The big-screen remake of the much-loved 1980s TV series frequently doffs its cap to the original, but is too brash and loud to retain any of its charm. Col "Hannibal" Smith (Liam Neeson) and his crack squad of covert operatives are wrongfully jailed after an army general is murdered in Iraq during a mission to steal back printing plates capable of flooding the world with millions of counterfeit US dollars. Cue an increasingly outlandish series of stunts, as the team break out of their respective prisons and set out on the trail of those responsible for the frame-up. Director Joe Carnahan piles on the explosions and gunfights with a heavy hand and at the expense of any characterisation, with a hammy Neeson chomping the scenery almost as much as his ever-present cigar. District 9 star Sharlto Copley is a likeable presence as "Howlin' Mad" Murdock, but Jessica Biel's role as a high-flying military policewoman feels awkwardly tacked-on to provide an unnecessary romantic subplot.

A man who loves when a plan comes together, Col. Hannibal Smith leads a close-knit team of elite operatives and Iraq War veterans. Framed for a crime they didn't commit, Smith and his men, Capt. H.M. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock , Sgt. Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus, and Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck, break out and go rogue, using their special talents to clear their names and find the perpetrator. Hot on their trail is Capt. Charissa Sosa, who was once involved with a member of Smith's team and has sworn to capture them, no matter what it takes.