4. It Successfully Reinvented Itself
I was not a religious fan of the original show before watching the film, but it has so many faithful flourishes- the disguises, the catchphrases, the costumes... In part due to the directors vision and a cast who clearly saw their involvement as more than just phoning it in, the film stayed loyal to the original but distanced itself enough to warrant further adventures- much like Star Trek has. The difference is that this has a body count, and whilst being ridiculous it is a slicker affair than the show was, which is necessary in this day and age- the YouTube generation will not have the attention span for a film that tries to ape the ramshackled charm of the original, but may just be won over by a film that is suitably updated for a young audience. The film had been in development hell pretty cuh since the show ended, and Im glad a film was not made earlier, because we would not have had such a good film, merely an attempt to copy the show. Its not up there with the cinematic reboots of Batman, Bond or Sherlock Holmes, but its a damn sight more successful than a lot of its counterparts- it doesnt pander, its nostalgic without being slavishly devoted to its source material, and it understands why people loved The A-Team in the first place. For that alone, surely it deserves another shot?