The A Team

This turned out to be a prequel to the TV series - how they came to be the A Team, on the run as fugitives. This of course sets it up for a "sequel", a film which would be like an episode of the show, being hired to help people, which has potential.

Most likely this will end up as a one off. It's not a bad film in it's own right, but has little in common with the show, "inspired by" rather than "based on" would be more accurate.

Liam Neeson's interpretation of Hannibal is based on Lee Marvin, even down to the voice he uses. This is not a bad thing as the character is edgy and tense where Peppard's Hannibal was relaxed and cool. We have seen different interpretations of James Bond from the different actors who have played him, so know this can work. Neeson interprets Hannibal probably a lot closer to the way he would have ended up if James Coburn had gotten the part in the first place. Peppards Hannibal ended up being played the same way as he played Banacek.

Face is completely different from the show. Benedict played Face exactly the same way as he did with Starbuck, a smooth talking conman, and a bit of a wimp. Cooper's Face is all macho, the way a Special Forces officer would be. He even gets a shirt off scene.

Murdoch is the best character in the movie - a new way of interpreting the crazy pilot which doesn't detract from the Murdoch we remember and love from the show. It is a new character, not a parody.

BA is the most disapointing aspect of the whole film. The original BA was an extension of the Mr T character itself. There is no real difference between Mr T in public, always staying in charachter, as Clubber Lang in Rocky 3, and as BA in the show.
When we heard he would be played by Rampage Jackson, a UFC star and not an actor, we figured he was picked because he would have a larger than life screen presence. This turned out not to be the case. This BA is quiet and there is this ridiculous subplot where he is some kind of Ghandi disciple embracing non violence. There is no fantastic unarmed fight scene as there could have been. Also in the show he was a mechanic and Staff Sergeant. Here he been relegated to the rank of Corporal. Also, the fact that his firstname was Bosco was only referred to in the show whereas here they call him Bosco all the time.

In this film they are all Army Rangers, whereas in the show it was not really obvious were they came from, just that they were Vietnam vets.

Here Hannibal and Face start as a kind of Batman and Robin team then recruit BA and Murdoch to form the Team before somehow ending up in Iraq working on special missions for General Morrison.

Hannibal would have been a ODA Colonel and would have had at least a dozen men in his Alpha Unit. The show refers to other members of their original unit, and they attend the funeral of one who is murdered and then avenge his death.

Lynch, rather than being a Colonel who is searching for the team, is here a CIA operative. At the end of the film he is replaced by another Lynch, presumably who will go onto hunt them in the sequels.

Jessica Biel, the token girl, does not take on the Amy role but ends up on the team looking for The A Team.

Worst aspect is Hannibal losing it right when the pressure gets worse and letting Face take over and plan the last mission. Early on we see Hannibal mentoring Face and showing him how to do plans, and it would have been OK to see him mentor Face through his first operation. But it shouldn't have happened because Hannibal lost it and needed Face to jump in.

And worse off all Face steals the last line of the movie - and it's THE line.

A good film, could have been done better, and def should have left out the bad bits.

Change BA for the second one.