- Film Review
- Reviewed By Terry Staunton
-
2 out of 5
The big-screen remake of the fondly remembered 1980s TV series frequently doffs its cap to the original, but is too brash and loud to retain any of its charm. Col "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson) and his crack squad of covert operatives are wrongfully jailed after an army general is murdered in Iraq during a mission to steal back printing plates capable of flooding the world with millions of counterfeit US dollars. Cue an increasingly outlandish series of stunts, as the team break out of their respective prisons and set out on the trail of those responsible for the frame-up. Director Joe Carnahan piles on the explosions and gunfights with a heavy hand and at the expense of any characterisation, with a hammy Neeson chomping the scenery almost as much as his ever-present cigar. District 9 star Sharlto Copley is a likeable presence as "Howlin' Mad" Murdock, but Jessica Biel's role as a high-flying military policewoman feels awkwardly tacked-on to provide an unnecessary romantic subplot.
Plot Summary
Action adventure based on the popular 1980s TV series, starring Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper. Four American soldiers serving in Iraq are wrongly convicted and sent to prison following the death of a senior officer during a secret operation. While incarcerated they receive information that they were framed, so decide to escape and begin an effort to clear their names.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Col John "Hannibal" Smith
- Liam Neeson
- Lt Templeton "Faceman" Peck
- Bradley Cooper
- Capt Charissa Sosa
- Jessica Biel
- Sgt BA Baracus
- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
- Capt HM "Howlin' Mad" Murdock
- Sharlto Copley
- Lynch
- Patrick Wilson
- General Morrison
- Gerald McRaney
- Director McCready
- Henry Czerny
- Pensacola prisoner Milt
- Dirk Benedict
- German doctor 1
- Dwight Schultz
Crew
- Director
- Joe Carnahan
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