An Accurate Look at: "The A-Team" (2010)

Besides for a few syndicated episodes I saw at a friend's place, a handful of others in translation, the episode on the DVD I found in a box of Orville Redenbacher's, and the entire Marvel Comics limited series, I'm not exactly familiar with the classic A-Team TV show. I know the premise, I know the characters, but I haven't seen enough of that action-filled program to tell just how accurate Hollywood's new big-screen adaptation of it is. That being said, I laughed a lot watching the TV show, and in the movie theatre, I grinned from start to finish.

Now, normally I'm very, VERY weary of Hollywood adaptations or, even worse, "reimaginings" or existing franchises. If you've read any of my other tongue-in-cheekly titled "Accurate Look at" reviews here on The Nail Gun, you might see why: they're half-assed cashgrabs that don't care about the source material and will deface whatever they want to make that money. The A-Team, however, is not like that. Unlike those other movies which are completely brainless, The A-Team is smart. It is well thought out, well-written, and is in on the joke. It is supposed to be over-the-top and characters even mention that it's completely ridiculous. It is carefully planned action with brains behind it, rather than the usual shootout/explosion/car chase/fight scene formula of action flicks, with awful writing, bad acting, too much CGI, and fake tits thrown in. The action is over-the-top on purpose for the sake of intense humour, rather than just plain excessive in order to drive up the CG bill. It's a light-hearted action comedy, really, and the humour and adrenaline does not stop.

The film starts with an explanation of how the team came together, and how B.A. got his fear of flying. A friend of mine told me that the opening scene itself was worth the price of admission. Had I left the theatre once that high-octane introduction was over, I would have got my money's worth. But instead, I stayed until the end and got more than I bargained for.

The A-Team was better than I expected and much better than it should have been. I love Liam Neeson, and his Hannibal combines the cool wisdom of Qui-Gon Jinn with the badassity of his character from Taken. Bradley Cooper is great as Face, the ladykiller disguise guy. I wasn't sure what to think about the casting choice for B.A. (they used some UFC fighter), but he was able to act, and he won me over in very little time. And of course, District 9's Sweetie Man returns with a vengeance and knocks 'em dead as Howlin' Mad Murdock. This guy had talent with a capital T and I'm looking forward to his other projects. In terms of story, the movie explains the team's origins and the events that lead up to their needing to run from the law. You know, the stuff the narrator mentions in the opening of the TV show. Yeah, that stuff. He basically summarizes the movie for you. Not that that's any excuse to miss this one.

The story itself is a rather convoluted scheme of secrets and mysteries which isn't exactly plausible, but neither are most of the action sequences, but it's all part of the fun. It's so ridiculous that anything can happen, so viewers aren't sure what to expect, despite the Team's careful planning of every mission. That's another thing that separates The A-Team from crappy action flicks - the Team fights not only with guns, fists, helicopters, and GMC vans. They use their heads and plan things out rather that rushing in with explosions and bad CG. It's a smart, genuinely funny action movie instead of a brainless action flick that ruins a timeless franchise, which is what it would have been in someone else's hands.

It's not all plausible, it's not all credible, it doesn't all make sense, but it is ridiculous on purpose. It's a fun, exciting and genuinely enjoyable comedic action film with brains and lots of love for the source material. There are even a few cameos by two of the original A-Team TV show actors. I laughed much more than I anticipated, and when I wasn't laughing, there was still a huge grin on my face. While I strongly doubt older A-Team fans (the ones who tuned into the show every week) will be quite as thrilled as I was, the movie delivers the action and characters to a new generation, while maintaining the fun of the classic program. It's well worth checking out. Just lighten up and get ready to laugh.

EDIT: Having just watched some oldschool A-Team, I have to say that the movie is truer to the show than I thought. Some elements of the TV series were translated beautifully to the screen, such as the Team's smart-talking, the building-stuff montages, and Murdock's Howling Madness.

Conan the Entertainer

Late-night TV wasn't funny to me until I started watching Conan O'Brien's show years ago. The unfunny old guy and the annoying dick who jacked Bruce Campbell's chin are not entertaining in the least. (The guy from The Drew Carey Show is great, though.) Conan's damn funny. He used to write for SNL years ago and his seasons of The Simpsons are by far the pinnacle of that series (which today is put a hollow shell of what it once was). Conan's strange humour and self-deprecation made his late-night program immensely enjoyable. Nothing was taken seriously because everything was fun, even the really messed-up characters, such as Vomiting Kermit, the Insult (occasionally) Comic Dog, and the Masturbating Bear.

Flash forward a few years. Conan gets to take over The Tonight Show, which is a huge deal. I watched the first episode, laughed like hell, and loved it. It was great to see Conan with Max and the band at an earlier time doing the same kind of gags they usually do. The bits about Conan dicking around in the studio backlot were hilarious - pretending to do an exorcism on cohost/sidekick Andy Richter as the studio tour bus drove by, turning his desk into a go-kart and drag racing a forklift operator, and taking a tour group out on the town, to name just a few moments. Don't forget his other escapades: going guitar-hunting thanks to Craig's List with his buddy Slash in tow, and pimping around LA in his green '90s Ford Escort, getting girls pregnant by just looking at them and making Fabio himself feel jealous.

Remember the BIG events outside his studio? The human cannonballs? The Grave Digger monster truck leaping over a ramp to stomp a giant pumpkin? The "Conan, Please Blow Up My Car" contest in which they actually blew up the winner's old clunker? (Don't feel bad. The winner received a brand new car as a prize.)

Well, all that's over. You know what's been going on. And it's not funny.

Last night was Conan's final episode on The Tonight Show before it will return to the humourless drivel it was prior to his arrival. Conan had a few jokes about what will become of their new studio, suggesting they leave it empty as a metaphor for NBC programming. How fitting.

His guests included Steve Carrell as an NBC bureaucrat, followed by a tired, nostalgic Tom Hanks, who emerged from backstage with round sunglasses and two glasses of scotch - one for Conan and one for himself. Sidekick Andy Richter, of course, carries a flask in his breast pocket. Tom Hanks and Conan spoke about the good old days, when Hanks hosted SNL and Conan, "the Irish kid," would write sketches for him.

The musical number was an incredible performance by Neil Young. Yes, the Neil Young. When he heard the news about the NBC late-night fiasco, he was the first to offer Conan support.

The closing act of the show featured Max and the band and guest Will Ferrell performing Free Bird, with Conan on guitar. While Ferrell's overall unfunniness and inability to sing ruined what should have been a powerful finale to Conan's stint on The Tonight Show, the most powerful moments of the episode was the montage of various unforgettable moments from the seven months Conan hosted (including some of the clips mentioned earlier), Conan's farewell speech, and the audience's unstoppable roaring applause. I've never cried watching late-night talk shows, but if any episode ever gave me a reason to, it would be this one.

Farewell, Conan. Thanks for the laughs and the good times. Best of luck in the future. I can't wait to see you on my TV screen again.