I love it when a plan comes together!
by Earl Sleek on Jun 11, 2010 9:52 AM PDT
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PrintRudy may see June 11 as the date when some kick-the-ball tournament starts somewhere distant on the globe, but this date's been on my calendar for a completely different reason. The A-Team is coming, the A-Team is coming!
Dah, dah-duh Dah, duh duh Dah.
Now I've already watched Hollywood over-butcher other childhood staples such as G.I.Joe and the Transformers, so I am prepared for this movie to frequently piss me off tonight, but still I can't help being excited. This show is a completely different beast for me, thanks to a post-college KDOC renaissance and the fairly recent DVD releases; I'm still quite versed and actively watching A-Team reruns. In fact I'm typing this with an episode playing right now -- awesomely distracting.
Sure, the A-Team is nothing but an escapist formula show, but I think it's the greatest formula show ever made. A-Team gets humorously hired to deal with a bully, has a first run-in that goes somewhat awry, learns about some deeper scheme at work, gets captured and locked in a warehouse or barn, they weld something silly together to boil everything down to a fistfight, and escape just in time as the military arrives. Cars get flipped and exploded, Murdock finds a new way to piss B.A. off, Faceman pulls an overly awkward con, nobody gets shot, and Hannibal pulls off a shitty disguise to light a cigar -- it's perfection every time.
Now I already know (or sense) that a lot of this will be modernized -- people will get shot, B.A. won't wear a ridiculous amount of gold, and the A-Team will probably not weld anything together that doesn't involve some modern electronics aspect to it. They'll follow some of the show's patterns -- escaping from a maximum-security prison -- but rather than starting it with a shammy conversation with a prison guard it'll involve some high-tech grappling hook out of Batman's arsenal. They'll blow plenty of shit up, but those scenes will be much more digitally constructed, I suspect, than is really necessary. Whatever, I guess -- hopefully the spirit of the show manages to shine through that.
In some ways, the movie cannot win for me -- my checklist is too long and I'm way too close with the old show. I'll be pissed off, for instance, if they don't dress Hannibal up as a comical Mr. Lee at an early point in the movie -- that was a show staple. And even if they do attempt it, I'll be pissed off that it isn't George Peppard offering bad-accented fortune cookie slogans with cotton balls in his mouth. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.
In another way, though, the movie cannot fully fail -- as soon as B.A. gets angry at Murdock, I'll be grinning like a stupid idiot. I'll cheer every time the van comes crashing through an obstacle, and I'll laugh whenever Faceman whines about anything. Yeah, this movie is going to suck, but at least I'll have some nostalgic fun -- bring it on, Hollywood.
Go summer.
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I loved the A-Team way back when. Use to watch every episode. Highly unlikely I’ll watch the movie. Like you, I think Hollywood will fail. And I just don’t need to see them screw up another one of my shows / movies cause they lack imagination to come up with something original.
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality?
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -- Benjamin Franklin
"It's getting harder and harder to differentiate between schizophrenics and people talking on a cell phone. It still brings me up short to walk by somebody who appears to be talking to themselves." -- Bob Newhart
I’ve never seen the A-Team, but in the trailer I saw them riding in a tank being dropped out of a plane or some shit – that’s good enough for me.
San Jose Sharks - Hey, at least we didn't finish 11th in the West!
Battle of California
This is going to be
a craptastic movie. Show was great, but Rampage as B.A. Barackus? Heelll no.
Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.-Oscar Wilde
To tell the truth, at this point I’m most worried about Liam Neeson’s ability to play Hannibal. He’s got presence, sure, but can he really pull off the shit-eating grin? Will I ever buy the notion that he’s “on the jazz”?
Nobody can be Mr. T, though — you’re right there. But I guess Rampage will do as well as anybody can realistically do these days.
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Did you guys hear that Mr. T was offered a cameo but turned it down? He said that the movie was going to be too violent and have too many bad words, and he didn’t want to participate.
And Rampage is just as good of an actor as Mr. T.
San Jose Sharks - Hey, at least we didn't finish 11th in the West!
Battle of California
And Rampage is just as good of an actor as Mr. T.
Sure, if the contest was to play a third personality. But B.A. is Mr. T — nobody’s going to do it as authentic as that guy. I double-dog dare Rampage to wear fluorescent-pink socks over a pair of camouflaged overalls with eight pounds of gold on. Mr. T does that daily.
And I respect Mr. T standing up for the old show — it was cheesy as fuck, but that’s the charm. Check out some reruns some time when you’re drunk or something.
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
I thought Mr. T stopped wearing the gold after Hurricane Katrina.
Why do I know all these random Mr. T facts?
San Jose Sharks - Hey, at least we didn't finish 11th in the West!
Battle of California
Rampage can’t be B.A.
Cheers, Complaints, homerism and bashing of mediocre pop musicians in 140 Characters
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jun 11, 2010 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions
This commercial is perfect for today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NySN_plfiNI
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
Earl is right
While this movie can’t possibly be true to the original in the ways some of us die-hards want, it can be charming and cheesy in a way that completely satisfies.
I was telling somebody the other day that if this move scores below a 50 and above a 20 on rotten tomatoes it’ll be just about perfect. I can’t wait to see the high budget B movie they’ve turned this into.
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
Hmm… right now it’s hovering in the 50’s… but most of the bad reviews make me want to see it even more:
“To bastardize Pirandello, rather than 6 characters in search of a play, we’ve got 4 characters in search of a script. While the team’s camaraderie jumps off the screen, the plot bombs. "
“he A-Team is reasonably good fun. If you’re a 12-year-old boy riding an intense Cherry Pepsi buzz and totally devoted to destroying some brain cells, that is. "
“Pretty much an archetypal example of everything that’s wrong with Hollywood today. Was the show this dumb? Does it matter? A movie’s job is not to live down to its source material. "
“A lot of loud, cluttered chaos without any sense of caring how to control it. "
I’m sold.
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
That is very encouraging, actually — please live down to your source material!
As an aside, I just had a blogger first — I got off the phone with a 1/2 hour interview with a Russian journalist writing a story about the offseason for the Ducks. I was shocked that this guy had such solid English, a really strong grasp on the Ducks’ season overall last year, and still got stuck talking to me.
Haha, internet!
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
The A-Team is amazing...
Actually, I have been watching my A-Team DVDs all week to thoroughly prepare for the movie’s arrival. Yes, it’s true, they’ll completely fuck it up. But there’s still that chance that it has moments of harkening back to the TV Show, and that will be wonderful!
And you’re right Evilducks…those comments on rotten tomatoes is actually very encouraging! Here’s to hoping for the best! I’m headed out to the 4:45 showing at the theatre next door to my house…should be epic.
Esta noche nosotros cenamos Tortugas
Así que bueno, ellos serán
Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 11, 2010 11:29 AM PDT reply actions
That’s the spirit — anything in particular you have on your “they had better include this gag” checklist?
Faceman in a priest outfit? B.A. being patient with children? Murdock being sprung from the VA mental institution?
:)
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
spray paint and corrugated sheet metal. I know it’s too much to ask for
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
I know it’s too much to ask for
How about a cameo appearance by Gary Coleman?
and on the 93rd postseason of the National Hockey League, the Slovakian-hockeygod Zeus commanded from high atop Mount Figueroa..."RELEASE THE MEAT TRAIN!" And it was good.
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jun 11, 2010 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
nobody gets shot
Sleek, you A-Hole. Don’t you remember the episode where BA got shot in the leg?! He ALMOST died. It was a formative moment in my life as I realized that NOBODY is invulnerable.
And where can I find the T-inator website. Y’know, that one that puts CNN into Mr.T-ese? “president Obama got no time for the Jibba jabba!”
by GordonBombay on Jun 11, 2010 12:24 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
In five seasons, though, I think maybe three people died and maybe a half-dozen took a bullet — it’s way more a rarity than this movie will reflect, I’m afraid.
I really want to see people launch themselves off rooftops or emerge dazed from a flipped jeep — that’s the A-Team way.
Don’t you remember the episode where BA got shot in the leg?
Of course, when he had to take Murdock’s blood and started going crazy it was pure writing genius. :)
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
Am I the only one who heard Mr. T bitching about how the remake had too much sex and violence?
This can’t possibly be worse than my looming 1980s remake nightmare — Tobey Maguire destroying my beloved Robotech.
Tobey Maguire destroying my beloved Robotech.
He just wants to be Rick Hunter. We all know The New Generation had the best characters
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 11, 2010 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Wait...
What? Robotech the movie? Who is the most annoying, whiney pop singer they can get to play Minmae? Hilary Duff? One of those American Idol twits?
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
I fucking hate her music with a passion, but Minmae does seem like a role that Taylor Swift was put upon this earth to play in a movie…
and on the 93rd postseason of the National Hockey League, the Slovakian-hockeygod Zeus commanded from high atop Mount Figueroa..."RELEASE THE MEAT TRAIN!" And it was good.
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jun 11, 2010 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I heard an interview with Carl Macek (series creator) before he recently died where he said that they wrote her dialog to just be a dumb superficial moron that was completely clueless to the fact that a giant war was happening because she wanted to be a pop star. So I’m sure you could fill that role with an American Idol person, though the new movie writers would probably miss the point of juxtaposing the moron against the backdrop of war.
Macross the entire Japanese family of series (Macross, Macross 2, however high they went with new series) or just the original non-Robotech Macross?
Just non-robotech Macross. So many of the spin-offs have been horrid… though Macross Plus was amazing. Still doesn’t justify Macross 7 (not that there was a 3-6…)
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
I actually like the Robotech changes. Fokker’s loss on all the characters is much more interesting when as a fallen hero instead of a drunken prick. I think protoculture as an energy source is more interesting MacGuffin than the original societal notion because it creates a bigger conflict for a war story.
I only saw Macross 2 when that came out and I wasn’t really impressed. I tuned out a lot of anime after that as it seemed like a lot of stuff just seemed watered down. I didn’t watch anything else until a friend insisted I see Cowboy Bebop. Since then, stuff’s hit and miss with me.
Robotech is a 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States. It was adapted from three different original Japanese television series.
In the series Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific island.1 With this technology, Earth developed robotic technologies, such as transformable mecha, to fight three successive extraterrestrial invasions.[
Robotech is a 85-episode science fiction anime
Stopped right there.
by RudyKelly on Jun 11, 2010 9:18 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Do you think a Robotech could beat a Dragonball?
San Jose Sharks - Hey, at least we didn't finish 11th in the West!
Battle of California
says the pot to the kettle … :)
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality?
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -- Benjamin Franklin
"It's getting harder and harder to differentiate between schizophrenics and people talking on a cell phone. It still brings me up short to walk by somebody who appears to be talking to themselves." -- Bob Newhart
So does the rest of that entire cast, which is why it should be awesomely bad.
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
Just got back from screening at work, so much win!!
Take 1 part Dark Knight, 2 parts Mission Impossible (replace Tom Cruise mugging for the camera with Bradley Cooper mugging for the camera, a side of Bourne Identity, and a dash of classic A-Team inside jokes and references.
They did a great job not trying to be like the original TV show, but did just enough little things to pay homage to the original. I George Peppard would be proud. And stay after the credits, a nice little cameo bonus …
"Whenever I’m suffering from insomnia, I just look at a picture of a Toyota Camry and I’m straight off."
Well put...
I can endorse this sentiment. It’s pretty much a good time!
Esta noche nosotros cenamos Tortugas
Así que bueno, ellos serán
Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 11, 2010 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions
I don’t know … I really hate Hollywood screwing with things and I’m not sold yet that they haven’t messed this up
Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality?
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -- Benjamin Franklin
"It's getting harder and harder to differentiate between schizophrenics and people talking on a cell phone. It still brings me up short to walk by somebody who appears to be talking to themselves." -- Bob Newhart
They messed it up, but I had fun nonetheless. I didn’t hate any actor of the foursome, and especially loved Murdock. The worst part of the movie was probably the plans — they were very un-A-Team in their thoroughness.
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
I guess they did — even my sister came away mildly impressed.
A lot of my checklist did get met, and there were some nice surprises, too. Of course, I have a whole new checklist of uncovered things I’ll need in the sequel. For one, they need a traditional client next time. :)
"Ridin’ The Meat Train & Dreaming of Jack’s Johnson All Summer Long!"
http://www.battleofcali.com/
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