sequel of this film, the first one was action fact, funny and all the characters were great.
I agree that a sequel should be green lit but with a $60-75 Million budget. ‘Red’ was made for 58 million and it was a hell of a lot of fun too!
I think they deserve to make a sequel. The movie had enough star power to launch a successful franchise, but it was poorly marketed. Maybe if they grabbed a more well known actor as the villain it would make more people want to see it. Nothing against Jason Patric, but if you ask the average moviegoer who he is they will probably just stare blankly at you.
I think you mean Patrick Wilson. Jason Patric was the villain in The Losers.
If the author of this thought The Grey was a good film he seriously needs to be prevented from having anything to do with movie-making. Even the wolf howls were SFX!
The A-Team characters are good, always were, but the movie was far too complex – and seemed like a poor man’s Mission: Impossible.
The Ending of the movie itself played into a Sequel. I thought the movie was great and its a shame that it looks like a sequel won’t be done. The casting was perfect in that I can’t think of anyone else playing the role of the main cast members.
I agree, the movie was really good, and the marketing was really poor. I remember looking at the marketing and wondering if they assigned some 20 year old woman to market it, who didn’t understand why the A-Team was wildly popular. The A-Team TV show had a revolutionary mix of action, comedy, scams, brotherhood, and helping people, but the marketing was about some generic action movie. No Jay Leno, few jokes in the ads, bad release date, just horrible.
Another reason to make a sequel would be the good buzz afterwords. Most I know were surprised how much they liked it. Sequels do well when people liked the previous movie. If “Red”, “GI-Joe”, and the “Untouchables” can get a sequel, why not this one?