MOVIE REVIEW - The A Team

The A Team is out this weekend to much fanfare, but can it live up to the hype?

First of all, I did not was not a fan of the TV show in that ran from 1983 - 1987. I saw it and knew the premise and all that. And I'm generally NOT a big fan of TV franchises being made into movies. My big problem is that many times they just use the name, and tear the guts out of the show, and it really isn't true to the shows spirit at all. It just gets used. There have been some exceptions notably The Fugitive years ago with a great cast, and a real care for the original TV show. Both were fantastic.

Not only is The A-Team good summer, action fun at the movies, it is very true to the TV show and honors those who worked so hard to put a different kind of show on years ago. If you don't know much about The A-Team TV show, it was over the top action. It had a feel and personality, with well defined characters in this elate "Alpha Unit." On TV it was just fun. They weren't taking themselves overly serious and they were not trying to convince you that this could really happen. It was all so over the top. And for a few years it was fun.

The same goes for the movie. A good strong cast lead by Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, The A-Team really delivers a big dose of fun, without all the stuff you might think this kind of movie usually does. Plenty of action, minus the harsh language, blood and guts, and really distasteful humor. I saw many dads and sons at this movie and that's a good thing. The A-Team in short is just fun, and doesn't try to be something that it's not. It's been updated in story line of course, and that's fine. But it's true to the TV show and that's a real good thing.

The A-Team. Don't look for Oscars, or for this to be on Masterpiece Theater, but it is what it's supposed to be....and that's good, clean, exciting fun. Well done! "I love it when a plan comes together!"