The A - Team

Mr.T was originally asked to provide a cameo in this remake of the hit television show that aired from 1983-87. Unfortunately, he declined, stating that he would only be part of the film if he could portray his origianl character, Sgt. Bosco 'B.A.' Baracus. Nope, sorry Mr. T, stick to your 'World of Warcraft' commercials, because Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson did a much better job than you could've. The action scenes alone would have required the 57 year old to be continuously monitored by a physician. Even without the "Rocky III" star, the movie rocked. I was never a fan of the show, but I was somewhat familiar with the plot, but allow me to recap for ya. A ragtag squad of Army rangers brought together by fate, complete missions in their own brilliantly unorthadoxed way. But when a mission goes wrong and they are framed for it's failure, they stop at nothing to clear their names and finish the job.
The actors chosen for the foursome were a credit to their roles. Liam Neeson ("Taken" & "Batman Begins") plays Col. John Hannibal Smith, the man with the plan. Liam has always been a favorite of mine, a sediment recently renewed after his ass-kicking role of Brian Mills, and the brilliant actor portrayed the cigar-smoking leader with ease. Can't wait for the next one Liam.
Bradley Cooper ("Yes Man" & "The Hangover") is the handsome playboy Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck. The colorful and suave actor probaly didn't have to work that hard to get into character. He was sexy suave enough already.
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson 'pitied the fool' way better than Mr. T did, and his balls were constantly being broken by Murdoch, actually Sharlto Copey
("District 9"), just as accurately as they were in the television series.
All in all, an awesome movie. Even if you never watched the series, or even if you were a fan, you'll enjoy this film. Well worth the admission, and the $19.99 when it comes out on DVD. Keeper!

Alice In Wonderland

Tim Burton has rarely left a good taste in my mouth. Though I must admit that there are fleeting moments of intrigue in his works, I still haven't forgiven him for mucking up the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" remake. That being said, I am grateful to Tim for the following : "Beetle Juice" (1988 - starring Michael Keaton & Geena Davis), the original "Batman" (1989 - starring Michael Keaton & Jack Nicholson), and "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" - (2007 - starring Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham Carter). So, with his current obssessions (Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham Carter) on hand, he released "Alice in Wonderland" in March. It was his most successful film yet, pulling in over 1 billion worldwide, which also makes it, to date, the highest grossing film of 2010. Now, I must be honest here, I did not go and see this movie in the theatres. I had a feeling that it would be best to be patient, and what for the DVD release. It didn't take long. Four months later, it was on the shelves. After brief consideration, I tossed it into my cart. The film wasn't nearly as deplorable as the critics described. But then again, by now, I've learned that if the mainstream media hate a film, chances are I'm gonna like it. Visually, it was stunning. I understand why it was available in 3D. Though it has been a while since I've read the literary version by Lewis Carroll, I do recall tidbits, and the movie touched on all of them save the walrus and the oysters. Johnny Depp did well as the Hatter, though Alice was a little droll, no wait, on second thought, she was perfect. Helena Bonham Carter portrays the red queen wondrously. This film is entertaining, though I don't regret purchasing it, you might. I recommend that you rent or Netflix this film and then decide if you want to spend the cash. Oh, and I also recommend that you fast forward through the first half hour or so, and tune back in when she falls down the rabbit hole. You'll thank me.

The Losers

Who would have thought that from the director of "Stomp the Yard", and the writer of "Friday Night Lights" would come one of the best action movies of the year. Thank you Sylvain White and Peter Berg. "The Losers" is loosely based on a DC Vertigo comic book called "Ante Up", written by Andy Giggle and illustrated by artist Jock. So, naturally it's opening credits is an awesome compilation of the artwork. An elite CIA black ops team takes on a mission to laser a drug facility for destruction when everything goes wrong. Suddenly, the helicopter they were supposed to make their escape on is a flaming heap, and they learn that they have been betrayed. Now considered killed in action, the team bides their time in Burma, unable to return to the states. Suddenly, in walks Aisha, along with the opportunity for revenge. This film is full of stars at their best. The leader of the team is Clay, (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who you may recall from his role as The Comedian in "Watchmen". A hard but honorable man, the team is his family, and he will do anything to protect them. Clay knows how to get the most out of his squad, and they know that he has a soft spot when it comes to dangerous women. So when he meets Aisha, (Zoe Saldana) who is also known as Neytiri on planet Pandora, he is more than eager to help her achieve her goal. Though the rest of the guys may be hesitant to trust her, Aisha becomes an invaluable and ultimately indispensable part of the mission. Adding his own boyish humor is Jensen, (Chris Evans) who played the human torch in fantastic four and will be seen soon as Captain America. Jensen adds the humor to otherwise serious situations. His quick witted dialogue is superb and brings numerous chuckles in it's wake. Taking up the bad guy role is Max, (Jason Patric) who I will always recall as Lorenzo 'Shakes' Carcaterra in "Sleepers" (see previous post on that exquisite film). Max is a truly evil nemesis in every sense of the word. He cares for nothing and no one, only his own fortune and ambition, and will destroy anyone that stands in his way. Unfortunately for him, this time it's a ragtag team that were supposed to be dead. A non-stop joyride filled with great special effects and snappy dialogue, "The Losers" is a great flick and a good time. Well worth the money.