Rating: Summary: a-team Review: If I remember correctly, the crime that they were accused of was robbing the Hanoi bank. In a later season, they were caught by Colonel Decker and they were put on trial again. During the trial it was found that a Vietnamese officer knew of the truth and was willing to testify for them (only to have the officer lie in court). Thus the A-team was never acquitted and they were made soliders of fortune under some guy (I forget his name) and had another sidekick. This happened near the end of the show.
As for the series, I have loved the A-team since it came out. It brings back memories about the shows (and I still chuckle when Murdock screams about trash bags).
Rating: Summary: High-brow camp for the whole family Review: If it were produced today, the A-Team would really stink (we never did learn what crime the soliders were framed for or if they recieved restitution later) but this was a guilty pleasure in it's time.
Unlike the 'bad' kooky vietnam veteran who was then making pop-culture headlines, these guys were just slightly kooky---and always had other people's best interests at heart. Even though it was never said, these characters were metrosexuals who were simply produced ahead of their own time. Their ability to empathize with the people whom they helped gave this show the critical level of sincerity it now has to distinguish itself from 'bad' camp television.
Yes, some of the fashion screams 80's (check out the big hair on some of the women for laughs-chills what we wore during the decade) but this is forgiveable. The A-Team was about having fun and being able to triumph over initially tough boundaries.
Rating: Summary: How could you not love this! Review: If only George Peppard were alive today, he'd agree with us all that this is a great event! Growing up with shows like A-Team, Knight Rider and Airwolf, I've come to find I watch more old reruns than I do of new shows. Too bad shows today could never measure up with the shows we had growing up. I can't wait to own all 5 seasons of A-Team and here's hoping Knight Rider and Airwolf aren't too far behind!
Rating: Summary: I'm on the jazz again! Review: Listen up ATeam fans, if you have ever enjoyed watching this
show at some point in your lifetime then you will love having
this DVD in your collection. What an incredible feeling it is
to hear the Ateam theme song start up as cars go flying across the screen and machine guns are ripping the terrain to pieces. The quality on these DVD's looks sharp and these episodes are all classics. For example, last week I was having a bad day and then I started to watch episode 07 - The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas, Mr. Stephen J. Cannell's writing had me smiling quickly with it's brilliance and the wit the characters showed perfectly. When you see the bad guys in this show get the shaft a smile starts to creep across your face and you start secretly cheering on the antics of the Ateam as they save the day.
You would have to be as crazy as Murdock and his dog Billy not to put this stunning DVD set in your collection; just imagine the ability to watch all 14 of these wicked cool episodes anytime you like without commercials right at your finger tips and whenever you want! I urge everyone to get on the jazz, because after you order this bad mother you will be saying "I love it when a plan comes together", under your own breathe. This DVD is so cold Jack!
Rating: Summary: Gettin' "on the jazz" over the A-Team... Review: Man, did I love this show when I was but a wee 'Norch. The seemingly endless firefights where no one ever took a bullet, the heroes assembling interesting weaponry and military vehicles outta scrap & spare parts (eat'cher heart out, MacGyver!), the endless array of totaled & flipped-over vehicles... just what a growin' eight-year-old needed back in the 80s! And the plots & story lines were pretty much the same, only with different bad guys (the Las Vegas Mafia, banana republic dictators, a busload o' rednecks (led by Bill "squeal-like-a-pig" McKinney no less!), airline hijackers, a religious cult, and a biker gang are but a few examples) and different setting (many of which looked a lot alike). Ya all know the drill: our heroes are brought in to help some person or a group of people fend off an overwhelmingly powerful (or so it seemed) gang of oppressors. They start things off by bustin' Murdock outta the local nuthouse, usually with fake paperwork of some sort that none of the desk nurses ever seem to check up on. After the asylum bust-out, the good guys head into whatever town's in trouble, and run the bad guys off for a moment. But the bad guys regroup and either mount a counterattack and/or capture our heroes, usually lockin' `em in a place full of stuff they can use to put together some neat-o improvised weapons. The A-Team then busts outta their predicament, take down the bad guys without incurring any fatalities on either side, have a final tender moment with the oppressed folks who hired `em, and drive into the sunset in a customized GMC van with red trim and a spoiler.
Speakin' of the good guys: How could'ja not love the hammy machismo and incessantly cheerful demeanor of George Peppard as Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith? Every single episode he'd greet the potential clients in some of the most unconvincing disguises & makeup effects this side of classic Star Trek! Then there's Dirk Benedict as the smooth-as-Skippy Face Man... who didn't really seem to have all that much of a personality, now that I think about it. 'Course, the most notable team member was Mr. T as the "#elluva tough, #elluva strong, and #elluva mean" B.A. Baracus. Well, actually he wasn't all that tough when it came to his fear of flying. Fortunately, a quick novocaine shot or spiked glass of milk was always on hand to help him get over those fears. Ya know, Mr. T does pretty well actin'-wise when his character's bein' mean, but he doesn't fare so well when it comes to more upbeat emotions. As I understand it, it was Mr. T's lack of acting ability that led to more than a little on-set antagonism between him and Peppard...
But even though Mr. T was the most famous cast mate, my fave guy was the supposedly whacked-out H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz), the A-Team's intermittently institutionalized fly-guy. His array of imaginary pets, bizarre character impressions, and other nuthouse hijinks would probably have been more annoying than funny were it not for his propensity to annoy the #ell outta B.A. with his endless schtick. Murdock & B.A. made for the most entertaining pair of antagonistic protagonists since Spock and Dr. McCoy... only a lot more lowbrow!
Another thing I love about this show is the stunt work. There are more'n a few moments when it's painfully obvious that it isn't the principal or principals that are actually dukin' it out in many of the long-shot fights! There're also a couple parts where B.A. is driving a convertible close-up, but then it cuts to a long shot where it's obvious that the driver's a white guy in a Mr. T mohawk wig/headpiece and dark grease paint covering his arms and the lower half of his head! Then there're the scenes where B.A. is building an improvised weapon, where the close-up shots feature a "hand double"-- complete with gaudy gold rings-- puttin' the components together. I pity da foo' who had THAT job...
Oddly enough, this set is devoid of any special features, which I found a bit disappointing. I woulda' loved to have seen a mini-doc on the antagonism between George Peppard and Mr. T, or a "where-are-they-now" look at the show's three surviving principals. And what about the alleged A-Team theatrical movie I've been hearing rumors about? Come on, Universal-- don't leave us A-Teamsters in the dark, now...
`Late
Rating: Summary: Sorry about the confusion Review: man, this is such a great dvd. mr t is the coolest dude ever. this whole show rocks my socks. it is cooler than a visit to a ranaruim.
Rating: Summary: NICE Review: Nice, I'm so happy this is finally coming out. There aren't shows like this on anymore. I can't wait to own every season. This is a must own for EVERYONE!!! I pity da fool that don't buy this!
Rating: Summary: An iffy start Review: The A-Team is one of the most fondly remembered TV shows in history. For a long, long time we've been asking for it to be released on DVD and this year Universal finally acknowledged or requests. Is it worth the wait and money? Kinda.
First of all an introduction to the A-Team is needed.
First we have the leader, John 'Hannibal' Smith (the late, great George Peppard on top form) a Colonel in the US army so called because of his expert war tactics being likened to that of the legendary Hannibal Barca.
Then there is Templeton 'The Face' Peck (Dirk Benedict) the smooth con-man who is relied upon to get whatever supplies are needed.
Bosco 'BA' Baracus (the very funny Mr. T) is the muscle. No one argues or torments when BA is around.
And finally, Captain HM Murdock (Dwight Schultz) a crazy pilot who only pretends to be insane for the fun (and shelter) but can be serious when needed.
Season One also featured Amanda Amy Allen (Melinda Culea), a newspaper reporter who follows the A-Team around and covers their antics. She never did much else but she has a beautiful smile and gorgeous legs that go all the way up.
As you know the A-Team are on the lam for a crime they didn't commit (allegedly they robbed the Bank of Hanoi during the Vietnam war) and help folks out whenever injustice brings misery or despair.
The episodes in season one are as follows...
1 and 2. Mexican Slayride parts 1 and 2-The pilot episode in which the team go to Mexico to rescue a reporter held hostage by guerillas. It's okay, nothing special. Ron Palilo guest stars.
3. Children Of Jamestown-The team are hired to rescue a girl kidnapped by mad christian fundementalists. Gerrit Graham guest stars.
4. Pros And Cons-The A-Team go undercover in a prison to expose a corrupt warden and his brutal gladatorial prison death matches.
5. A Small And Deadly War-A SWAT team moonlighting as hitmen get their comuppance. Dean Stockwell guest stars.
6. Black Day At Bad Rock-When BA is injured and taken to a doctor she gets suspicious and calls the fuzz. Bikers later lay siege to the town and the cops need to release them. Sid Haig guest stars.
7. The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas-A college professor with a foolproof gambling system disappears in Las Vegas. The A-Team are hired to get him back.
8. The Out-Of-Towners-The A-Team take on a street-hustler harrassing the innocent citizens of a scared neighborhood. A rather poor episode set in New York. Phony cardboard sets on the Universal backlot do not convince and the budget was certainly not spent on squibs, giving the impression that they are firing blanks. Yaphet Kotto guest stars.
9. Holiday In The Hills-When their plane crash lands in hillbilly land the A-Team stop a man from being burnt at the stake (reasons unknown) by hicks. A small war breaks out.
10. West Coast Turnaround-The A-Team are hired to take on a corrupt sheriff and help out a man being threatened off his melon farm.
11. One More Time-Off they go to Borneo to rescue a VIP and his daughter. Not a good episode. Some random field outside LA makes for a very, very poor 'double' of Borneo (puh-lease), which distracts for most of the show. Amy Steel guest stars.
12. Till Death Do Us Part-A recently widowed-woman being forced into marriage by a money hungry businesman hires the A-Team to find out the truth of her late husbands suspicous death. Surely the cops would have discovered it.
13. The Beast From The Belly Of A Boeing-Idiot terrorists take over a plane with ludicrous demands. The A-Team sneak aboard and sort it out. Xander Berkely and Andrew Robinson guest star.
14. A Nice Place to Visit-A hick family terrorizes a small town but the A-Team (attending the funeral of a Vietnam buddy) sort them out in their own unique way.
The quality of the shows ranges from being genuinely well written to rather stupid. But hardly any of them feature inventing! Come on! This was the A-Team trademark. What's going on? Obviously, as the budget increased in later seasons the episodes got more sophisticated. Season One is all hokey and novice in comparison.
Oh and all that rubbish you've heard about no one ever dying in The A-Team is nonsense. This season alone features two deaths in episodes 4 and 7.
The episodes are very badly presented in this set. The 1.33:1 full frame picture is dirty and damaged with weak, washed-out colors and tinny Dolby Mono sound. I know this is how the show was originally recorded but even a Stereo remix would have been worth it. Though the very abundant ADR is extremely obvious nonetheless. There is not one tiny little extra at all.
Universal, I want Season 2 right away. But I will gladly wait longer to get a remastered picture and better sound. This is a great show but the presentation quality on this set is terrible. I know these episodes are over 20 years old but I've seen older stuff look better. And the packaging is rather flimsy too.
Pick up for no more than half-price.
Rating: Summary: If you can find them, maybe you can hire.........The A-Team Review: The A-Team. Who could forget this lovable show about renegade Vietnam Vets who travel the country in a black van (that only has one gear, Overdrive!)
George Peppard is the great Colonal 'Hannibal' Smith. He and his fellow vets, including B.A Baracus aka Mr. T, help the down trodden, rescue the innocent, and save the day. The great thing about the A-Team was that nobldy ever seemed to catch on that every single episode was the same for the entire series. Read the following and you have every episode.
1. The A-Team is being pursued by Colonal Decker. He's the army officer who's entire career is failing to capture the A-Team.
2. The A-Team runs into someone who needs help.
3. They do what they can until the odds are over-whelmingly against them.
4. At this point, when all hope is lost, the A-Team turn into McGyvers. They cannabalize everything in sight and make booby traps, self shooting rifles, and rigged explosions.
5. The finale of the show is no less than three explosions and thousands of rounds of ammunition spent. No one, and I mean no one ever gets wounded, burned, or blown up.
6. Colonal Decker almost catches them... but then loses them.
That's the show in a nutshell. It's enjoyable, but reaks of 80's cheese. That's not a bad thing at all. The 80's ruled.
Rating: Summary: Good 80's Tv Classic Show Review: The stories of these 4 'Nam vets that survives as soldiers of fortune to hire if em if ya can find them and have a problem and noone else can help lasted for 4 seasons.They were a crack commando that were sent to prision for a crime they didn't commit after they escaped from a maximum security stockade to the LA underground. The cons: the no violence or no death of nobody seen on camera or the gun fights were nobody gets shot. I only give 3 stars because the decision of Universal of no including English language subtitles.They include English captions thing that can't be displayed on my PAL Tv set due to system restraints. I hope Universal look forward this thinking on the no US or no English countries or the deaf or hard of hearing people that needs that subtitles.
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