BOTTOM LINE: This film delivers some fun, adrenaline pumping performances and story, but it is let down by some poorly executed CGI action sequences and ill advised, fast-paced editing and narrative tone.

THE GOOD: You go in to a film like this expecting a lot of macho, adrenaline pumping action and story and in this respect, The A-Team does not disappoint, much like the original television series it is based on. Liam Nesson leads a solid cast as Captain John ‘Hannibal’ Smith, the leader of crack army unit comprised of wise-cracking ‘Face’ (Bradley Cooper), the tough BA Baracus (Quinton Jackson) and eccentric pilot Captain Murdock (Sharlto Copley). When the team are imprisoned for a crime they did not commit, they are drawn in to a wider conspiracy with the CIA, which eventually leads them to break out and deliver payback against those who framed them. The strength of this film lies in its casting. Liam Neeson always delivers a strong presence on screen, and he lends a raft of experience and machoism to the role of Hannibal. Bradley Cooper is a lot of fun as the wise-cracking playboy Face, who eventually steps up to the plate to devise a cunning plan in the climax to save the day. Quinton Jackson is tough as BA Baracus, while Sharlto Copley adds the right level of craziness as Murdock. The A-Team, with its use of the musical signature theme from the television series, delivers a certain amount of fun and character that make it worth watching at least once.

THE BAD: The film unfortunately relies extensively on computer generated images to create its extensive action sequences. As a result, this otherwise potentially good action film looks like a ridiculous cartoon. A sequence where the team are in a tank while trying to make it fly after the plane it was carrying explodes is downright stupid. You do not necessarily look for realism in a film like this, but you do have to believe in what you are watching. The use of digital body doubles is a little too obvious for comfort with a number of sequences showing death-defying stunts that have no chance of looking real. Ultimately, the film falls down quite badly because of this. CGI is not used to augment stunts but to actually create them, and this film is an object example of how poor this can look when attempted.