Reboots and revivals have been a big entertainment trend for several years now, with Hollywood looking to the hits of the past to (hopefully) create new success. Most of the nostalgia grab has been focused on television, with new series based off popular olds ones coming to life — things like Night Court and iCarly and even the upcoming Scrubs revival — but movies have gotten involved as well. Last year’s Liam Neeson starring The Naked Gun, while technically more of a sequel, capitalized on the popular franchise. Now, another Neeson flick that also happens to be a reboot is about to leave Netflix — and you don’t have much time left to watch it.
Released in 2010, The A-Team is a movie reboot of sorts based on the 1980s television series of the same name. Like the beloved television series, the movie follows a Special Forces team who were imprisoned from a crime they didn’t commit and escape from custody. In the movie, the team then sets out to clear their names. In addition to Neeson, The A-Team movie stars Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, and Patrick Wilson. It’s set to leave Netflix on February 16th.
The A-Team Movie Didn’t Win Over Critics, But Found Fresh Success on Streaming
While The A-Team television series made a mark on pop culture in the 1980s, the 2010 movie didn’t exactly do the same for its decade. The film under performed at the box office, which killed any hope that there would be a sequel, and it didn’t fare well with critics either. Critics thought the movie was fairly mediocre even for a summer release action movie and while the somewhat superficial nature of the television series worked on the small screen, it didn’t work very well at feature length. There was, however, some praise for the film’s action generally — so long as you didn’t really look for story.
The film also didn’t exactly win over the original cast, either. While some of the original cast had cameo appearances in the film, they were more of a blink and you’ll miss them sort of situation. Dirk Benedict, who played Templeton “Faceman” Peck in the original series, in particular wasn’t happy about how the cameo worked out, finding the brevity of the appearance insulting. Fans of the original series weren’t exactly thrilled by the lack of appearances for the original stars, either.
All that said, however, when the film hit Netflix last October, the film was an immediate hit, rapidly climbing the streaming charts as it found a fresh, new audience. It was an interesting development for the film that failed to catch during its theatrical run but seems to reinforce the idea that nostalgia is still an important genre when it comes to entertainment and there’s something special about trying a new take on a classic. The A-Team movie might not be exactly the iconic ‘80s television show and never managed to launch the franchise it was intended to, but it’s a movie that is a fun, action-packed watch for a chill afternoon — and you don’t want to miss it before it leaves Netflix in just a few days.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!