Follow @screenit

"THE A-TEAM" (2010) (Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Mild Extreme Mild Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Extreme Mild Extreme Minor Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Heavy Minor Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action: A quartet of special forces ops escapes from military prison and sets out to clear their names and get revenge on those who wronged them. PLOT: Eight years after forming an unlikely quartet of special force ops, Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (LIAM NEESON) leads Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck (BRADLEY COOPER), Sgt. B.A. "Bad Attitude" Baracus (QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON) and Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (SHARLTO COPLEY) in covert operations for General Morrison (GERALD McRANEY). Now in Iraq, they set off to recover stolen U.S. Mint printing plates and $1 billion worth of newly printed currency. But they must contend with CIA agent Lynch (PATRICK WILSON) and civilian contractor Brock Pike (BRIAN BLOOM) who leads a private armed force working for Black Forest, all of whom also have their sights set on that. While Hannibal's crew is successful at using their ingenuity and skills to retrieve the missing plates and money, things go wrong when the latter is blown up along with General Morrison. Since their mission was secret and their contact is now gone, the team ends up arrested by Dept. of Defense official Capt. Carissa Sosa (JESSICA BIEL) and her team. She ends up demoted, while Hannibal and his team are sent to separate military prisons. With Lynch's help, however, they all escape and reunite. From that point on, and while avoiding Carissa and others who want to recapture them, Hannibal and his team set out to clear their names and bring those responsible to justice. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? They might if they're into mindless, testosterone-laden action pics and/or are fans of anyone in the cast. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: LIAM NEESON plays the leader of the quartet of special forces ops who's loyal to his men and thus wants to clear his and their names of being framed for something they didn't do, and bring those responsible to justice. He smokes cigars, drinks some, and can take a beating but keeps going. BRADLEY COOPER plays the planner and ladies man of the group who must contend with Carissa, his ex, being around and trying to recapture him and the others. He uses profanity and drinks some. QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON plays the third member of their group, a tough cookie who cusses and is scared of flying, but takes a vow of non-violence while in prison (although he eventually breaks that to get even). SHARLTO COPLEY plays the last member of their group who's twice sprung from mental hospitals and seems somewhat mentally unstable, although that could be an act. He's quite daring in taking risks with whatever he might be flying at the time. JESSICA BIEL plays a Dept. of Defense official and Face's ex who wants to get to the bottom of the situation and bring whoever's responsible to justice. She uses profanity. PATRICK WILSON plays a bad CIA agent who helps the team escape from prison so that he can use them to get his hands on the missing U.S. Mint printing plates. He uses profanity. BRIAN BLOOM plays a civilian black ops guy who's partially responsible for framing Hannibal's team and wanting to profit from the illegally printed money. He's only looking out for himself and doesn't care who gets mowed down in the process. GERALD McRANEY plays a general who's the contact man for Hannibal's team until he's apparently killed in a setup. Before that, he drinks some. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action flick that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 partial "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some non-explicit but sexually related comments and material are present, as are views of a buff, shirtless man and some brief kissing. Violence consists of people being killed or wounded by gunfire, explosions and such, while various scenes of fighting are also present. Some of that has bloody results (but not much considering the amount of violence), and the action, violence and some moments of peril might be unsettling to young and/or sensitive viewers, but probably few others. Drinking occurs in several scenes as does the smoking of cigars. Bad attitudes are present as is all sorts of potentially imitative behavior. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, a great deal of camera movement (sometimes fairly bouncy or whipping around fast, etc.) occurs throughout the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Miscellaneous people have beer, as does Face. About a time in their past, Face reminds Carissa that they were drinking "crappy cabernet." The team and General Morrison have drinks. About a successful mission, General Morrison states he has a bottle of Blue Label waiting for the team, with Hannibal telling him to make that a case. Lynch has a beer. We see a flashback to Hannibal and General Morrison with drinks. Murdock injects Baracus with a sedative (to take him on a plane), but forgets to catch him before he collapses and hits the ground hard. Earlier in the film, he's similarly sedated for flying. Face, Baracus and Murdock have beer in front of them. BLOOD/GORE Hannibal has a little bit of blood or abrasions on his face after being punched several times. A person makes the comment "Same old sh*t -- you figure out how to flush the toilet." After rolling down a hill wrapped in tires, Face says this isn't gonna taste good and then vomits just off camera (we hear him). Moments later, he tells a woman that he just threw up. We see a close-up of Murdock doing a lightning bolt stitch in Baracus' arm. As Face exits a tunnel, he asks himself if the smell is him, but then reminds himself that he's in an Iraqi sewer. Hannibal grabs Lynch and the two struggle until Lynch punches Hannibal (whose face is bloody). Lynch then shoots a hooded man and we see blood splatter onto the wall, but later learn the latter was just ketchup standing in for blood (and that the hooded figure was wearing a protective contraption around his head). Following more fighting, both men's faces are bloody (but nothing too bad). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE We see that Hannibal and Face have been dealing with some bad/corrupt cops in Mexico. Some viewers might not like the portrayal of the mentally unstable (including Murdock), while some refer to Murdock as a "nut job" and "freak-show." About Murdock's wild grilling, Face jokes that he got Bell's Palsy from that. We hear that some Iraqis have stolen a U.S. Government money printing plates and plan on smuggling those and $1 billion out of the country. Those who then try to get their hands on it and frame Hannibal and his team obviously have bad attitudes. Pike refers to Hannibal as "pops." We see the team stealing various things (photo i.d.s, airbags, a vehicle door, etc.) as part of a plan. Lynch helps arrange the team to break out of separate military prisons. A fisherman uses dynamite to "fish" in a lake. Lynch lasciviously comments on a pretty, young woman in a tight dress as she walks out of the room. As the camera focuses on her butt in her tight dress, Lynch comments on her having a "fantastic...personality." Face fires a handgun in a train station to cause both a panic and distraction to allow him to exit. Pike calls Carissa "sweetheart" in a condescending way. With Baracus dressed in traditional African tribal ceremonial garb, Face jokes that Baracus looks like a huge banana. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. We see a man punching a cuffed Hannibal repeatedly, and he then tries shooting him with a handgun, but the firing pin is missing. That man and another then leave, with two menacing dogs racing in as Hannibal hurries to uncuff himself and grabs a handgun. He does and disappears in the shadows, as do the dogs, but the latter then run out, cuffed together (for those unsettled or scared by dogs). We see a rat in a tunnel as Face passes by (for those unsettled or scared by such critters). Via a cigar, Hannibal ingests an agent that makes him appear to be dead. He then comes to inside a crematorium that's just firing up, and he kicks the flame jets aside just in the nick of time. We see a sniper targeting Carissa with his gun, but he doesn't get off a shot. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine Guns/Rifles/Shotguns/Knives/Missiles, rockets and other explosives/Tank/Fighter Jets/Drone jets: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Carissa and others hold guns on the team while arresting them. We see the first shots fired in a 21-gun salute. A fisherman uses dynamite to "fish" in a lake. We see a sniper targeting Carissa with his gun, but he doesn't get off a shot. Carissa and her team aim handguns at Pike while arresting him. Hannibal holds a handgun to General Morrison's head. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: An incomplete "Adios, motherf..." "Same old sh*t -- you figure out how to flush the toilet," "(This is) Bullsh*t," "This is bat-sh*t insane," "Oh sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "You're completely full of sh*t," "Who gives a sh*t?" "No sh*t," "Stop bullsh*tting," "This is chickensh*t," "She's so hot," "I'm sweating like a whore in church," "She has a fantastic...personality" (said as the camera focuses on a woman's clothed butt), "What part of you is thinking at this moment?" "Gringo," "Fool," "You're sick in the head," "Oh hell no," "Pissing me off," "A hell of a pilot," "Nut job," "Let's get the hell out of here," "Freak-show," "Get us the hell out of here," "It's my ass," "Pops," "Look at you clowns," "Screw it up," "Like a punk," "(Ah) hell yeah," "This is nuts," "What the hell /is going on/is he doing?" "Kick your ass," "Bad ass," "Crazy ass fool," "Man up," "Shut up," "Move your ass," "What the hell's that?" what sounded like "I'm gonna be on bitch duty," "Bitches" (drones or miscellaneous people), "Balls" (testicles), "You freaked," "I did not freak," "Whoopsie," "Sweetheart," "You son of a bitch," "Pissed," "He looks like a huge banana," "Oh, damnit," "Overkill is underrated," "To hell with that/you," "God, that's annoying" and "One hell of a mess." The fighting, stunts and other action might be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. Hannibal, Face and Baracus have military-based tattoos, while some miscellaneous people also sport tattoos. Before knowing him, Hannibal needs a vehicle and thus carjacks Baracus at gunpoint, first holding a gun to his head and then shooting him in the shoulder. We see a flashback to Murdock trying to jumpstart an ambulance, getting shocked up against the open hood and then landing down hard on the vehicle. After smelling gasoline on him, Murdock lights Face's shirtsleeve on fire. While grilling, Murdock pours gunpowder or something similar into the coals, causing a small explosion, while he also tastes antifreeze or something like that. Baracus has a Mohawk haircut. Face uses a powerful magnet to yank himself out of a manhole and onto the bottom of a truck as is passes overhead. A fisherman uses dynamite to "fish" in a lake. A woman gives Lynch "the finger" after he makes a lascivious comment about her. Face fires a handgun in a train station to cause both a panic and distraction to allow him to exit. With his hands cuffed behind him, Lynch gives "the finger" with both hands. Carissa passionately kisses Face (and we later see she apparently passed a key into his mouth during that). JUMP SCENES As a vehicle approaches the team, it suddenly explodes. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of action-oriented music plays in the film, along with some suspenseful notes and heavily dramatic music. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A few songs had lyrics we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility of them potentially containing something objectionable. That said, one had a lyric about puffing on something, but the subject word couldn't be heard. PROFANITY At least 2 incomplete "f" words (both used with "mother"), 26 "s" words, 25 hells, 11 asses (3 used with "hole"), 6 damns, 1 crap (said as "crappy"), 1 S.O.B., 4 uses of "G-damn," 3 of "Jesus," 2 each of "God" and "Jesus Christ" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "For the love of God," "Oh my God" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY A thug is angry that Face had sex with the man's wife, with Face saying the woman is so hot and that both of them (him and the wife) hate that man. We see a recently freed Face shirtless in a vehicle where he kisses the above woman. We see Face shirtless. About a time in their past, Face reminds Carissa that they were drinking "crappy cabernet" and doing something else in the bedroom, but feigns that he can't remember what. She states all she remembers from that is him leaving. Face kisses a woman he's just met, she slaps him, and then they continue kissing. Face playfully tells a female captain that she left something on his bed (when she returns to his cushy military prison "cell"), and she quickly retrieves a pair of sexy panties, but isn't embarrassed by another man seeing them or her. We see Face standing shirtless in a tanning booth, and then later in just shorts outside of that. About being hot in a hotel, Lynch sarcastically states that he's sweating like a "whore" in church. Lynch lasciviously comments on a pretty, young woman in a tight dress as she walks out of the room. As the camera focuses on her butt in her tight dress, Lynch comments on her having a "fantastic...personality." Carissa and Face nearly kiss. About Face talking to Carissa earlier when Hannibal told him not to, Hannibal asks, "What part of you is thinking at this moment?" Carissa passionately kisses Face (and we later see she apparently passed a key into his mouth during that). SMOKING Hannibal smokes or holds a cigar at least 7 times, while a miscellaneous man also smokes one. TENSE FAMILY SCENES A thug is angry that Face had sex with the man's wife, with Face saying the woman is so hot and that both of them (him and the wife) hate that man. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Special ops forces hired to work as soldiers, but who don't fall under military jurisdiction. Baracus having taken a vow of anti-violence and quoting Gandhi on that, while Hannibal also quotes Gandhi with a pro-violence comment. The comment that overkill is underrated. Fear of flying. VIOLENCE We see a man punching a cuffed Hannibal repeatedly, and he then tries shooting him with a handgun, but the firing pin is missing. That man and another then leave, with two menacing dogs racing in as Hannibal hurries to uncuff himself and grabs a handgun. He does and disappears in the shadows, as do the dogs, but the latter then run out, cuffed together. Baracus fights several men in a garage (punching, hitting and kicking one back hard) to reclaim his car. Before knowing him, Hannibal needs a vehicle and thus carjacks Baracus at gunpoint, first holding a gun to his head and then shooting him in the shoulder. We see that thugs have Face encased in vehicle tires, with just his head and shoulders sticking out. They prepare to burn him alive, pouring gasoline by him, while the main thug also punches him in the face several times. Just then, Baracus' vehicle smashes through a fence and then hits a person and Hannibal fires (machine gun, handgun) at various men who shoot back (handguns, rifles and/or shotguns), all while rescuing a woman. Face ends up rolling in those tires down a hill and slams into the vehicle. We see a flashback to Murdock trying to jumpstart an ambulance, getting shocked up against the open hood and then landing down hard on the vehicle. As the team prepares to lift off in a chopper, Mexican thugs open fire on them, with team members firing back, hitting a few. They then take off, with something large following on and crushing Baracus' car, followed by a chopper chase and machine guns and missiles fired at them in the air. As the pilot, Murdock makes elusive moves, including taking the chopper straight up, where it stalls just as missiles explode next to it. It then falls toward the ground as he tries to restart it and Face barely grabs Baracus to catch him before he falls away. Once both choppers cross into U.S. airspace, a military jet opens fire on the Mexican chopper with missiles, blowing it up. Face kisses a woman he's just met, she slaps him, and then they continue kissing. A vehicle with an important transport truck opens fire on some bystanders, while the large truck smashes into some cars. A truck crashes and explodes. Baracus slides his motorcycle under a truck, causing the latter to explode. He then fires a gun and throws a person from a truck, while Hannibal punches another man off the same. Having hijacked that large truck, they take off, with a smaller vehicle in hot pursuit, shooting at them as they also shoot back. The truck eventually flies out of a tunnel and into a body of water, while Murdock blasts the pursuing vehicle from the air, causing it to explode. As a vehicle approaches the team, it suddenly explodes. The team then fires at Pike and others as they flee, but a large cargo container then explodes and knocks all of them to the ground. Hannibal and Face fire a large hook into the back of a prison transport bus, and then yank the door off with Baracus hanging on to that as a guard fires a shotgun at him. The team drives a truck through a wall of an insane asylum to rescue Murdock, with Carissa and others shooting at the Humvee as they flee. They then commandeer a huge cargo plane, with its wings clipping off the open canopies of jet fighters and its wheel partially crushing Carissa's vehicle just as it takes off right in front of them. Moments later, military drones chase the cargo jet, shooting missiles at it. One hits an engine, and a second blows up the plane, but by then the team is inside a tank that's now falling toward Earth via parachutes. As the drones shoot at that, Face uses the top-mounted machine to shoot at them, blowing up one, but the resultant explosion nearly blows him out of the tank. Back inside, he then repeatedly fires the large, main gun to try to "fly" the tank toward a body of water, with the second drone being hit and destroyed. Down below, a fisherman is using dynamite to "fish" in a lake, with some of the tank's shots hitting the water before the tank does, swamping the fisherman's boat. Face grabs Carissa and they struggle in a bathroom or similar small space, with her hitting him and him eventually cuffing her. While working as a window washer, Baracus fires a grenade launcher into another building, blowing out the window. Hannibal then goes inside there, throws some concussion grenades, and tosses a man out the window (a parachute slows his fall, and Murdock snags him on his chopper rung and flies off). Hannibal then rappels out of there, with Pike shooting at him with a machine gun, and then at Baracus rappelling down the other building. He then shoots out the window washer unit, causing Baracus to fall faster and hit a window hard before hitting the ground hard. Pike then continues shooting as he rappels down the building, causing some cars to crash down on the street. He then chases after Baracus through a parking garage, eventually shooting and downing him. He then push-shoves Baracus with his foot, and kicks, punches and head-butts him until Baracus holds a gun on him. Hannibal then drives up and smashes into Pike who then shoots at the car as it speeds away. A large plane blasts a building, destroying it and presumably killing a man inside. Pike hits a man. Murdock injects Baracus with a sedative (to take him on a plane), but forgets to catch him before he collapses and hits the ground hard. Machine gun fire hits two cars, causing both to crash and flip over. Fuel from them or elsewhere is then ignited and burns back to the cars, causing them to explode, presumably killing some of Lynch's men. Pike shoots one of Lynch's men. Pike shoots a rocket launcher at a cargo ship, resulting in a large explosion, followed by smaller ones in the large metal crates it's holding. Those or other crates then fall off and land on the dock, with Baracus barely avoiding being hit by them. Pike then fires a second rocket that results in another explosion, with Face shooting two cables to send himself swinging away and barely over the resultant fireball and avoiding Pike also shooting a machine gun at him. Pike and Face get into a machine gun battle, with Face running out of ammo and Pike ready to kill him. But Baracus flies in on his motorcycle and jumps onto Pike (the bike explodes upon impact). They briefly fight, with Baracus avoiding Pike's knife before slamming him down hard, presumably killing him. Hannibal grabs Lynch and the two struggle until Lynch punches Hannibal (whose face is bloody). Lynch then shoots a hooded man and we see blood splatter onto the wall, but later learn the latter was just ketchup standing in for blood (and that the hooded figure was wearing a protective contraption around his head). Hannibal then repeatedly hits Lynch, but Lynch shoots him in the chest (his vest protects him) and prepares to shoot him in the head, but is captured at gunpoint before he can. Soldiers grab and control the A-Team. Reviewed June 8, 2010 / Posted June 11, 2010

Other new and recent reviews include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2016 Screen It, Inc.