As we get further away we get from the ’80s, it seems like adapting the decade’s action TV shows is increasingly a bad idea.
There just aren’t as many fans of The Fall Guy or Knight Rider as there used to be. But this month, The A-Team is bucking that trend.
The 2010 reboot of the show has already cracked the top 10 movies at Netflix, even though it was only a modest hit at the box office with $177.2 million worldwide.
This film is far from a masterpiece, but it’s fun. And that’s why Watch With Us is sharing the three reasons you should watch The A-Team on Netflix.
The Primary Cast Is Terrific
In the original series, George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz and Mr. T played a team of Vietnam veterans who were framed for crimes they didn’t commit before becoming soldiers of fortune for the downtrodden. To be frank, recasting those roles with Liam Neeson as John “Hannibal” Smith, Bradley Cooper as Templeton “Face” Peck, Sharlto Copley as H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as Bosco “B.A.” Baracus is about the best-case scenario that anyone could have hoped for.
Neeson was just a few years into his action renaissance when he took over Peppard’s role, and Cooper had only recently come into his own as a movie star when he followed in Benedict’s footsteps. Copley did a very good job of echoing Schultz’s madcap performance as Murdock. However, Rampage Jackson wasn’t quite as enjoyable as B.A. as Mr. T was. But only Mr. T could ever really embody a character who was essentially an extension of himself.
The Film Recaptures the Campiness of the Original Show
The A-Team TV series was never really meant to be a comedy, but there was a certain kookiness to the way that the guys managed to defeat most of their villains in completely bloodless ways. It was a network TV show, after all. The film does get away with a much greater level of violence, but the tone is still relatively lighthearted.
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This works in the movie’s favor as it becomes more of an action comedy than the show that spawned it. Not all of the jokes land perfectly, but the audience is never expected to take any of this too seriously. As seen in the video clip above, the team pulls off a ridiculous breakout for Murdock that’s completely removed from reality. But it’s still worth a few chuckles for the sheer audacity of it.
The Action Sequences Are Ridiculous — in a Good Way
Another advantage that the film had over the TV series is the reported $100-110 million budget. That gave director and cowriter Joe Carnahan the ability to produce action sequences that are worthy of the big screen. Almost everything in the film is far beyond anything that the TV show could have done.
Besides the cast, the over-the-top action is probably the primary reason why Netflix subscribers are receiving The A-Team as if it were a blockbuster movie. This film definitely has its faults, but it stands head-and-shoulders above a lot of the made-for-Netflix schlock that aren’t nearly as enjoyable.
The A-Team is streaming on Netflix.
