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kattestlayoutNot sure how to describe this. I was making a reaction post to the A-Team movie. Then I was also making a mix because I'm me and that's what I do. Also a picspam. But then as I have no intention of getting into this fandom, I combined them.
Before the Movie:
I crushed on the A-Team in 6th grade. Like WOAH. One of the first memories I have of RL and Fandom colliding is my gifted class trying to explain the LOVE that is Howlin' Mad Murdoch to our teacher. And all of us in tears trying to get out: Trash-BAGS! I want some TRASH-BAGS! Gimme trashbags! and then flying over the prison wall in lawn chairs elevated by trashbags filled with hair dryers.
No. It did NOT make sense. That's the whole point (to me) of the show. The A-Team isn't a "crack commando unit" - it's a crack!commando!unit! Simultaneously the best of the military and the underdog and the outlaw and the gunslinger - the show was made of pure fun. And although I would pick Face if you put a gun to my head, Hannibal was a close, close second. (This was before I understood the distinction between canon vs rp fandoms. Today I'd probably pick Geoge Peppard then Face followed by Hannibal and Dirk Benedict.)
Next: I apparently have an unpopular fandom opinion. IMO The only difference between Hannibal and Murdock is that Murdock was actually diagnosed as crazy. Murdock started out that way. Hannibal goes insane when the Army turns against him. You've read my journal. You know how I feel about Tricksters. You know how I love that the Mad Hatter isn't so much mad as going mad. *sigh* Oh, Hannibal.
But seriously - I'm surprised the fandom I've found doesn't talk about the insanity. The focus is on the strategist. Sometimes they equate "the Jazz" to adrenaline junkie. But it's not that. Face is the adrenaline junkie - why buy something when you can con it for free? Hannibal is stone cold crazy.
Murdock builds blimps out of lawn chairs, trash bags and hair dryers. Hannibal gets in and rides them. And he does it while giggling and telling Murdock how much he loves it.
That's more than adrenaline junkie. The Jazz is when Hannibal has gone dancing with Chaos again. It's some demented determination to make lemonade out of Murphy's Law.
Next: When I first heard about the movie:
I was concerned they would try to make it SRZ BZNS. Then I heard they signed Liam Nesson as Hannibal and I was torn. Because I knew without a doubt that he would be a kick ass Hannibal but it's not the same. I don't buy him as gleefully dressing up as Mr Chin or deciding to be a gay hairdresser to get hairdryers and chairs for Murdock to fly them over the wall with.
Then I heard Bradley Cooper as Face - this was right after I saw the Hangover. Oh yes, please.
Then I saw the trailer. Hannibal hears that Murdoch tried to jump start a car with a defibrillator and says "My kind of guy." BA goes sliding down a building while whistling the theme and THEY JUMP A TANK. "There is no Plan B." Au contraire - there are ENTIRE EPISODES of nothing BUT Plan Bs. Amy Allen once said it best: Hannibal's plans never work right. They just work.
I was so there the opening weekend. So. There.
Next: I consider the movie something of a prequel. Obviously the timeline is broken, but to me the show characterizations are where these characters will end up. I don't care they aren't the same now as long as the possibility exists for them to get there.
This movie did that for me just like Spider-man and X-men did.
The A-Team's Meta-Mix
Shoot To Thrill: Race to Save Face
Right off the bat, this movie lets you know what it is. It's 2 hours of popcorn munching.
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills
Which just about sums up any given episode. We start mid-mission. It's already gone wrong. The boys are split up and Hannibal has to save Face. I actually wasn't sure if this was Hannibal as the gun seemed a little risky. But then the bad guy says "Next time, plan ahead." And you just know.
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
Yeah
Hannibal might be working on the fly - but Hannibal's "on the fly" would probably make Machiavelli golf clap.
When Hannibal comes out of the shadows and lights the cigar, my mom claims I made a happy noise and began munching popcorn. That probably tells you all you need to know about my reaction to the movie, but it won't stop me from stealing an hour of your life anyway.
Face's has not only gotten separated from his colonel, he's gotten caught screwing the target's wife. That's my slut puppy. *pets* Actually that's Hannibal's slut puppy, and he'd like him back, please. But essentially, it's the Face I know. He's impulsive, which he'll never lose, but he's also pushing against Hannibal. If the backstory is the same (and I see no reason it wouldn't be), it makes sense to me that Face's abandonment issues are making him not completely trust Hannibal. He joined the military rather than become a grifter for a sense of family but it wouldn't be easy.
BA: I'm like evil, I get under your skin
Just like a bomb that's ready to blow
'Cause I'm illegal, I got everything
That all you women might need to know
Oh Boscoe. Thank you for being Boscoe and not Mr T! PITY and FOOL Tats! Shout outs without irony or parody - just love and your own BAMF self.
I really liked the backstory here. BA was obviously part of a gang prior to the Rangers. Which means he tried previously to escape the violence in his life. He found peace in the Rangers and then had it taken from him. He fell back in with the old gang. But the old gang didn't have a hold on his soul. He's paid whatever debt was owed and he won't allow them to detain him a moment longer.
Hannibal Meets Boscoe Baracus. "You jacking me? What is it, opposite day?"
Matching tats. Why wasn't this canon in the series?
Hannibal flat out states he has faith in plans and the basic order of the universe. This was always hinted at and I'm very glad it's in the movie. At this point, he's never had reason to question that faith.
So of course they go save Face. Who bitches nonstop until Hannibal finally gives up arguing and points out the BA could have been killed. It makes Face drop the bravado instantly. Face does not think things through. The series seemed to imply Hannibal saved him from jail, but here he seems to have made it to the Rangers without him. The instant-brotherhood awarded another Ranger would have a big appeal to Face as an orphan.
I've read a couple of reviews that found the "brotherhood" and instant acceptance a little bit corny. I don't. It's sincere and not ironic or cynical, so it can come across as corny, but the unquestioning loyalty to each other is literally a matter of life or death. And although flaming tires, barrel rolling helicopters and border runs to California probably aren't normal - I'm pretty sure that enough Rangers have been saved merely for being Rangers that it's a true reflection of the sentiment.
Check My Brain: Meeting Murdock, Escaping Mexico, Killing Tuco
California, I'm fine - Somebody check my brain
California's all right - Somebody check my brain
Check my brain
Murdock. Oh Murdock. I just love that he's what bonds Face and BA. "You smell like gas... It is you! You're dangerous! I like you!"
And of course Hannibal loves him. Hannibal's faith in plans includes an almost holy love for Tricksters. Hannibal doesn't want Murdock to be a pilot - he wants him to be Pan. Hannibal even expressly says that Murdock's his kind of guy (for jump starting a truck with a defibrillator). And then disregards the others to get into a starting contest with the crazy man. Face seems to instantly realize just how bad an idea this is - to give the Man With A Plan an Irresistible Object. BA just knows that he's got a lightning bolt scar now and "something ain't right with (Murdock)".
They don't explain Murdock's psychosis at all. (In the cut scenes, he's apparently a mutant.) But part of it is he has no identity except Pilot and Ranger. When not called on to be either, he flips through various characters like someone channel surfing. And yet somehow, the crazy in Hannibal's eyes? It pulls Murdock back to - well, not back to Earth, but into a lower orbit than he had been anyway. SNERK.
They take off in the helicopter and I notice that although Hannibal never looks comfortable, he's never as appalled as anyone else encountering Murdock's flying ever is. He's pretty much "yeah, yeah, barrel roll. Where's that border?"
Face and BA try to be bad ass Rangers. "Hot Chopper on our six."
But then the VAN DIES (I literally gasped) and then Murdock loop de loops a helicopter. (GOODIE! They kept A-Team Physics. Logic is replaced with popcorn!) Face and BA bond even more over being the only sane men left in the world (lol). I didn't realize until the blu ray - but BA actually had lost hold of the strap thing and was falling at the same speed as the helicopter. He was dead for a split second and then Face gets him and straps him in and tells him he's going to be alright. I never shipped BA/Face in original series but I can see it here. Man can I ever.
Hannibal's plan - use Face's screw up and the fact that Tuco is now incensed beyond reason and lure him over US Soil to kill him. One step ahead is not a plan. Tensteps. Now that's a plan.
Hannibal uses Face's defiant Adios Mother Fucker - because that's his slut puppy and no one gets to try and kill him. Face's face lights up when he sees the fighter coming at them and realizes what Hannibal's done. Like it's all just a gift for him from Dad. All the fighting is forgotten as they laugh together. *flappy hands* So much love.
"There's a plan in everything. And I love it when a plan comes together."
I Like It Like That: Afghanistan Base
Come on (Come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on (Come on, let me show you where it's at)
I wanna show you (Come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is (I like it like that)
It's not said what happened to the other team. If Hannibal's a Colonel and Face is a Lt. There should have been others in Mexico with them. Or Hannibal has recently become Colonel and he picked Face for a recon into Mexico with the understanding that he'll get his own team. Instead he finds one. This would appeal to Hannibal's sense that everything happens for a reason.
So it's not surprising that we find they've been together for 8 years and 80 missions. They don't have any missions listed as failures. Hannibal's had 8 years to get used to the idea that he's right all the time.
Oh dear.
Murdock's cooking! Face and BA still think Murdock is batshit but they've come to peace with it. I also note that no one surrounding them is alarmed in the least by the mini explosions coming from the grill. HEE.
Murdock's finally accepted for the naturally insane creature he is. This resonates from the series. Even more than Face, this team is truly the only family and home Murdock seems to have ever found. Even though he's got the relatively easy out - and he's obviously comfortable in a clinical setting - he will continually return to the Team.
I was disappointed the commentary gave no additional backstory to Face's dehydrated state. But I suppose that's what we have fanfic for.
Sosa. I'm so torn - I can't put her with Lynch and Pike. Also? Jessica Biel is emoting. It confuses me that I can connect with her on an emotional level and that she is connecting on an emotional level with the actor across from her. It's a little scary. Just sayin'. But several things make me kinda love Sosa and "the B Team".
She drinks their beer while telling them not to go after the plates. I am fairly certain that's a shooting offense in most southern states. She immediately hurts Face before he can hurt her and it works. The comment about leaving is a direct hit that Face has no response for and it speaks volumes. This is the slut puppy Face that I know. He was never opposed to a long term relationship - he simply had no means to nurture one. He let Sosa in and got burned and he's not sure what to do about it.
She's the ex that you want to hate but can't quite stop liking them. I should hate her but I can't. Guys, I like a Jessica Biel character. Do you see what this movie did to me?
Even Murdock knows to give them space. Which he, of course, does by bugging BA. "If I broke every bone in your hand, could you still do that?"
Cult of Personality: Lynch and Pike
"He's wearing armor in HQ. And that should tell you all you need to know about the CIA."
"You're assassins in polo shirts."
When a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
The reflection of the Ranger Brotherhood and military honor system. A Ranger defines the team, Lynch is only defined by a false name. LYNCH! I love the shout-out and the fact that Lynch is just a codename. Like Kosh. We are all Kosh. But his smartest/dumbest/brilliant move is the sense that Pike is out for a double cross. By telling Hannibal about the mission, he puts something into play that Morrison and Pike will never be able to out plan/maneuver.
Pike confuses amorality with superiority. Instead of unquestioning brotherhood, they are cannot even trust the people they are committing treason with. And that should tell you all you need to know about the villains in this movie.
Running Up That Hill: Hannibal and Morrison
"Right now, I'm begging you. Hannibal please let this go."
It's the only thing Hannibal never does. Why should he? Everything has a plan.
It doesn't hurt me.
You wanna feel how it feels?
You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me?
You wanna hear about the deal I'm making?
This song is more a theme throughout the film but it begins here. Morrison seems to truly regret what he's going to do. I think he is genuinely upset and trying to talk Hannibal out of it. But Hannibal won't let it go and rather than take the chance that Hannibal will blow the whistle - Morrison betrays him by pretending to be persuaded.
The implied history makes me wonder if Hannibal was once Morrision's LT. Just from the way he teases Hannibal and the way Face asks later if Hannibal could ever do that to him. Hannibal's reactions are much the same as he has for other Rangers and later - as the Hummer burns, the team yells for the general. Hannibal will yell for his friend. "Russ!"
Under dishonorable discharge, he's not a part of the funeral proceedings, but he goes regardless.
And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building.
If I only could, oh...
The order of Hannibal's universe has been hit and instead of rebuilding, chaos seems to be winning. And worse, he can't protect his team from it. And just as he pieces it together, he will find out about Morrison's betrayal. Morrison seems truly angry about it. At himself for being forced to see just how rotted he'd become. At Hannibal for forcing the issue. Hannibal just talks in circles, trying to see the plan. Because it surely cannot just be petty greed. Everything he's lost should mean more than money.
You don't wanna hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder.
There's a thunder in our hearts, baby.
So much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?
Hannibal's been crazy all along, angry, revenge driven. Even grieving for the friend he thought died. But the boathouse is the only time he's truly at a loss.
And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems
But I've gotten ahead of myself. First he has to be his awesome GQMF.
I Don't Wanna Stop: Baghdad
All my life I've been over the top
I don't know what I'm doing all I know is I don't wanna stop
All fired up, I'm gonna go 'til I drop
You're either in or in the way, don't make me I don't wanna stop
Family Dinner! Time to gather love ones around the table!
BA and Murdock spar over the plan - I was an airbourne ranger till I met you. 263 jumps. - explaining the core paradox of Ba's fear of flying. But there's love under it. For all the violence, Boscoe is actually the least angry of the team. He's figured out that Murdock isn't purposefully trying to kill him and as long as they aren't in the air, Boscoe seems genuinely fond and amused by him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Face is obsessing over Charissa and Hannibal seems to genuinely feel for him. It makes me happy. Hannibal doesn't question that Face falls in love that often anymore. He doesn't understand it, but he's accepted it. *pets the slut puppy*
Then they all read the plan and Hannibal gets a eat shitting grin.
I don't know what they're talking about
I'm making my own decisions
This thing that I found ain't gonna bring me down
I'm like a junkie without an addiction
Old school A-Team DIY montage!! Supply requisitions are for amateurs! The real pros don't need black ops dollars. I think it's a point of pride to Hannibal and it will become a saving grace when they are on the run. In the end, they will be able to survive and thrive in the underground because they already are now. The difference is just semantics.
The montage and heist also shows the guys in their traditional show roles - BA is the builder, Murdock is the distraction and Face is the infiltrator. In the heist, Face is the marksman, BA is the infantryman - Hannibal seems to be as well - and Murdock is the reserve and calvary.
If I'm right and Hannibal was more infantry when he was lower ranked, it explains more with his relationship with Face. He would admire Face's talent as a marksman/infiltrator and would allow him to see past the bluster that (in show canon) had gotten Face in trouble with other commanders.
The plan goes off without a hitch. The speed of the Baghdad heist gets to me. They are at their prime and are an unstoppable force. Hannibal was right. In a movie about Pike's squad, that's a 20 minute gun battle. With Hannibal, it's over in minutes and the only fatalities are the hostiles. (At least I don't think there were friendly deaths.)
Why don't they ever listen to me
It's just a one way conversation
Nothing they say is gonna set me free
Don't need no mental masturbation
Murdock's flying is actually normal here. Insanely complicated and physics defying as always, but other that
You know I'm one of a kind
Ain't gonna change my bad behaviour
They get to base and HEE - they are all afraid to open the container. They are all so happy - until Hannibal says his line.
New Divide (A Cappella): Pike blows the container. The Team is arrested. But not for long.
Hannibal's expression made this go through my head:
I remembered black skies; The lightning all around me
I remembered each flash; As time began to blur
Like a startling sign; That fate had finally found me
All the times he beat the odds - it's time to pay the piper.
There was nowhere to hide
The ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
Between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
Hannibal the Mastermind is caught flat footed and he cannot see the plan in anything that's happening. Without being able to confront Black Forrest or Pike, he's lost. He can't even attend Morrison's funeral as he should. The arrest, funeral and trial are all from his point of view. And the view is one of choas. The Man with a Plan in a world with no order.
So give me reason to fill this hole
Connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
Lynch shows up after 6 months. And Hannibal has begun to recover - but he's not up to speed yet and still making deals and taking orders from unreliable sources.
"So Satan walks into this bar - " = "So this guy, Lynch, walks into a prison -"
Lightning Crashes: Hannibal breaks Face and BA out of prison. Sosa begins investigating.
Face has done what he always done. Twist any situation to his needs. He can't leave the prison, so he must change it.
The angel opens her eyes
The confusion sets in
He's angry when Hannibal first lets him out in the extended version. Hannibal was the closest thing he had to a father and it's hard to find out your parents are only mortal after all. He seems to think that Hannibal only broke him out because he needs him - not because he wanted to. And I don't think that's true. If there were no hope of clearing their names, I still think Hannibal would feel life on the run better than life apart in prison. I don't even mean that in the slashy way. (No matter how hard Hannibal checks out Face's abs and ass.)
I can feel it, comin' back again,
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind.
"I take it you didn't get religion."
"No. I got revenge."
"Good."
They go to get BA.
Forces pullin' from the center of the Earth again.
I can feel it.
Oh I can feel it coming back again
BA hasn't found revenge. Like I noted, he was never that angry to begin with. Having had the military betray him twice now (remember, he had be dishonorably discharged prior to meeting Hannibal), Boscoe has found religion. But he still feels the bond with the others.
The movie tries to address the violence here - but it is an A-Team movie, the violence is always going to be the right answer. They do make the attempt though - the violence for BA is always about protecting people. It doesn't come from anger - which was as much as I could ask from the movie in this day and age.
Sosa proves her worth. She knows what's happening but is helpless to prevent it. Left in reaction mode, she can only chase after Hannibal. She never has enough information to get in front of him. Still, she manages to catch up in Germany - something no one else - including Black Forrest - is able to do. I like her... or at least respect her.
"Remember the gag we pulled in Venezuela? With the midget.
"Yeah, I know-
- but that was a midget."
HEE. Hannibal is JUST as crazy as Murdock. And he's getting close to being as desperate.
BA becoming a pacifist also plays to what he becomes in the tv series. Of them all, he was the one who wanted to reach out to troubled teens and steer them away from violence. He'll never escape it himself, but he does find his own path to peace.
Bad Medicine: Murdock's Escape
Your love is like bad medicine ... There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease.
Murdock, meanwhile, has gone home. In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. In an asylum of men driven mad, the naturally insane man is clear-headed and at peace. He's retained the coherence we saw in Baghdad. In the extended version, he's begun to fray - but mostly in defiance than actual psychotic break. He's in the "crazy as a fox" mode.
That's what you get for falling in love, you get a little and it's never enough
Sosa shows up and I'm not entirely sure the electro shock was completely without side effects.
Fandom Question 1) Do you think the electroshock has had some effect and Murdock genuinely can't remember Sosa's name - he never uses it. Is it possible he only remembers she's "El Diablo" and Face's girlfriend? HEE.
Sosa doesn't completely buy the crazy act. Atta, girl! But she's still just playing catch up and Hannibal is still 10 moves ahead.
THE GREATER ESCAPE. THE TV THEME SONG IN FULL 80s GLORY! *FLAILS*
Bad, Bad Medicine is what I want
It's obvious and over-the-top but after all - "Overkill is underrated."
'cause if there's something better, baby, well they haven't found it yet.
The bit as they get to the plane is one of my favorite moments - starting to my favorite scene. Hannibal calmly letting the crew figure out they should leave, completely ignoring the insanity behind. Face in the background forcing BA to "man up and finish the escape!" Murdock asking for the keys. For all the bluster, I notice that BA takes the medication from Murdock without any hesitation. The trust is implicit. (OK, I might mean this one in the slashy way.)
"Don't worry. Turbulence has never brought down a plane." But the UAVS behind them? "They bring down planes all the time."
Sosa's B Team: "If we can't call off those drones, I'm going to be on bitch duty."
Seriously. It's crack!movie at it's finest!
Let Me Hear You Scream: Flying Tanks!
OMG HOW MUCH LOVE. If you are going to make a popcorn movie - if you are going to jump a tank - why not FLY THE FUCKER WHILE YOUR AT IT? THE FLYING TANK. THERE IS NOTHING I DO NOT LOVE ABOUT THE FLYING TANK.
The Doppler effect of the screams. Everything that comes out of BA and everything directed to him. Face's exuberant: What you got, bitches? What you got!
Are you ready for the last fight!
Get ready with the war cry!
Let me hear you scream like you want it
Let me hear you yell like you mean it
If you're gonna go down:
Go loud!
Go strong!
Go proud!
Go on, go hard or go home!
What you got, bitches? Even Hannibal can't quite keep from laughing at the madness. "Technically - we're NOT flying!"
Then they DO start flying - the tank. Hannibal yells "Trust me." And they do. There's the sense that live or die, they wouldn't change a second of the ride. The sense of love/trust/family is just contagious. The entire theater was cheering at this point.
*rewinds*
Fandom Question 2) When Face yells that he's aiming at nothing, does he realize that's a good thing? Or is he laughing in pure adrenaline/defiance of death?
Fandom Question 3) I think Hannibal decides on the tank the moment the wing catches fire. How about you?
NORAD's official position is that it's an X-Out. Meaning they have written off the tank and want desperately NOT to know. Don't ask; don't tell worked so well for so many things.
I'll watch you break,
Your mine to take,
Don't blink; you just might miss it!
It's all or nothing,
Nowhere left to run!
Hannibal with nothing left to lose is a very frightening sight - but hot damn, is it a fun ride!
Highwayman: Stealing the Plates Back
Still high off the escape, everyone knows they're coming and no one can stop them.
Face sent to tee up Sosa. The rogue who can't resist being the white knight:
I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
But I am still alive.
Sosa finally sees the bigger picture - but because she's assuming the team's guilt, she's getting it wrong. "I think we should assume they have more information than us at all times." It's not only proof that she's smart - it's why she listens when Face makes contact.
Again - I believe that Face fell in love. When they hooked up, he had no reason/no easy way to lie. And he always lets himself fall in love, and with her, he could stay in love.
I can also see where that sudden focus could freak you out if you weren't expecting it. She wouldn't be able to trust it, given his history, and a preemptive hurt-before-they-hurt-you. Yeah - I buy this relationship.
Hannibal dropping into the room like the wrath of God and getting the plates and "the Arab". He thinks he's found his footing again:
I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide.
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still.
This is before he knows who the Arab is - Hannibal picks the shock and awe tactic to get the plates. It's not as effective on a sophisticated force, but Hannibal is pressed for time and he is also PISSED. He wants to HURT the men who killed his friend and turned his world upside down. It almost doesn't work -
Fandom Question 4) Do you think Hannibal would have dropped the case (shot or not) if he hadn't been slightly off at recognizing Morrison?
BA, the one closest to peace, is the strength. The lookout and the muscle. He ends up confronted with the reality of his life. He doesn't want to kill but the only other option is to kill Pike. He's pulled to safety by Hannibal, but he knows it's avoidance not resolution.
I was a dam builder. Across the river deep and wide.
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around..I'll always be around..and around and around and
around and around
Murdock, once again flying missions with his team. It's quite likely to me that of the four, Murdock is the one who's "back" to where they were the night before they left to Baghdad. Ready to be the Highwayman again.
I fly a starship across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again..
The movie consistently shows the team is unbeatable together. ♥ ♥ ♥
The God That Failed: Revelation of Morrison's Treason
I see faith in your eyes - never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise
Betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the God that Failed
Morrison's reveal: Hannibal realizes he's snapping at Face when the person he's really disappointed in is under the hood.
I love the little moment where Murdock is obviously questioning his own sanity. He has such a fragile hold on it at any given moment. A fake death - a deliberate lying about reality - it's almost too much. BA just looks like he knew the powers that be would eventually find a way to screw him again. Murdock goes to help BA limp out - but he's leaning on him as much as BA is leaning on him. Murdock turns to the one who has the strongest hold on reality. This one? I've always shipped.
Face is floored. Again calling back to the backstory from the tv series. Face idolized his commanders. The Rangers are the only blood he has.
Hannibal wants answers but can't accept the ones he's given. There's no beauty or order in it. Petty greed is ugly and simplistic.
In that respect, Lynch out thinks Hannibal because he understands petty emotions better. He's tracking the phone or Morrison. Meanwhile, Hannibal is trying to find another plan. Plates, no plates, you are federal fugitives. And when they're done with you, Hannibal, they're just going to burn you.
Prophetic last words, Morrison.
Face has nothing left to believe in and has even begun questioning Hannibal. That scares Hannibal. The rest of the team feel they have nothing left to lose, but Hannibal knows he could still lose them. And that fear - and the realization that he no longer sees the plan in it all gives him just enough warning to run. Even two steps behind, Hannibal can save their lives.
Follow the god that failed
All Along The Watchtower: Aftermath of Morrison's Second Death
There must be some kinda way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief
Lynch has confused having information and clearance for intelligence and bravery. He's wrong. Pike has mistaken amorality for leverage. He's wrong too.
But you and I we've been through that
And this is not all fate
And in the middle of the chaos. Face rediscovers his faith. Hannibal doesn't know what to do. Face does. He picked military right/wrong over the grifter's life - but he can still spot a grifter when he sees one.
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Sosa's encountered Pike. She knows now that the team isn't working with him and knowing that, when she looks at it all, she has doubts. Enough of them to listen to Face when he calls the burn phone.
Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
In the meantime, Pike finally earns his keep (and my interest) by being hilarious in the face of death by geekboy. HEE.
Two riders were approaching
And the wind begin to howl
First Hannibal and Face reverse roles. Then Lynch and Pike do. They line up on yet another collision course but somehow you know that this time it's the final one.
Mama I'm Coming Home: The Freighter Ride and Face's Plan
Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come but I ain't the same
Mama, I'm coming home
The airport! Hannibal's alias is Liam Neeson! I wonder who Face went through customs as. And again - they get to show that just because Hannibal or Face have the plan, Murdock and BA aren't stupid or without their own resources. YAY TEAM!
I just realized that just like Leverage has Team Awesome and the Con Con. This fandom has Team Team. HEE.
They return home to the States and Face lays out a plan.
You made me cry, you told me lies
But I can't stand to say goodbye
Mama, I'm comin home
I could be right, I could be wrong
Face is interesting to me here. He hasn't taken Hannibal's place; he's just come into his own. He's obviously aware and frightened by the idea of getting his team killed, but he's not blaming other people, complaining that Hannibal should be doing it, or attempting to wisecrack his way out of it. The world has always been insane to Face. And now that it's gone insane for his team, he's finally believing that they are a family and that they really will always be there for him. And really that's what he's been scared of - that he would one day manage to stop being useful to Hannibal and yet another father figure would leave him behind or try to use him.
Selfish love yeah we're both alone
The rise before the fall, yeah
But I'm gonna take this heart of stone
I just got to have it all
Boscoe has time to breathe and think. He won't be able to leave the violence without leaving his team. He'll end up fighting to take the violence from others. But for now it's enough that he's come to peace with B.A. Baracus and see him as a protector and warrior - not just a violent man. It screwy and not as simplistic as it's shown, but it is an A-Team movie after all. To me, it's enough that Rampage's acting carries it for me and that it ties with the series. I can see him going from this point to what he will become. I can see the man staring at his reflection being to work with troubled youths when they end up in the LA Underground.
And as those two are finding their calling in life, the others are melting impossible Kevlar (no really, Kevlar is a weave. It doesn't melt. Or if it does, it's not Kevlar when it's done.) I love these boys. Murdock goes to make sure Face isn't wallowing in his emo and Hannibal offers the same services to B.A.
Lost and found an turned around
By the fire in your eyes
You know why I'm not upset that Hannibal and Murdock don't have moments of self doubt/discovery? Because - they're both fucking crazy!
Burn It To The Ground: Face's Plan; Pike's Monkeywrench; Hannibal's Awesome
That shit makes me bat shit crazy
We got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out
We're going out tonight
To kick out every light
Take anything we want
Drink everything in sight
We'll go until the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight
The sequence isn't as bouncy as the Greater Escape by Para Jumping Tank - but that's partly because there's a sense of desperation and that niggly doubt that Face is right and he's not Hannibal.
Shuffle Your Feet: Meet the New Lynch, Same as the Old Lynch
Time won't save our souls
And although it's bullshit, they know too much so they are left out to dry. The charges dropped - or even less officially - but they're arrested for escape.
One for the so named dreamers
Any hope for returning to their pre-Baghdad lives is truly dust now. Murdock is freaking out over being touched. (After all it's not any of the team.) But BA seems to be the only one truly upset. Hannibal has embraced the crazy. Face has been expecting the world to screw him over since birth. He now knows that nothing can take his family from him, so he's able to keep his cool here in ways he couldn't during the trial or on the missions.
One for the wicked man
Even though Lynch is wearing a smile, he's probably in the most danger.
One for the peaceful protests
Sosa and the B Team want to fight, but they've spent too long seeing the team failing. So Sosa's improvises.
That keeps the war in demand
And to top it all off, they've got a new Lynch. I do love that they are all named Lynch - but I really wish they had had a Decker show up. (Maybe in the sequel?)
Time won't save our souls
Time won't save my soul
I never thought I'd see it coming
I never thought I'd ever know
Nothing seems to take me over
Nothing seems to let me go
Who knows if I'll see you again
Sosa ends the movie on their side. A kiss before dying and now there's a whole world of possibilities open to them.
"I don't mean to steal your line, boss. But I love it when a plan comes together."
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Credits
These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team.
HI JOHN ASHLEY! (True story - in the theater I squeaked out "OMG! It's the real narrator!" and the guy in front of me turned around to fist bump and geek out with me.)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Like I said - they end up as characters where I can see them becoming like the series. They will try to be mercenaries. They are just really bad at being petty, greedy bastards. They'll end up closer to crusaders. Don Quixote, armed to the teeth, with lethal training and no romantic delusions.
Times four.
Yeah, I still crush on this universe - so hard.
Life Less Ordinary: Face and Sosa
I Disappear: Face; General
Do you bury me when I'm gone?
Do you teach me while I'm here?
Just as soon as I belong, then it's time I disappear
Before the Movie:
I crushed on the A-Team in 6th grade. Like WOAH. One of the first memories I have of RL and Fandom colliding is my gifted class trying to explain the LOVE that is Howlin' Mad Murdoch to our teacher. And all of us in tears trying to get out: Trash-BAGS! I want some TRASH-BAGS! Gimme trashbags! and then flying over the prison wall in lawn chairs elevated by trashbags filled with hair dryers.
No. It did NOT make sense. That's the whole point (to me) of the show. The A-Team isn't a "crack commando unit" - it's a crack!commando!unit! Simultaneously the best of the military and the underdog and the outlaw and the gunslinger - the show was made of pure fun. And although I would pick Face if you put a gun to my head, Hannibal was a close, close second. (This was before I understood the distinction between canon vs rp fandoms. Today I'd probably pick Geoge Peppard then Face followed by Hannibal and Dirk Benedict.)
Next: I apparently have an unpopular fandom opinion. IMO The only difference between Hannibal and Murdock is that Murdock was actually diagnosed as crazy. Murdock started out that way. Hannibal goes insane when the Army turns against him. You've read my journal. You know how I feel about Tricksters. You know how I love that the Mad Hatter isn't so much mad as going mad. *sigh* Oh, Hannibal.
But seriously - I'm surprised the fandom I've found doesn't talk about the insanity. The focus is on the strategist. Sometimes they equate "the Jazz" to adrenaline junkie. But it's not that. Face is the adrenaline junkie - why buy something when you can con it for free? Hannibal is stone cold crazy.
Murdock builds blimps out of lawn chairs, trash bags and hair dryers. Hannibal gets in and rides them. And he does it while giggling and telling Murdock how much he loves it.
That's more than adrenaline junkie. The Jazz is when Hannibal has gone dancing with Chaos again. It's some demented determination to make lemonade out of Murphy's Law.
Next: When I first heard about the movie:
I was concerned they would try to make it SRZ BZNS. Then I heard they signed Liam Nesson as Hannibal and I was torn. Because I knew without a doubt that he would be a kick ass Hannibal but it's not the same. I don't buy him as gleefully dressing up as Mr Chin or deciding to be a gay hairdresser to get hairdryers and chairs for Murdock to fly them over the wall with.
Then I heard Bradley Cooper as Face - this was right after I saw the Hangover. Oh yes, please.
Then I saw the trailer. Hannibal hears that Murdoch tried to jump start a car with a defibrillator and says "My kind of guy." BA goes sliding down a building while whistling the theme and THEY JUMP A TANK. "There is no Plan B." Au contraire - there are ENTIRE EPISODES of nothing BUT Plan Bs. Amy Allen once said it best: Hannibal's plans never work right. They just work.
I was so there the opening weekend. So. There.
Next: I consider the movie something of a prequel. Obviously the timeline is broken, but to me the show characterizations are where these characters will end up. I don't care they aren't the same now as long as the possibility exists for them to get there.
This movie did that for me just like Spider-man and X-men did.
The A-Team's Meta-Mix
Shoot To Thrill: Race to Save Face
Right off the bat, this movie lets you know what it is. It's 2 hours of popcorn munching.
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills
Which just about sums up any given episode. We start mid-mission. It's already gone wrong. The boys are split up and Hannibal has to save Face. I actually wasn't sure if this was Hannibal as the gun seemed a little risky. But then the bad guy says "Next time, plan ahead." And you just know.
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
Yeah
Hannibal might be working on the fly - but Hannibal's "on the fly" would probably make Machiavelli golf clap.
When Hannibal comes out of the shadows and lights the cigar, my mom claims I made a happy noise and began munching popcorn. That probably tells you all you need to know about my reaction to the movie, but it won't stop me from stealing an hour of your life anyway.
Face's has not only gotten separated from his colonel, he's gotten caught screwing the target's wife. That's my slut puppy. *pets* Actually that's Hannibal's slut puppy, and he'd like him back, please. But essentially, it's the Face I know. He's impulsive, which he'll never lose, but he's also pushing against Hannibal. If the backstory is the same (and I see no reason it wouldn't be), it makes sense to me that Face's abandonment issues are making him not completely trust Hannibal. He joined the military rather than become a grifter for a sense of family but it wouldn't be easy.
BA: I'm like evil, I get under your skin
Just like a bomb that's ready to blow
'Cause I'm illegal, I got everything
That all you women might need to know
Oh Boscoe. Thank you for being Boscoe and not Mr T! PITY and FOOL Tats! Shout outs without irony or parody - just love and your own BAMF self.
I really liked the backstory here. BA was obviously part of a gang prior to the Rangers. Which means he tried previously to escape the violence in his life. He found peace in the Rangers and then had it taken from him. He fell back in with the old gang. But the old gang didn't have a hold on his soul. He's paid whatever debt was owed and he won't allow them to detain him a moment longer.
Hannibal Meets Boscoe Baracus. "You jacking me? What is it, opposite day?"
Matching tats. Why wasn't this canon in the series?
Hannibal flat out states he has faith in plans and the basic order of the universe. This was always hinted at and I'm very glad it's in the movie. At this point, he's never had reason to question that faith.
So of course they go save Face. Who bitches nonstop until Hannibal finally gives up arguing and points out the BA could have been killed. It makes Face drop the bravado instantly. Face does not think things through. The series seemed to imply Hannibal saved him from jail, but here he seems to have made it to the Rangers without him. The instant-brotherhood awarded another Ranger would have a big appeal to Face as an orphan.
I've read a couple of reviews that found the "brotherhood" and instant acceptance a little bit corny. I don't. It's sincere and not ironic or cynical, so it can come across as corny, but the unquestioning loyalty to each other is literally a matter of life or death. And although flaming tires, barrel rolling helicopters and border runs to California probably aren't normal - I'm pretty sure that enough Rangers have been saved merely for being Rangers that it's a true reflection of the sentiment.
Check My Brain: Meeting Murdock, Escaping Mexico, Killing Tuco
California, I'm fine - Somebody check my brain
California's all right - Somebody check my brain
Check my brain
Murdock. Oh Murdock. I just love that he's what bonds Face and BA. "You smell like gas... It is you! You're dangerous! I like you!"
And of course Hannibal loves him. Hannibal's faith in plans includes an almost holy love for Tricksters. Hannibal doesn't want Murdock to be a pilot - he wants him to be Pan. Hannibal even expressly says that Murdock's his kind of guy (for jump starting a truck with a defibrillator). And then disregards the others to get into a starting contest with the crazy man. Face seems to instantly realize just how bad an idea this is - to give the Man With A Plan an Irresistible Object. BA just knows that he's got a lightning bolt scar now and "something ain't right with (Murdock)".
They don't explain Murdock's psychosis at all. (In the cut scenes, he's apparently a mutant.) But part of it is he has no identity except Pilot and Ranger. When not called on to be either, he flips through various characters like someone channel surfing. And yet somehow, the crazy in Hannibal's eyes? It pulls Murdock back to - well, not back to Earth, but into a lower orbit than he had been anyway. SNERK.
They take off in the helicopter and I notice that although Hannibal never looks comfortable, he's never as appalled as anyone else encountering Murdock's flying ever is. He's pretty much "yeah, yeah, barrel roll. Where's that border?"
Face and BA try to be bad ass Rangers. "Hot Chopper on our six."
But then the VAN DIES (I literally gasped) and then Murdock loop de loops a helicopter. (GOODIE! They kept A-Team Physics. Logic is replaced with popcorn!) Face and BA bond even more over being the only sane men left in the world (lol). I didn't realize until the blu ray - but BA actually had lost hold of the strap thing and was falling at the same speed as the helicopter. He was dead for a split second and then Face gets him and straps him in and tells him he's going to be alright. I never shipped BA/Face in original series but I can see it here. Man can I ever.
Hannibal's plan - use Face's screw up and the fact that Tuco is now incensed beyond reason and lure him over US Soil to kill him. One step ahead is not a plan. Tensteps. Now that's a plan.
Hannibal uses Face's defiant Adios Mother Fucker - because that's his slut puppy and no one gets to try and kill him. Face's face lights up when he sees the fighter coming at them and realizes what Hannibal's done. Like it's all just a gift for him from Dad. All the fighting is forgotten as they laugh together. *flappy hands* So much love.
"There's a plan in everything. And I love it when a plan comes together."
I Like It Like That: Afghanistan Base
Come on (Come on, let me show you where it's at)
Come on (Come on, let me show you where it's at)
I wanna show you (Come on, let me show you where it's at)
The name of the place is (I like it like that)
It's not said what happened to the other team. If Hannibal's a Colonel and Face is a Lt. There should have been others in Mexico with them. Or Hannibal has recently become Colonel and he picked Face for a recon into Mexico with the understanding that he'll get his own team. Instead he finds one. This would appeal to Hannibal's sense that everything happens for a reason.
So it's not surprising that we find they've been together for 8 years and 80 missions. They don't have any missions listed as failures. Hannibal's had 8 years to get used to the idea that he's right all the time.
Oh dear.
Murdock's cooking! Face and BA still think Murdock is batshit but they've come to peace with it. I also note that no one surrounding them is alarmed in the least by the mini explosions coming from the grill. HEE.
Murdock's finally accepted for the naturally insane creature he is. This resonates from the series. Even more than Face, this team is truly the only family and home Murdock seems to have ever found. Even though he's got the relatively easy out - and he's obviously comfortable in a clinical setting - he will continually return to the Team.
I was disappointed the commentary gave no additional backstory to Face's dehydrated state. But I suppose that's what we have fanfic for.
Sosa. I'm so torn - I can't put her with Lynch and Pike. Also? Jessica Biel is emoting. It confuses me that I can connect with her on an emotional level and that she is connecting on an emotional level with the actor across from her. It's a little scary. Just sayin'. But several things make me kinda love Sosa and "the B Team".
She drinks their beer while telling them not to go after the plates. I am fairly certain that's a shooting offense in most southern states. She immediately hurts Face before he can hurt her and it works. The comment about leaving is a direct hit that Face has no response for and it speaks volumes. This is the slut puppy Face that I know. He was never opposed to a long term relationship - he simply had no means to nurture one. He let Sosa in and got burned and he's not sure what to do about it.
She's the ex that you want to hate but can't quite stop liking them. I should hate her but I can't. Guys, I like a Jessica Biel character. Do you see what this movie did to me?
Even Murdock knows to give them space. Which he, of course, does by bugging BA. "If I broke every bone in your hand, could you still do that?"
Cult of Personality: Lynch and Pike
"He's wearing armor in HQ. And that should tell you all you need to know about the CIA."
"You're assassins in polo shirts."
When a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
The reflection of the Ranger Brotherhood and military honor system. A Ranger defines the team, Lynch is only defined by a false name. LYNCH! I love the shout-out and the fact that Lynch is just a codename. Like Kosh. We are all Kosh. But his smartest/dumbest/brilliant move is the sense that Pike is out for a double cross. By telling Hannibal about the mission, he puts something into play that Morrison and Pike will never be able to out plan/maneuver.
Pike confuses amorality with superiority. Instead of unquestioning brotherhood, they are cannot even trust the people they are committing treason with. And that should tell you all you need to know about the villains in this movie.
Running Up That Hill: Hannibal and Morrison
"Right now, I'm begging you. Hannibal please let this go."
It's the only thing Hannibal never does. Why should he? Everything has a plan.
It doesn't hurt me.
You wanna feel how it feels?
You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me?
You wanna hear about the deal I'm making?
This song is more a theme throughout the film but it begins here. Morrison seems to truly regret what he's going to do. I think he is genuinely upset and trying to talk Hannibal out of it. But Hannibal won't let it go and rather than take the chance that Hannibal will blow the whistle - Morrison betrays him by pretending to be persuaded.
The implied history makes me wonder if Hannibal was once Morrision's LT. Just from the way he teases Hannibal and the way Face asks later if Hannibal could ever do that to him. Hannibal's reactions are much the same as he has for other Rangers and later - as the Hummer burns, the team yells for the general. Hannibal will yell for his friend. "Russ!"
Under dishonorable discharge, he's not a part of the funeral proceedings, but he goes regardless.
And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building.
If I only could, oh...
The order of Hannibal's universe has been hit and instead of rebuilding, chaos seems to be winning. And worse, he can't protect his team from it. And just as he pieces it together, he will find out about Morrison's betrayal. Morrison seems truly angry about it. At himself for being forced to see just how rotted he'd become. At Hannibal for forcing the issue. Hannibal just talks in circles, trying to see the plan. Because it surely cannot just be petty greed. Everything he's lost should mean more than money.
You don't wanna hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder.
There's a thunder in our hearts, baby.
So much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?
Hannibal's been crazy all along, angry, revenge driven. Even grieving for the friend he thought died. But the boathouse is the only time he's truly at a loss.
And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems
But I've gotten ahead of myself. First he has to be his awesome GQMF.
I Don't Wanna Stop: Baghdad
All my life I've been over the top
I don't know what I'm doing all I know is I don't wanna stop
All fired up, I'm gonna go 'til I drop
You're either in or in the way, don't make me I don't wanna stop
Family Dinner! Time to gather love ones around the table!
BA and Murdock spar over the plan - I was an airbourne ranger till I met you. 263 jumps. - explaining the core paradox of Ba's fear of flying. But there's love under it. For all the violence, Boscoe is actually the least angry of the team. He's figured out that Murdock isn't purposefully trying to kill him and as long as they aren't in the air, Boscoe seems genuinely fond and amused by him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Face is obsessing over Charissa and Hannibal seems to genuinely feel for him. It makes me happy. Hannibal doesn't question that Face falls in love that often anymore. He doesn't understand it, but he's accepted it. *pets the slut puppy*
Then they all read the plan and Hannibal gets a eat shitting grin.
I don't know what they're talking about
I'm making my own decisions
This thing that I found ain't gonna bring me down
I'm like a junkie without an addiction
Old school A-Team DIY montage!! Supply requisitions are for amateurs! The real pros don't need black ops dollars. I think it's a point of pride to Hannibal and it will become a saving grace when they are on the run. In the end, they will be able to survive and thrive in the underground because they already are now. The difference is just semantics.
The montage and heist also shows the guys in their traditional show roles - BA is the builder, Murdock is the distraction and Face is the infiltrator. In the heist, Face is the marksman, BA is the infantryman - Hannibal seems to be as well - and Murdock is the reserve and calvary.
If I'm right and Hannibal was more infantry when he was lower ranked, it explains more with his relationship with Face. He would admire Face's talent as a marksman/infiltrator and would allow him to see past the bluster that (in show canon) had gotten Face in trouble with other commanders.
The plan goes off without a hitch. The speed of the Baghdad heist gets to me. They are at their prime and are an unstoppable force. Hannibal was right. In a movie about Pike's squad, that's a 20 minute gun battle. With Hannibal, it's over in minutes and the only fatalities are the hostiles. (At least I don't think there were friendly deaths.)
Why don't they ever listen to me
It's just a one way conversation
Nothing they say is gonna set me free
Don't need no mental masturbation
Murdock's flying is actually normal here. Insanely complicated and physics defying as always, but other that
You know I'm one of a kind
Ain't gonna change my bad behaviour
They get to base and HEE - they are all afraid to open the container. They are all so happy - until Hannibal says his line.
New Divide (A Cappella): Pike blows the container. The Team is arrested. But not for long.
Hannibal's expression made this go through my head:
I remembered black skies; The lightning all around me
I remembered each flash; As time began to blur
Like a startling sign; That fate had finally found me
All the times he beat the odds - it's time to pay the piper.
There was nowhere to hide
The ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
Between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
Hannibal the Mastermind is caught flat footed and he cannot see the plan in anything that's happening. Without being able to confront Black Forrest or Pike, he's lost. He can't even attend Morrison's funeral as he should. The arrest, funeral and trial are all from his point of view. And the view is one of choas. The Man with a Plan in a world with no order.
So give me reason to fill this hole
Connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
Lynch shows up after 6 months. And Hannibal has begun to recover - but he's not up to speed yet and still making deals and taking orders from unreliable sources.
"So Satan walks into this bar - " = "So this guy, Lynch, walks into a prison -"
Lightning Crashes: Hannibal breaks Face and BA out of prison. Sosa begins investigating.
Face has done what he always done. Twist any situation to his needs. He can't leave the prison, so he must change it.
The angel opens her eyes
The confusion sets in
He's angry when Hannibal first lets him out in the extended version. Hannibal was the closest thing he had to a father and it's hard to find out your parents are only mortal after all. He seems to think that Hannibal only broke him out because he needs him - not because he wanted to. And I don't think that's true. If there were no hope of clearing their names, I still think Hannibal would feel life on the run better than life apart in prison. I don't even mean that in the slashy way. (No matter how hard Hannibal checks out Face's abs and ass.)
I can feel it, comin' back again,
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind.
"I take it you didn't get religion."
"No. I got revenge."
"Good."
They go to get BA.
Forces pullin' from the center of the Earth again.
I can feel it.
Oh I can feel it coming back again
BA hasn't found revenge. Like I noted, he was never that angry to begin with. Having had the military betray him twice now (remember, he had be dishonorably discharged prior to meeting Hannibal), Boscoe has found religion. But he still feels the bond with the others.
The movie tries to address the violence here - but it is an A-Team movie, the violence is always going to be the right answer. They do make the attempt though - the violence for BA is always about protecting people. It doesn't come from anger - which was as much as I could ask from the movie in this day and age.
Sosa proves her worth. She knows what's happening but is helpless to prevent it. Left in reaction mode, she can only chase after Hannibal. She never has enough information to get in front of him. Still, she manages to catch up in Germany - something no one else - including Black Forrest - is able to do. I like her... or at least respect her.
"Remember the gag we pulled in Venezuela? With the midget.
"Yeah, I know-
- but that was a midget."
HEE. Hannibal is JUST as crazy as Murdock. And he's getting close to being as desperate.
BA becoming a pacifist also plays to what he becomes in the tv series. Of them all, he was the one who wanted to reach out to troubled teens and steer them away from violence. He'll never escape it himself, but he does find his own path to peace.
Bad Medicine: Murdock's Escape
Your love is like bad medicine ... There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease.
Murdock, meanwhile, has gone home. In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. In an asylum of men driven mad, the naturally insane man is clear-headed and at peace. He's retained the coherence we saw in Baghdad. In the extended version, he's begun to fray - but mostly in defiance than actual psychotic break. He's in the "crazy as a fox" mode.
That's what you get for falling in love, you get a little and it's never enough
Sosa shows up and I'm not entirely sure the electro shock was completely without side effects.
Fandom Question 1) Do you think the electroshock has had some effect and Murdock genuinely can't remember Sosa's name - he never uses it. Is it possible he only remembers she's "El Diablo" and Face's girlfriend? HEE.
Sosa doesn't completely buy the crazy act. Atta, girl! But she's still just playing catch up and Hannibal is still 10 moves ahead.
THE GREATER ESCAPE. THE TV THEME SONG IN FULL 80s GLORY! *FLAILS*
Bad, Bad Medicine is what I want
It's obvious and over-the-top but after all - "Overkill is underrated."
'cause if there's something better, baby, well they haven't found it yet.
The bit as they get to the plane is one of my favorite moments - starting to my favorite scene. Hannibal calmly letting the crew figure out they should leave, completely ignoring the insanity behind. Face in the background forcing BA to "man up and finish the escape!" Murdock asking for the keys. For all the bluster, I notice that BA takes the medication from Murdock without any hesitation. The trust is implicit. (OK, I might mean this one in the slashy way.)
"Don't worry. Turbulence has never brought down a plane." But the UAVS behind them? "They bring down planes all the time."
Sosa's B Team: "If we can't call off those drones, I'm going to be on bitch duty."
Seriously. It's crack!movie at it's finest!
Let Me Hear You Scream: Flying Tanks!
OMG HOW MUCH LOVE. If you are going to make a popcorn movie - if you are going to jump a tank - why not FLY THE FUCKER WHILE YOUR AT IT? THE FLYING TANK. THERE IS NOTHING I DO NOT LOVE ABOUT THE FLYING TANK.
The Doppler effect of the screams. Everything that comes out of BA and everything directed to him. Face's exuberant: What you got, bitches? What you got!
Are you ready for the last fight!
Get ready with the war cry!
Let me hear you scream like you want it
Let me hear you yell like you mean it
If you're gonna go down:
Go loud!
Go strong!
Go proud!
Go on, go hard or go home!
What you got, bitches? Even Hannibal can't quite keep from laughing at the madness. "Technically - we're NOT flying!"
Then they DO start flying - the tank. Hannibal yells "Trust me." And they do. There's the sense that live or die, they wouldn't change a second of the ride. The sense of love/trust/family is just contagious. The entire theater was cheering at this point.
*rewinds*
Fandom Question 2) When Face yells that he's aiming at nothing, does he realize that's a good thing? Or is he laughing in pure adrenaline/defiance of death?
Fandom Question 3) I think Hannibal decides on the tank the moment the wing catches fire. How about you?
NORAD's official position is that it's an X-Out. Meaning they have written off the tank and want desperately NOT to know. Don't ask; don't tell worked so well for so many things.
I'll watch you break,
Your mine to take,
Don't blink; you just might miss it!
It's all or nothing,
Nowhere left to run!
Hannibal with nothing left to lose is a very frightening sight - but hot damn, is it a fun ride!
Highwayman: Stealing the Plates Back
Still high off the escape, everyone knows they're coming and no one can stop them.
Face sent to tee up Sosa. The rogue who can't resist being the white knight:
I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
But I am still alive.
Sosa finally sees the bigger picture - but because she's assuming the team's guilt, she's getting it wrong. "I think we should assume they have more information than us at all times." It's not only proof that she's smart - it's why she listens when Face makes contact.
Again - I believe that Face fell in love. When they hooked up, he had no reason/no easy way to lie. And he always lets himself fall in love, and with her, he could stay in love.
I can also see where that sudden focus could freak you out if you weren't expecting it. She wouldn't be able to trust it, given his history, and a preemptive hurt-before-they-hurt-you. Yeah - I buy this relationship.
Hannibal dropping into the room like the wrath of God and getting the plates and "the Arab". He thinks he's found his footing again:
I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide.
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still.
This is before he knows who the Arab is - Hannibal picks the shock and awe tactic to get the plates. It's not as effective on a sophisticated force, but Hannibal is pressed for time and he is also PISSED. He wants to HURT the men who killed his friend and turned his world upside down. It almost doesn't work -
Fandom Question 4) Do you think Hannibal would have dropped the case (shot or not) if he hadn't been slightly off at recognizing Morrison?
BA, the one closest to peace, is the strength. The lookout and the muscle. He ends up confronted with the reality of his life. He doesn't want to kill but the only other option is to kill Pike. He's pulled to safety by Hannibal, but he knows it's avoidance not resolution.
I was a dam builder. Across the river deep and wide.
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around..I'll always be around..and around and around and
around and around
Murdock, once again flying missions with his team. It's quite likely to me that of the four, Murdock is the one who's "back" to where they were the night before they left to Baghdad. Ready to be the Highwayman again.
I fly a starship across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again..
The movie consistently shows the team is unbeatable together. ♥ ♥ ♥
The God That Failed: Revelation of Morrison's Treason
I see faith in your eyes - never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise
Betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the God that Failed
Morrison's reveal: Hannibal realizes he's snapping at Face when the person he's really disappointed in is under the hood.
I love the little moment where Murdock is obviously questioning his own sanity. He has such a fragile hold on it at any given moment. A fake death - a deliberate lying about reality - it's almost too much. BA just looks like he knew the powers that be would eventually find a way to screw him again. Murdock goes to help BA limp out - but he's leaning on him as much as BA is leaning on him. Murdock turns to the one who has the strongest hold on reality. This one? I've always shipped.
Face is floored. Again calling back to the backstory from the tv series. Face idolized his commanders. The Rangers are the only blood he has.
Hannibal wants answers but can't accept the ones he's given. There's no beauty or order in it. Petty greed is ugly and simplistic.
In that respect, Lynch out thinks Hannibal because he understands petty emotions better. He's tracking the phone or Morrison. Meanwhile, Hannibal is trying to find another plan. Plates, no plates, you are federal fugitives. And when they're done with you, Hannibal, they're just going to burn you.
Prophetic last words, Morrison.
Face has nothing left to believe in and has even begun questioning Hannibal. That scares Hannibal. The rest of the team feel they have nothing left to lose, but Hannibal knows he could still lose them. And that fear - and the realization that he no longer sees the plan in it all gives him just enough warning to run. Even two steps behind, Hannibal can save their lives.
Follow the god that failed
All Along The Watchtower: Aftermath of Morrison's Second Death
There must be some kinda way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief
Lynch has confused having information and clearance for intelligence and bravery. He's wrong. Pike has mistaken amorality for leverage. He's wrong too.
But you and I we've been through that
And this is not all fate
And in the middle of the chaos. Face rediscovers his faith. Hannibal doesn't know what to do. Face does. He picked military right/wrong over the grifter's life - but he can still spot a grifter when he sees one.
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Sosa's encountered Pike. She knows now that the team isn't working with him and knowing that, when she looks at it all, she has doubts. Enough of them to listen to Face when he calls the burn phone.
Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
In the meantime, Pike finally earns his keep (and my interest) by being hilarious in the face of death by geekboy. HEE.
Two riders were approaching
And the wind begin to howl
First Hannibal and Face reverse roles. Then Lynch and Pike do. They line up on yet another collision course but somehow you know that this time it's the final one.
Mama I'm Coming Home: The Freighter Ride and Face's Plan
Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come but I ain't the same
Mama, I'm coming home
The airport! Hannibal's alias is Liam Neeson! I wonder who Face went through customs as. And again - they get to show that just because Hannibal or Face have the plan, Murdock and BA aren't stupid or without their own resources. YAY TEAM!
I just realized that just like Leverage has Team Awesome and the Con Con. This fandom has Team Team. HEE.
They return home to the States and Face lays out a plan.
You made me cry, you told me lies
But I can't stand to say goodbye
Mama, I'm comin home
I could be right, I could be wrong
Face is interesting to me here. He hasn't taken Hannibal's place; he's just come into his own. He's obviously aware and frightened by the idea of getting his team killed, but he's not blaming other people, complaining that Hannibal should be doing it, or attempting to wisecrack his way out of it. The world has always been insane to Face. And now that it's gone insane for his team, he's finally believing that they are a family and that they really will always be there for him. And really that's what he's been scared of - that he would one day manage to stop being useful to Hannibal and yet another father figure would leave him behind or try to use him.
Selfish love yeah we're both alone
The rise before the fall, yeah
But I'm gonna take this heart of stone
I just got to have it all
Boscoe has time to breathe and think. He won't be able to leave the violence without leaving his team. He'll end up fighting to take the violence from others. But for now it's enough that he's come to peace with B.A. Baracus and see him as a protector and warrior - not just a violent man. It screwy and not as simplistic as it's shown, but it is an A-Team movie after all. To me, it's enough that Rampage's acting carries it for me and that it ties with the series. I can see him going from this point to what he will become. I can see the man staring at his reflection being to work with troubled youths when they end up in the LA Underground.
And as those two are finding their calling in life, the others are melting impossible Kevlar (no really, Kevlar is a weave. It doesn't melt. Or if it does, it's not Kevlar when it's done.) I love these boys. Murdock goes to make sure Face isn't wallowing in his emo and Hannibal offers the same services to B.A.
Lost and found an turned around
By the fire in your eyes
You know why I'm not upset that Hannibal and Murdock don't have moments of self doubt/discovery? Because - they're both fucking crazy!
Burn It To The Ground: Face's Plan; Pike's Monkeywrench; Hannibal's Awesome
That shit makes me bat shit crazy
We got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out
We're going out tonight
To kick out every light
Take anything we want
Drink everything in sight
We'll go until the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight
The sequence isn't as bouncy as the Greater Escape by Para Jumping Tank - but that's partly because there's a sense of desperation and that niggly doubt that Face is right and he's not Hannibal.
Shuffle Your Feet: Meet the New Lynch, Same as the Old Lynch
Time won't save our souls
And although it's bullshit, they know too much so they are left out to dry. The charges dropped - or even less officially - but they're arrested for escape.
One for the so named dreamers
Any hope for returning to their pre-Baghdad lives is truly dust now. Murdock is freaking out over being touched. (After all it's not any of the team.) But BA seems to be the only one truly upset. Hannibal has embraced the crazy. Face has been expecting the world to screw him over since birth. He now knows that nothing can take his family from him, so he's able to keep his cool here in ways he couldn't during the trial or on the missions.
One for the wicked man
Even though Lynch is wearing a smile, he's probably in the most danger.
One for the peaceful protests
Sosa and the B Team want to fight, but they've spent too long seeing the team failing. So Sosa's improvises.
That keeps the war in demand
And to top it all off, they've got a new Lynch. I do love that they are all named Lynch - but I really wish they had had a Decker show up. (Maybe in the sequel?)
Time won't save our souls
Time won't save my soul
I never thought I'd see it coming
I never thought I'd ever know
Nothing seems to take me over
Nothing seems to let me go
Who knows if I'll see you again
Sosa ends the movie on their side. A kiss before dying and now there's a whole world of possibilities open to them.
"I don't mean to steal your line, boss. But I love it when a plan comes together."
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Credits
These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team.
HI JOHN ASHLEY! (True story - in the theater I squeaked out "OMG! It's the real narrator!" and the guy in front of me turned around to fist bump and geek out with me.)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Like I said - they end up as characters where I can see them becoming like the series. They will try to be mercenaries. They are just really bad at being petty, greedy bastards. They'll end up closer to crusaders. Don Quixote, armed to the teeth, with lethal training and no romantic delusions.
Times four.
Yeah, I still crush on this universe - so hard.
Life Less Ordinary: Face and Sosa
I Disappear: Face; General
Do you bury me when I'm gone?
Do you teach me while I'm here?
Just as soon as I belong, then it's time I disappear
