In 2010 a highly trained group of action figures are on the run for a crime they didn’t commit. If you’re near a local Target store, and you can find them, maybe you can purchase THE A-TEAM!
Yes the theme song is going through my mind as well. I am not too geared up for the movie but when the action figures were announced I kind of got excited. The original attempt at the A-Team was less than stellar with rather small figures (which is bad for BA IMO) that appeared to wear lipstick. The lipstick aspect kept me away from the original figures but I have always wanted an A-Team in my webcomic. So how do these stack up in that regard? Let’s find out.
First off I almost appears that these are Target exclusives. Like Prince of Persia line the A-Team has only been found there (Although some have said POP is at TRU, but I have yet to see it). Anyway that is where I got mine, but I have yet to find the signature van, but now on to the figures. Jazzwares has given us an interesting set of figures here. They all come with the same pistol and rifle combo (With the exception of Hannibal who has a different rifle). It works ok, after all even in the original show the team used the same guns over and over. My one problem is the guns are flimsy (and that shows in some of the pictures here) but if I ever get upset about it I have tons of other options in the extras box.
The figures also have ball joint hips, which is odd. They do not allow a full on side kick for instance but then again look at who we are talking about. I can’t imagine anyone on the A-Team doing ninja moves any time soon. Still it allows enough range that they can get into some good poses. The joints seem sturdy as well but I haven’t tried to push them either.
Like most kids in the 80’s I watched the A-Team religiously. It was a cool show at the time, funny, campy but also very cool. I never realized how kid oriented it was until I was older (Just like the old GI Joe Cartoon, no one ever died). Trucks would turn over and people would crawl out unharmed and no one ever got shot. I suppose an argument could be made that given the A-Team premise death every which way would attract a lot of attention (The last thing the A-Team wanted), but still the series defiantly made itself kid friendly at a time it really didn’t have to. Either way it made Tuesdays a much see night (pardon the pun) and gave us tons of memories. I am not sure the movie will be able to do the same, but right now I don’t care either.
BA is the winner of this set by a long shot. No he doesn’t look like Mr. T, but there is no denying who this figure is despite that fact. He is a dead ringer for Rampage (Who plays BA in the movie) and that works. I actually like his look in the film and it translates well here. I admit I would love to see a Mr. T BA, but this is a good substitute for the moment. I doubt Mr. T will ever be done.
Next up is Hannibal, which is a good likeness for Liam Neeson. I was kind of surprised when I learned Liam was doing the part of Hannibal for the A-Team, just doesn’t seem a role he would be in. Still I think he will do it justice in the end. The figure is a pretty good likeness of Neeson. Which is a very cool thing to me, I actually met Liam Neson several years ago.
For those who don’t know the Patrick Swayze movie Next of Kin was shot a few miles from my home. In fact I knew a few of the actors (if you ever see the film, the guy with the dogs is a guy I used to work with at a radio station). Anyway Liam was one of the actors I met on that set (he played Swayze’s brother in the film). Anyway between this and the past versions of Qui-Gon Jinn it feels funny to see an action figure of a person I have seen in real life.
With Hannibal, Liam hits the rank of 2 character likenesses in 1:18th scale. This is a pretty exclusive club (Sam Worthington hit it last year with Avatar and Terminator Salvation and of course there is the most famous 2 character hit of Harrison Ford with Indiana Jones and Han Solo). Still he has yet to hit the record 3 set by Christopher Lloyd (See the 3 & ¾ inch archives for more on this).
Hannibal is good though, I like him a lot. He is of course from the new movie but it’s so obvious who it is that it works on a great many levels. While simple there is no mistake of who the character is meant to be, which is the hallmark of a great figure IMO.
The next up is Murdock, who looks oddly like Owen Wilson to me. Owen isn’t in the role of Murdock which makes the look of the figures face odd. Unlike Hannibal though, it’s not overtly apparent that this is the character he is meant to be, sure with the others it becomes obvious but without them he doesn’t scream “Murdock.” That isn’t to say he is bad, just not distinct. He is a solid figure and his body is blank enough that customizers could have a blast with making up new figures.
Speaking of blanks, Face is up next. Not sure why but with this figure I get a James Bond vibe. It could be just the suit but really I think he looks a great deal like the current Bond. Of course I think customizers will use this for a base of a great many things.
FThe verdict, good custom fodder for sure but also useable as themselves. BA is the definitive winner but if you buy one you have to buy all four otherwise it’s unnatural. Still at the $5.99 price it’s not a hard plunge to take. I say grab them, they are cheap but not cheaply done and I would bet money the A-Team won’t be around in this scale in any form for a long time if ever again.