Ok first off, I am 37 years old which makes me a product of the 80's. Therefore, I have a great deal of nostalgia for that decade and the entertainment it produced. When I see many of the things from my childhood get turned into the garbage remakes we see today it really grinds my gears. So when this movie was announced I was understandably worried that once again another of my childhood favorites (I even dressed up as B.A. Baracus one halloween) would be trashed. However, to my delight, it was not.
I actually enjoyed this movie quite a bit. No it is not Shakespeare, or The Dark Knight, it is pure action adventure in keeping with the spirit of the original series. And it actually revels in that and embraces it wholeheartedly. And no, you don' have to check your brain at the door. Bring it with you and you will still enjoy it. Yes this movie doesn't take itself too seriously,but that is the point. It is a true throwback to the action days of the 80's where the good guys never get shot no matter how many bullets fly at them, the laws of physics don't apply in anyway, and there's clear cut good guys and bad guys with no shady grey areas. Which is just fine in my book.
I wont bore you with too many details about the plot. Not that it doesn't have one, it actually does. And not a bad one at that, I just think most of us can figure it out. If anyone has ever heard the voice over from the show ("framed for a crime they didn't commit" etc....) then you basically know the core elements. It is an origin story, therefore it shows how the team got together, how they were framed, how they escaped, and how they attempt to clear their names.
There's action galore and fine acting by pretty much all involved, and it's suprisingly very, very funny. Not the dog humping funny crap you'll get from Bay, real actual comedy. The interplay between B.A. and Murdock is hilarious and spot on from the show. Rampage Jackson actually does a passable job as B.A., but it is Sharlto Coply that really delivers. He is manic, insane, and totally perfect for the role. As is of course Bradley Cooper, who has now cemented himself as hollywoods smarmy pretty boy. Liam Neeson was good as well, and Jessica Biel was hot and somewhat believable as a Lt. chasing down the boys. The real standout is (next to Coply ofcourse) Patrick Wilson who plays a shady C.I.A. agent. (Is there any other kind in movies?). He is great and delivers some of the best lines of the movie.
There are a few cookie cutter characters and some plot twist you can see coming a mile a way. But all in all I was pleasantly surprised at this movie. Is it the best movie ever, obviously not, but when it comes to updates from my childhood memories, I'd say the plan came to together just fine.
3 out of 5 stars