UNDERRATED: 2010's A-TEAM

Truth be told, I don't remember any individual A-Team plot or story from the 80's T.V. series. Like most people, what I remember most was the iconography of the characters - cigar chewing master-of-disguise-cum-leader Hannibal, suave ladies man Face, psychotic pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock, and, last but not least, tough guy B.A. Baracus - as well as the over-the-top, cartoonish violence and slo-mo climaxes of the action scenes. As a fan of G.I. Joe, A-Team represented a live action version, with fuller (compared to a cartoon, anyway) characterizations, real fiery explosions and (non-blood-letting) gunfire.

Still beloved after all these years

It was especially the character B.A.'s distinct, memorable look - mohawk and gold chains - and the sheer charisma of actor Mr. T that propelled him into an 80's icon, and the show itself, while never a critical darling, becoming a well-reminisced fan favorite. (It was reported that NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff conceptualized/pitched the show as 'Dirty Dozen-meets-Mad Max, and Mr. T - then coming off a memorable turn as Stallone opponent Clubber Lang in Rocky III - drives the truck'. Another genius Tartikoff idea: scribbling "MTV Cops" that became the genesis of Miami Vice.) Oh, yeah, plus they had one of the best T.V. intros of all time:

So when the news hit - not surprisingly, in a Hollywood landscape thought by most to be devoid of original ideas - that they were looking to make a large-scale modern remake, kids, teens and other nostalgia fans of the 80's had a mixture of both excitement (A-Team!) and trepidation (Remakes!).

Looks right, but can it deliver?

Initially reports looked promising: The studio hired Joe Carnahan, who made the kinetic, 70's-inspired, gritty cop drama Narc (which Tom Cruise was a big fan of, shepherding the film as executive producer and then-hiring Carnahan to direct M:I III, with the latter dropping out due to creative differences). He also made the less-received, but since turning into a cult-fave Smokin' Aces (even going so far as inspiring a direct to DVD sequel). So they got an atypical action director with strong character sensibilities and a unique visual aesthetic (check out his BMW short 'Ticker' for further proof). Initial casting news also inspired optimism - you had Liam Neeson, post-Taken, solidifying his status as this generation's Charles Bronson (i.e., tough old guy); handsome Bradley Cooper fitting the bill nicely (and perhaps testing his blockbuster action chops) as Face; an unexpected, but interesting choice in Sharlto Copley - then coming off a jittery, spastic performance in the acclaimed District 9 as Murdock (being a huge fan of the show, Copley sent Carnahan tapes of himself improvising in character, which ultimately won him the role); and for as B.A. - who can realistically fill the shoes of a one-of-a-kind figure such as Mr. T? MMA fighter Quintin "Rampage" Jackson, who had minor roles in a limited filmography, was the bold choice to bring B.A. to the big screen. The first trailer for the film made fans and viewers giddy, as it seemed to capture the spirit of the show...

Did it work? In my mind, yes for the most part. The story was decent - even showing a nifty origin scene of how the team got together - plus a few plot twists keeping in line with the "soldiers-falsely-accused" theme. The action was preposterously out there, with several original set pieces and moments which took the old show to its modern-day extreme. Yes, the airplane to flying tank sequence was unrealistic (A-Team? Realistic?), but it was still pretty fun and cool. Other memorable moments that stand out: the spoof of Blackwater-style contractors that get no respect; The 3-D movie at the psychiatric ward with the van busting through; Sharlto Copley's fun and wacky performance as Murdock.

The acting was solid all around - except, as many fans pointed out, for Jackson, who was sort of underwhelming in the part. Perhaps it was unfair comparisons to Mr. T (who reportedly wanted to reprise the role himself), but Jackson did himself no favors with an unengaging personality, unconvincing acting, and a few marble-mouthed line deliveries. In the end, it's difficult to say who could have made a better B.A. Perhaps no actor or personality can live up to such a standard, or even create an interpretation that will make fans forget, or make room with, the original.

Although the film earned a decent box-office, it didn't quite meet expectations (it came second to another remake - Jaden Smith's Karate Kid), and coupled with middling-to-bad reviews, plans for a sequel didn't come to pass. It's too bad - films that had similar action tropes, like G.I. Joe, were able to warrant a sequel (with a third on the way), but we couldn't get another A-Team? Looking in hindsight at what worked and what didn't, there was a good chance a second film might have been a strong improvement in terms of storytelling and overall quality.

Besides finding it a fair piece of entertainment, what else did I like? Toy company Jazzwares announced that they were making an action figure line, complete with the team's signature van! Seeing this picture online added to the initial excitement for the reboot:

Not perfect, but pretty good

The best part - they were 3.75", meaning they can fight alongside G.I. Joe, or be a subsection, or renegade counterpart of the team, laying the smackdown to Cobra. (Sidenote: Interestingly enough, the recent cartoon G.I. Joe Renegades took a page from the A-Team's "falsely-accused" gimmick) So how were the figures? It's not Hasbro-level quality, with a few paint and flimsy construction issues, but it's their uniqueness - again, the strength of their iconography - that makes them good for what they are. Locally, they were a bit overpriced, and with Pinoy fans more into G.I. Joe, they didn't exactly fly off shelves (I started a thread at a local forum extolling how cool they were, but most of the comments were either unenthusiastic or mild put-downs. No one was stoked.).

Covering multiple quadrants and media, they also produced comic books! Published by IDW, there was a 4-issue limited series, as well as 4, single-issue one shots spotlighting each member. The former was co-scripted by Carnahan himself, and was a interesting tale of one of their missions, complete with humor and action. Again, reflecting the film's lack of success, there weren't further plans for a continuing comic series either, so we couldn't read up on more original adventures.

It would have been nice to see more

Alas, it would appear that there won't be any iteration - movie or otherwise - of the A-Team in the near future. But maybe, if executives get desperate enough, and with T.V. networks continuing to develop shows that cater to specialty niche audiences - maybe a fresh, small screen reboot will come. Perhaps make it harder edged and more grounded in reality, similar to 24 or Homeland (The now-cancelled The Unit sort of resembled the A-Team), but keeping (some of) the humor and wackiness of the original? Hopefully, that plan comes together.