I took in a showing of The A-Team tonight with an enthusiastic crowd; lots of thirty-something folks like myself who obviously grew up with the TV show.  Except, I really didn't watch the show growing up, so I probably shouldn't count.  But I was still enthusiastic.

That being said, I'm obviously not the one to ask for accurate parallels to the original series.  Tackling this as a standalone, however, the film provides a sometimes unusual, but mostly satisfying mix of summer blockbuster and workmanship plot.  Yes, the movie "specializes in the ridiculous" popcorn style action, but it also makes a strong attempt at character development, taking the time to flesh out the personalities and the camaraderie between the four leads.  The dialogue exchanges and quips often border on fun and comedic; certainly less clunky and more assuredly delivered than what was in Prince of Persia.  I dug the Mission: Impossible flair that's peppered throughout, and getting to see the intercutting between the descriptions of the team's covert mission plans and said plans put into motion is a big part of the entertainment. 

The cast is generally excellent.  Liam Neeson does far better work here with his portrayal of Hannibal than he did with Zeus in Clash of the Titans.  It's awesome seeing Sharlto Copley's turn from District 9 as the off kilt, multi-accented Murdock.  Again, I can't really draw comparisons to the original show, so while I thought Quinton Jackson certainly nailed the mannerisms of Mr. T as I know them, I can't say for sure how well his B.A. Baracus was translated here.  Of course, I freely admit that one of the big draws was seeing more of pretty boy Bradley Cooper onscreen - and his Faceman actually made for one of the more memorably pivotal characters in the movie.

There are two flaws with the movie, ones that were also argued and debated upon in the Prince of Persia thread.  The A-Team unfortunately falls prey to some distracting camera work and quick cuts during a lot of the action.  It's nowhere near as bad as Batman Begins or Quantum of Solace, but I admittedly had an easier time following Prince of Persia than what's on display here.

The other flaw is its long length.  It's right around two hours, just about the same as Prince of Persia -- but the excess felt unusually stronger here.  Maybe it's the film's aforementioned attempt at trying to equally balance character development and action, but it does feel like it could've been trimmed down a bit.  I would have gladly chosen to sacrifice an action climax or two while still retaining the more enjoyable character-driven moments.

Alan Silvestri's score?   More or less interchangeable with the rest of his recent action soundtracks.  Dynamic orchestrations mixed in with a bit of electronic elements and a generic rock piece here and there, but sadly forgettable overall.  Reprisals of the original theme song are the highlights, but it's used to surprisingly (and disappointingly) sparse effect in the movie.  The only full statement of the theme song is heard during the end credits, and it's not even when it begins to roll, but toward the very end.  I kept thinking, "What a poorly timed send-off for the fans."  You want people to hear the theme BEFORE they leave the theater, not after they're long gone.  (On that note, you'll want to stay for the epilogue coda scene anyway.  I suspect longtime fans of the show will appreciate it all the more.)

Would definitely be interested in hearing some impressions from people who watched the show.  Do any of you exist here?

Next up this weekend: The Karate Kid!

I decided against paying money for this one. I'll use a free coupon at Amazon's video on demand, or wait for someone to let me borrow it that pays for Netflix.

It's a renegade soldier comedy; but don't think Tropic Thunder.

Have a friend who had a bad experience working in the military? Take them to see this movie, and maybe, just maybe a little bit, it'll help take off some of the weight they feel/have felt on their shoulders; I think it's a pretty free-spirited experience, and someone who's been in the military, and has an understanding and an experience with those situations, might actually have an extra appreciation for this.

I imagine it will give veterans some comfort to know people might finally understand the toll on the human soul that only comes from taking planes out with a floating tank.

Yeah, that scene was awesome...

What I'm talking about is, it might be along the lines of therapy; being able to laugh at something that's normally horrible (war).

Or maybe not.

...I'm gonna stop talking now.

Saw this today and if nothing else it was worth the 5 € I paid for the ticket. Even if Bradley Cooper and Rampage Jackson didn't fit as Face and B.A for me, though thankfully Neeson and Copley nailed the roles at least what I can remember seeing few episodes of the original series.

Also Patrick Wilson as Lynch was good choice, same could almost say about Jessica Biel if she would have gotten bit more screen time.

And the length wasn't much of a flaw for me, whole movie was paced nicely so I didn't feel bored at all.

Otherwise I could somewhat just copy what Angela already has said to show my opinions about dialogue and seeing the plans in motion.

I caught this last night and quite enjoyed it.  It's a lighthearted, mindless action movie but that's in line with the original series really, and the kinetic feel of the film and the quirky character interactions are well suited to the theme.  The cast is mostly spot-on (Murdock especially, B.A. Baracus less so but that's an almost impossible role to please everyone) and though the occasional serious moments are a bit cheesy, as long as they keep things light it's good fun and laugh out loud funny at times.  The action is indeed close-up and frequently cut but I find that more tolerable in a shoot-em-up flick of this sort than in a swashbuckler like Prince of Persia.

The end was a bit overblown (as tends to be the case these days) with the only really noticeable instances of mediocre CG, but nonetheless it was a decently-produced, fun film in the spirit of the original series and I would gladly take another.

I missed the post-credits sequence in the rush to make my last train though.   Will be checking that out on DVD.