Liam Neesonsurprised everyone when he was announced to fillLeslie Nielsen’s shoes in the last update ofThe Naked Gun.The tall and imposing Irishman has spent decades defying expectations, spending half his career as acritically acclaimed actorbefore transitioning into action roles inTakenandThe Grey. It was during the early period of his newfound action hero image that Neeson was an offbeat choice to headline Fox’s film adaptation ofThe A-Team.
The star ofSchindler’s Listbrought his gravitas and underrated sense of fun to headlining directorJoe Carnahan’s 2010 re-imagining of the popularNBC action adventure seriesstarringMr. Tthat ran for five seasons from 1983 to 1987. Neeson had the challenge of filling the footsteps of the legendaryGeorge Peppardas Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, leader of a group of Vietnam War criminals-turned-soldiers of fortune. Intended as a cinematic franchise starter,The A-Teamwas a box-office underperformer, whichCarnahan blamed on Fox’s marketing of the picture, and was slammed by critics for its messy plot. Despite its shortcomings,Neeson and his ensemble ofBradley Cooper,Sharlto Copley, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson were more than worthy successors to Peppard and company.
What Is ‘The A-Team’ About?
Carnahan, with co-writersBrian BloomandSkip Woods, went away from the standardA-Teamepisode formula that usually saw the team use their unique skillset to help everyday people in trouble. Instead, they focused on the frame-up angle of the original series’ premise, swapping Vietnam with thewar in Iraq. Following the action-packed introduction of how Hannibal brings the team together,The A-Teamjumps eight years into the Iraq war when the team is assigned by General Morrison (Gerald McRaney) to a covert operation to obtain $1 billion plus U.S. Treasury plates out of Baghdad. Though they succeed, Morrison dies in a car explosion, and the money as well as the plates go missing.
Blamed for the sabotage, Hannibal, along with Face (Cooper), B.A. (Jackson), and Murdock (Copley), are tried and sentenced to individual maximum security facilities. Months later, Hannibal is visited by CIA operative Lynch (Patrick Wilson) with information about a conspiring black ops agent (Bloom) involved with framing the team and plans on selling the plates to an Arab dealer. Eventually, Hannibal breaks out and leads the other escaping teammates to get exonerated.
Joe Carnahan Emphasizes the Human Element of ‘The A-Team'
Given his past dramatic work inMichael CollinsandRob Roy,Neeson was an unlikely choice to play a cigar-chomping leader with charm and a sparkle in the eye. The theatrical qualities of Peppard’s Hannibal Smith from the TV show exemplified the flippant, lighthearted tone that made it so popular with young viewers in the ‘80s. Yet, Carnahan’s approach was similar to 1996’sMission: Impossiblein the sense that the opening sequence captures the spirit of the show with such hallmarks as the classic GMC van making an appearance, B.A.’s fear of flying, Face conning and flirting with attractive women, Murdock with his signature sock puppet, and of course Hannibal’s famous catchphrase “I love it when a plan comes together”.
Once the team gets framed and sentenced to prison,Carnahan puts his cinematic stamp onThe A-Teamby making the characters more human and fleshed out than their television counterparts. This is where Neeson thrives both as an action star and a respected actor. Midway through the film, Hannibal has a confrontation at gunpoint with the surprise character who framed his team. There’s a real anger in Neeson’s performance that is not part of the original series DNA, because the team’s loss of freedom does take a serious toll on the men. Not just having fun beating up bad guys. It is a true Carnahan moment that elevatesThe A-Teaminto a higher-stakes story than the tongue-in-cheek handling of storytelling in the original series.
Unlike Peppard’s charismatic depiction of Hannibal Smith,Neeson reinterprets the Colonel as a seasoned father figure to his group of misfit teammates and more physical than his predecessor. He gets involved in daring setpieces ranging from rescuing Cooper’s Face from Mexican villains to his hand-to-hand brawl with Patrick Wilson as the main antagonist. The Peppard version rarely stopped to console his men, dealing with personal matters. Neeson groundsThe A-Teamwith his years of experience and witnessing how the horrors of war can be psychologically taxing.
The power of Neeson’s performance is exemplified by B.A.’s arc midway through the film when he decides to put violence behind him. Neeson has a beautiful moment with the reformed soldier mechanic, citingGandhi’s view of victory through the use of violence. It means more than just driving B.A.’s story into the third act. It’s the subtle way that Hannibal addresses the enormous weight of his leadership within the realities of war.
The A-Teamis refreshing escapist entertainment that sees Neeson lean on the fun factor while blending a mix of his action and dramatic skills alongside a talented cast. The actor thrives when he dips his toes into new territory, such as this film, as well as the comedy arena he is about to enter asFrank Drebin, Jr.inThe Naked Gun.
The A-Teamis available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
The A-Team
