I love it when an action film comes together!

As someone who was probably a bit too young to get caught up in the craze of the series, I wasn’t really sure whether I was going to enjoy The A-Team or not. So you can imagine my surprise when, despite initial reservations, I found myself grinning from ear to ear throughout.

The A-Team offers 100% straight-up action from the outset, with unbelievable stunts fuelled by farfetched and perfectly executed plans. The primary mission (recovering some stolen U.S. treasury plates) is secondary to the action plan itself - you could almost say it’s irrelevant. The ethos of the film doesn’t really seem to be ‘where are we going and why’ but more about the journey, the plans and the events in between; namely some impossible helicopter flights, high-power car chases and a rather interesting use of some old airbags. A token romance involving girl-next-door Jessica Biel is thrown in but thankfully not overdone, leaving much more leg-room for the action element.

Although elaborate, the infamous A-Team plans would be nothing without the four men that carry them out. Colonel “Hannibal” Smith (Neeson), Templeton “Faceman” Peck (Cooper), Bosco “B.A.” Baracus (Jackson) and insane pilot, “Howling Mad” Murdock (Copley), are four renegade comrades-in-arms on a crusade to clear their names. Wrongly accused about their involvement in the missing plates, our beloved A-Team are striped of their ranks and put in separate maximum security prisons. Obviously, with the brilliant mind of Hannibal at the helm, prison isn’t enough to keep them tied down for long.

One character who really stood out for me was Murdock, played by the ever-talented Sharlto Copley. After the success of District 9, what could he do wrong? The answer: not a damn lot. Copley acted his part flawlessly, with a dash of smarts and just the perfect amount of crazy thrown in to play the off-the-wall pilot. B.A. Baracus, played by ex-wrestler Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, is definitely worth a mention, as even with the big shoes of Mr. T to fill, Jackson did a first-class job in taking on the comedic role of the big softie. Neeson is his usual self, playing the steadfast, intellectual group leader without a hiccup, and Bradley Cooper doesn’t have to do much to play the notoriously handsome Face, but he does well in bringing his own flair to the character which as we discover, isn’t just a pretty face after all. When he puts his mind to it, Faceman contributes a lot to the plans that power the A-Team.

Overall, the basis of the film seems to be more focused on the introduction of the characters that make up the group rather than the provision of an original storyline. Despite that, I actually really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and just experiencing some pure action, no questions asked. My hope is that better storylines are to come in the form of a sequel (or two!), which must be on the cards.

So, if you have a hankering for an action movie dose and you can’t stand it; you can watch the A-TEAM! Jam-packed with over-the-top stunts and killer rock tunes, The A-Team will fix you up good and proper.

This one gets 7/10 from moi.