These collected reviews are from readers of this site and various other websites.
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59- Review from JoBlow.com
This movie's got a truckload of style, a bunch of funky fashions and mod retro-fun, a decent amount of action, but less than I would have expected, some cool special effects and slick gadgeteries, a quick runtime, but a hole-filled plot line that's just too complex for its own good. There are many things that just didn't work in this movie's narrative, but on the whole, the film was fun for me because it offered just enough style, action and humour, to allow myself to dismiss the entanglement of its plot. The film was also very tongue-and-cheekish from the get-go, and laughed at its absurdity as much as we were supposed to. Sure it had a lame bad guy in Sean Connery. Sure the preposterous idea of one man controlling the world's weather is ridiculous beyond mere words. But seeing that 90% of all action movies that hit our movie screens nowadays have the suspension of disbelief factor grilled up to the highest fantastical levels anyway, I didn't feel like this movie asked for much more than just that.
This movie is bubble-gum for the style lovers, and a spit wad for those not. It had a pretty cool spy-laced score, a bevy of wonderful set designs, and many other original ditties to occupy my mind as it floated through this 90-minute festival of cotton candy. And if you really think that the plot is overly complicated, just look at it this way: Peel and Emma= the good guys, Mr. August de Wynter= the bad guy. Everything else is just pudding after that. Now you may all think that I am reviewing this film positively because I'm high on pot or something, or that my ground-level low expectations elevated this sub-mediocre discovery to decent time. Well...maybe. The truth is that I'm not high, but I certainly did go into this picture with the lowest of expectations. But despite all that, I came out with a smile on my face, and a pretty sweet flick in my noggin. Ocular junk food for your eyes, cloudy fodder for your mind.
58- Review from rec.arts.movies.reviews by Mark R. Leeper
Starting in January 1961, the British were treated to a sort of tongue-in-cheek crime and spy series on television. THE AVENGERS was about secret agent John Steed and his various partners who changed over the years. The original concept for Steed was to have the personality of a George Sanders--sort of worldly and a little sarcastic. I cannot help believing part of the inspiration was also Ralph Richardson's brawley-toting and bowler-hatted secret agent Major Charles Hammond from the 1939 film Q PLANES (retitled in the U.S. CLOUDS OVER EUROPE). Initially the partner was Dr. David Keel (played by Ian Hendry). Later for four years it was Catherine Gale (Honor Blackman). When she left the producers looked for a replacement that would have the same "man- appeal" as Ms. Blackman did. "Man appeal" was abbreviated "M-appeal" and when actress Diana Rigg was hired "M-appeal" or rather Emma Peel became her character's name. She was not with the series even as long as Blackman but hers were the years that the series got its widest viewership. She is the best remembered of Steed's partners, though there were others before and after her.
The episodes of the Emma Peel years were noted for a sort of 60s mod surrealism that became the hallmark of the series. That was a trademark and so was making the characters veddy, veddy sophisticated and stylish. So when in the late 90s, the film industry is making a feature film based on the popular series, these are the years they choose to copy.
And remake the series they really did. The recent film MISSION IMPOSSIBLE took place in the same world as the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE TV series and had some of the same characters, but the writers clearly did not know or did not care what a MISSION IMPOSSIBLE story was all about. They told their own kind of story with characters from the series. THE AVENGERS on the other hand have authentically told an AVENGERS sort of story and they have told it in the style of THE AVENGERS. For the most part, the faults of the film are actually cases where the original formula did not age well. As Mike Myers shows us in AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY, much of the 60s mod style looks pretty silly today. The story of THE AVENGERS is trivial and comic-bookish, but that was the series. The 60s mod surrealism comes through loud and clear.
Suffice it to say that there are scenes in this film that are sufficiently visually weird and unexpected to bring a smile to any viewer's face. Toward the end of each episode there usually was a fight under outlandish circumstances and the circumstances in this film are about as outlandish as any. The only place where the formula was not quite followed was that in the series any romantic feelings between Steed and Peel were strictly between the lines of the script. There was a sexual tension, but the characters never acknowledged it. In this version is not much romance, but it is much more clearly spelled out for the viewer.
The Michael Kamen and Joel McNeely musical score I think should have made more use of the original music. The opening title music is something of a letdown only because I had hoped to hear a good version of the original theme. This is one aspect where MISSION IMPOSSIBLE was better. In fact, the music could have done a lot more to create the feel of the film. In the final analysis it does little to enhance the atmosphere. Even if it was not trying to re-create the 60s feel, it should have been able to add to the excitement better than it did. There is one minor plot variation on the canon I would like to add. In the film, Steed and Peel meet for the first time, yet the story also features Mother. In the series, the very last episode with Peel introduced Mother for the first time. And to the best of my knowledge the character of Father was invented for the film.
Bon vivant and crack secret agent John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) is called in after an attack on the British government's secret weather project Prospero. Oddly enough the attacker seems to be there very founder of the project, the beautiful and leggy scientist Dr. Emma Peel (Uma Thurman). In spite of actual film of Peel committing the crime, Peel claims to be innocent. Steed's suspicion falls on the aptly named August de Wynter (Sean Connery), a flamboyant Scotsman who is doing funny things to weather in a project that seems related to Peel's Prospero.
How are Fiennes and Thurman at re-creating the characters of John Steed and Emma Peel? Not too shabby. The real danger is that a well- cast Mrs. Peel will upstage the more quietly conservative John Steed. However Steed holds his own and never becomes second banana to Mrs. Peel. Both seem physically up to the challenges of the role. Both seem to ooze charm and class. Their interpretations are really fairly close to the originals. They have one minor change in style, they seem to smile a lot less and are more serious about their work. But they do seem to be the same people the originals played. And they are helped along by Don MacPherson's script, which has a very AVENGERS feel. I kept picturing Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg delivering the same lines and in almost the same way. Patrick Macnee does not appear in THE AVENGERS, by the way, while Diana Rigg is not in the film at all. Sean Connery is Sean Connery is Sean Connery.
A little fine-tuning could have made this a perfect 90s representation of the 60s TV series. That might not have raised the rating, but it would not have hurt either. I give this one a 6 on the 0 to 10 scale and a high +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
57- Review from therepublicannews.com by John R. McEwen
The latest new movie to have its roots in the small screen is Jeremiah S. Chechik's The Avengers , based on the 1960s British TV show. Though this film is basically just a variation on the James Bond theme, the inclusion of a two-person team, one man and one woman, succeeds far better in my opinion. Its two stars, Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman, rise to the occasion and create an amusingly proper version of the high-impact spy story, while generating just enough sexual tension to keep us interested. Also included are many dazzling special effects and lots of cool spy devices, emulating (or copying, depending upon your viewpoint) the Batman series. And, like Batman , it is clear this vehicle will bring us many sequels in the future.
John Steed (Fiennes) is a high-powered London secret agent, always prepared for action. This is proved by an opening sequence in which he walks down the street and everyone he encounters tries to kill him, including the old lady with the baby carriage. We soon learn that he is merely being tested, and he passes with flying colors. Armed only with his smart derby and his umbrella/sword, he seems ready for anything. Anything, that is, except Dr. Emma Peel.
Mrs. Peel (Thurman) is a knockout, of course. But she is also director of a major corporation, she is fantastically intelligent, and she can match Steed's fencing ability stroke for stroke, as he soon finds out. When the two meet, a sense of mutual distrust sparks their relationship. They are brought together to solve a crime involving Mrs. Peel's invention, a "weather shield" designed to protect the United Kingdom from natural disasters. It seems the shield, which had been operating flawlessly, has been sabotaged. But the puzzling thing is that according to the surveillance tapes, the saboteur appears to be none other than Mrs. Peel herself.
After a little investigation by Steed's superiors, code-named "Mother" (Jim Broadbent) and "Father" (Fiona Shaw), the suspicion arises that the one behind the destruction of the weather shield is diabolical madman Sir August de Wynter (Sean Connery). Steed and Peel are assigned to make a visit to his extensive property to ascertain more information. In so doing, they discover that Wynter has in his employ another Mrs. Peel (either a clone or a robot; we're not quite sure), and she's bad to the bone. Also they find that the madman has invented a machine with which he can control the weather, and intends to take over the world by doing so. Let's just say if his demands are not met, it's going to get rather chilly around here. So now our duo must stop Wynter (to coin a phrase), and Steed must differentiate between Mrs. Peel his partner and Mrs. Peel who's trying to kill him. And be finished in time for tea.
This film may be criticized for not living up to the TV series, but I have only the faintest memories of the show, so I must judge it simply on its own merits. And I have to say that its lead actors are the only element that makes it any different from any other action film. The terribly proper-ness of Steed and Peel are the central theme, and Thurman and Fiennes pull this off nicely. There are a lot of visual treats, including an ingenious scene where Emma is trying to escape from a staircase like the kind in an Escher painting, and a cameo by Patrick Macnee (the original Steed) as an invisible man. But Don MacPherson's script is just another Bond clone, especially villain-wise. Connery is suitably over-the-top, but it's nothing new.
***½
56- Review from mountainx.com by Ken Hanke
Having finally been forced to watch Jeremiah Chechik's much detested big screen version of the classic '60s British TV series, I have to confess that I thought it was a lot of well-intended fun. That sentence will get me branded a traitor by Avengers fans – and, yes, I'm a major fan of the show. You simply do not go through puberty watching Diana Rigg in Carnaby Street cat suits and leather and escape without a lasting impression. And, yes, I have all the episodes.
But really, what is all the fuss about? That Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman aren't Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg? Of course, they aren't, but then they don't really try to be – presumably they knew that was a hopeless task. I've read a lot of blather about how "silly" the plot is. Excuse me? We are talking about a film based on the TV series that boasted gadgets that could shrink things to tiny toys, and inventions like "broadcast power" and robotic creatures called "cybernauts" (they were so well liked, they made three appearances), aren't we? In fact, there's a tenuous connection between the plot of the movie – involving controlling the weather – and one of the sainted Rigg episodes, A Surfeit of H2O .
There are, I fear, some fans out there in serious need of lightening up and getting some perspective. The show was never meant to be deep or complex or meaningful (we had The Prisoner for that). It was in the style of its time – the British Invasion style. It was cheeky, stylish fun with neat Brit cars, witty repartee, bad jokes, quirky characters and outrageous villains. And the movie? Well, Mrs. Peel may have lost her Lotus Elan, but she does have an E type Jag, and Steed has his Bentley. And the rest of it at least duplicates the surface. If anything, the movie's a bit too slick – too elaborate for a show that thrived on making-do. But I don't doubt that the show would have welcomed this budget! Give the movie a chance. It's stylish and enjoyable – and it does give Patrick Macnee a nice cameo "appearance."
55- Review from ciao.co.uk by earlofaldgate
'Its not 'mothers' day, is it?'
This was absolutely slated by the critics, the press weren't allowed an advance screening, the film was hacked to death from its original 150 minutes to 115 minutes to 89 minutes so there's hardly any wonder really. But that's just their opinion; I on the other hand quite liked it. I didn't see it upon its original release but I saw it after watching the 1967 box set of Avengers (With Diana Rigg, mmmm) and with a reference point fresh in my mind found it to be a good adaptation of a 60's classic.
There were so many of my favourite moments included, such as:
- Peel receives a box of chocolates with a card inside that said - please answer the telephone
- Mother, having been knocked out of his wheelchair & lying in the snow was still smoking his cigarette
- While waiting to have a suit fitted Peel & Steed have a sword fight, as if its perfectly normal behaviour
- All the members of BROLLY are wearing Teddy bear suits to hide their identities
- Everything stops for tea or champagne
- They finished off each others sentences, talking as if it was scripted but showing they were of like minds as they did in the original.
The opening sequence has a Bond like feel to it, silhouettes & turbulent weather, then the music kicks in dah dah dah dah! der der der der der der diddle da Brilliant.
I will admit the plot isn't anything new but neither were the original episodes. It maintains the wackiness of the original series while at the same time it makes fun of itself in the same way Casino Royale did (hmmmn maybe not a great film to compare it to as it was plagued by problems with editing). In this case maybe the director/producers should have stuck by their guns & kept the original film instead of hacking it to pieces - test audiences without knowledge of the original series obviously wouldn't understand a film which was never going to be a Denzil Washington/Arnie action blockbuster.
It did feel it was a bit too Americanised; the English clichés of tea, manor houses, hot air balloons, croquet & gentlemen's clubs seemed somewhat forced. I can't figure out why this should be as they are all original aspects that couldn't really be excluded -maybe it's down to the editing.
Overall I liked it, if you only saw it once I would recommend giving it another go, if you haven't seen it yet - Tea anyone?
7 glasses of Pimms out of 10
54- Review from ciao.co.uk by mezzaninedoor
'Not as bad as people make out'
The pre publicity to this film sunk it without trace, the fact that confidence was low equated to a very anti media and subsequently meant that anybody who might want to see this film ended up in the cinema with a gloomy look before it even started.
I have had the fortune to re-evaluate this film recently on video and I feel that it stands as a good try at capturing the Avengers on the big screen, the script wasn't at all bad, Thurman was trying too hard and yet still had screen presence, Fiennes was slightly off as Steed, but the quirkiness of the whole thing won me over, I thought Connery was terrific and not as embarrassed as others would have him.
A fair crack, shame it was a stillbirth in terms of publicity.
54- Review from Amazon.co.uk
'Time for a reappraisal?'
I admit that, when The Avengers came out in '98, I trashed it along with everyone else. But having seen it again recently for the first time since then, I wonder if I - along with everyone else - was too harsh? Okay, so there are so many things wrong with this film: Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean Connery are hopelessly miscast; and the editing renders the story nonsense.
And yet, and yet... Why did I enjoy the film so much on a second viewing? Could it be that my expectations of the movie five years ago were so high (having been a huge fan of the original series)? I don't know. It just might well be one of the most unjustly underrated of all time.
53- Review from IMDb by susannah-5
'Falling for the old "edit out what the test audience didn't like" trick'
Oh, wait, that's from Get Smart, not The Avengers.
No matter. As a long-time fan of The Avengers (since childhood), I will say, right off the bat, that this movie did not fail on all levels. If nothing else, the makers of this film understood, at least, what The Avengers was about. This puts them head and shoulders above, say, the makers of The Wild Wild West movie, who had only the most rudimentary (and faulty) knowledge of what made that series an icon of popular American culture.
They might not have been successful in the execution, but they did understand what made The Avengers tick, and if the studio heads hadn't ordered extreme and desperate editing, we might have been able to see more of what the filmmakers imagined.
Two scenes stand out as perfect examples of this understanding: When Mrs. Peel tries to escape by running endlessly down an Escher-like staircase, and when Steed and Mrs. Peel walk on water in giant bubbles. Sean Connery's eccentric megalomaniac (so much more interesting than a serious, conservative megalomaniac) fit right in with the Avenger's roster of enemies.
Whatever sense of fun the movie had (and The Avengers tv series never seemed to take itself too seriously; does anyone remember Steed being shrunk to the size of a mouse and jabbing a villain in the ankle with a fountain pen?) was destroyed when the nut jobs at the studio fell for the old "edit out what the test audience didn't like" trick, and put a botched film on the screen. Too bad these studio honchos have such weak nerves and such short memories; will they never learn?
52- Review from IMDb by Philip Davies
A whimsical delight - more please!
I am amazed at how well an American film has captured the matter-of-fact surrealism which the mathematician Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) gave to his dream-child, Alice, as also it recalls the more knowing, and oh-so-polite deconstruction wrought by the media-saavy British children of the 60's upon the distressed remnants of England's Imperial aplomb!
Of course, as Oscar Wilde may not have said, Satire revisited is only a lukewarm cup of tea. But then nostalgia - especially when the satire was so gentle anyway - has its own charms. And there was, anyway, a hefty dose of nostalgia amidst the cool insouciance of the original. Its very modernity was made to seem almost an expression of polite insistence on whatever surreal manifestation of tradition was encountered. It was the utterly unruffled mien of the original which prevailed over all lapses from reason and good taste. So, at its best, in the new cinema version.
This is indeed a brave try by Hollywood to draw us back into that black-and-white psychedelia of swinging sixties British commercial television. The sheer madness of the enterprise almost works - if the money-men hadn't had cold feet at the last minute, we might have been enjoying a really remarkable fantasy film. As it is, we must content ourselves with a merely very amusing piece of whimsy. Even through the plot-holes left by a nervous editor we can see some wonderfully mad logic at work: The Escher-inspired architecture of the baddy's stately home, in which Mrs Peel at one point loses her way, encapsulates this whole dream-trip of a movie.
And for those who don't 'get it', I can only say, Humour is like that: Very dependent on individual taste.
But even allowing for taste, it is a sad reflection on public taste that 'The Avengers' overwhelmingly offends filmgoers who are probably quite prepared to accept the ever more overblown superheroes of a more violent tradition, such as 'Batman' or 'The Hulk'. Of course, these two are clearly representative of that particularly adolescent taste for the extreme and crude for which the contemporary Hollywood production-line largely exists. (There is every sign that Eddie Izzard's character was originally intended to satirize mega-buck entertainment and mega-buck villains as being really just spoiled brats with their expensive toys.) The genteel quirks of the English-inspired concept of 'The Avengers' are - in their essence, and however silly - just too irritatingly grown-up for such hyperactive youth ever to endure sitting still for!
A pity the film was not left alone upon release to find its own friends - like a stray cat, that will carefully choose whom it will exercise it's feline charm upon. And what more feline than Uma Thurman in Mrs. Peel's cat-suit?!
This is certainly not the sort of film to toss into an auditorium full of baying first-run morons.
51- Review from Amazon.com
'Bordering on excellent'
I approached The Avengers with some trepidation, courtesy of several negative reviews, including one Australian critic who proclaimed it the worst movie he had ever seen. Having been one of just 42 people in the cinema when I saw the film, I was wondering just how bad it was going to be.
My fears were unfounded. It was entertaining, amusing and suitably peculiar. I say suitably peculiar as, being a fan of the 60's TV series, any deviation from the concept would have been totally unsatisfactory.
The movie, set in the sixties, was not a nostalgia trip (something which would have been a distraction) but still managed to capture the essence of that period. The plot was as silly as any in the TV series, thank goodness, and the villain (Sean Connery) was appropriately unbelievable. It wasn't one of Connery's best performances but he obviously enjoyed hamming it up outrageously. You have to enjoy it for that alone. Don't fall into the trap of comparing Uma Thurman and Ralph Feines with Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee. They play their parts differently, not better or worse, just different. The comparison is irrelevant. The cinematography is excellent, as are the special effects.
Overall, a highly enjoyable film that should appeal to fans of the genre, and Avengers fan specifically. Not a great movie, but a good production. Its lack of success is unfortunate, and the bad press overdone. It's likely to attain some degree of cult status within a couple of years.
50- Review from Amazon.com
'A misunderstood film, but a delight'
Contrary to popular belief, there are people who actually liked 'The Avengers'. I for one is one of those people. I loved the TV. show because of the types of situations and stories that the shows were about. Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg were the ultimate John Steed and Emma Peel, I believe that Fiennes and Thurman do a credible job in their roles. Connery has essentially become a Bond villain with megalomaniac tendencies.
I do think the editing wasn't the best that it could have been, but fans cannot control that element of the production. I was hoping for a DVD with many deleted scenes, but I was disappointed. I still believe that it is a good disc, worthy of my collection. The sound and video are quite good and the supplements are excellent. People who totally dislike the film should get over it and realize, that it is just a movie.
49- Review from Amazon.com by R.Sparks
'ABSOLUTELY as it should have been!!'
In the bold tradition of The Avengers, this movie tends to wind it's way around and about several story lines and a dozen characters. If you've ever seen an episode and liked it, you will LOVE this modern re-telling! Not for movie critics or whiny why-doesn't-every-little-thing-make-sense'ers. . . None stop action and wit!
48- Review from Amazon.com
'The Avengers: The Promise of What Might Have Been'
The Avengers, the major motion picture version of the classic television series, has all the right elements to be a really great film. The cast, headed by Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean Connery, are excellent. The conceptualization, a sort of Averngersland 1999, is inspired.
The chief plot device, man made murderous weather, is lifted right out of the original series. So why then does the film fail so badly? What dooms this film is the unspeakable work of a studio hatchet job: editing by lowest common denominator, butchery by public opinion pole. What turns up on screen is not the vision of the writer, as presented in his shooting script, nor that of the director, as evidenced by the number of scenes shot and then later discarded whole.
What the film, as presented, is, is what is left of the project after nearly a quarter of the movie, all those slow bits that are generally referred to as "the plot", have been chopped out at the say so of studio executives who wouldn't know their bowler from a bowling ball. The segments that survive at times seem to be little more then a hurried hodgepodge of scenes, racing toward a climax. Still, in those scenes one sees the promise of what might have been and one can only hope that all the hacked out segments and scenes are one day restored in a director's cut. Only then will we see the film that this one could have, should have, been.
Meanwhile this is all we have, a mere promise of what the big screen Avengers might have been.
47- Review from Amazon.com
'Where is the director's cut?'
I have never have seen the TV series so I wasn't sure what to expect. Connery is good but he doesn't get enough scenes. Thurman and Steed are average, not as horrible as the critics say.
I think this movie was panned because of its incredibly high expectations. High budgets and big name stars sometimes result in average movies, and that's what the Avengers is, a so-so movie. WB apparently chopped off 30 minutes from the release and it shows, as the editing will leave you wondering about the two Emma Peels, the nature of the Prospero Project, and De Wynter's motives. I think a full director's cut that runs 2 hours would help.
The art direction and cinematography are great. The special effects are excellent, but I could have done without the mosquito scene. The opening credits are truly outstanding.
The Avengers is not as bad as the critics would have you believe. If you like action/comedies, and want some silly nonsensical fun, this might do the trick.
46- Review from Amazon.com
'Different, but good!!!'
I understand that most people think the film a flop. There's no accounting for taste and mine's never been normal. However what I don't understand are the people saying it was nothing like the original. It has the same innuendoes (just taken a bit further), the same wacked-out way of looking at things, and the same basic characters (although Thurman wouldn't have been my first pick for Emma and some of her lines didn't quite...fit.).
The only difference is that it had to be modernized so that they could hit a larger demographic than just the Avengers fans from the 60's. I love the teddy bear disguise and the weird way the storyline goes. I'm rather upset it was a flop. I was kinda hoping for a sequel.
45- Review from Amazon.com
'Good tongue-in-cheek fun, with great "eye candy" '
I remember watching the original Avengers on late night TV, and thinking Emma Peal was just the greatest heroine I could dream of. While Uma Thurman was certainly different, I feel she captured the essence of the woman not afraid to be stunning at the same time as capable. Personally, I liked Ralph Fiennes better than Patrick MacNee, maybe because he has a finer profile.
I went into this film fully expecting a lot of dazzling special effects to take my mind off the lack of a sensible plot, but I was nicely surprised at how much I truly enjoyed watching Thurman, Fiennes, and Connery have so much fun with such an average script. I'm no expert on films by any means, but I'm buying this one as soon as it becomes available to the public.
44- Review from Amazon.com
'Ignore bad reviews'
Definitely sticks to the Avengers tradition. That is, it's meant to be slightly offbeat. All the elements add up to give a synergistic effect, break down into the constituents and it gives a very different impression. So don't listen to the critics - they are paid to criticise after all.
Great special effects, sets, costumes and art direction. Try it, you might even like it.
43- Review from Amazon.com
'An underrated attempt at capturing the feel of the 60's'
The Avengers. The words alone conjure up specific images of a never never London. Ralph and Uma step silently into the shoes of McNee and Rigg and attempt to reignite to explosive series of the 60's.
The movie is a visual frenzy of good ideas. The acting is appropriately over the top as is the script. It has been given an unfair press, not even being reviewed prior to release in England. Anyway, I liked it. It is fun, its silly, its exciting... and Sean Connery is in it. What more do you want ? Does it have a script ? No. Was it well planned ? No. That's what makes it work. Its chaotic and wild. I only have one complaint. There is not enough of the original music in the movie, and none of the songs on the OST appear in it.
Now that I've made this revue, I'm going to buy my own copy and have a cup of tea. One lump or two ?
42- Review from Amazon.com
'Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman pull it off in this one'
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes action and adventure movies.
Uma Thurman (Batman & Robin) really nails the part of Emma Peel. I like her sword fight with Steed, she really pulls it off. I totally disagree with anyone who says that this movie stinks. Ralph Fiennes (voice on The Prince of Egypt) does an excellent job as John Steed. He's very humorous and relaxed in his part. At least I think so. Sean Connery (voice on Dragonheart) plays, what I think, could be the most evil villain in movie history. Sir August de Wynter, could change the name a little though, is truly evil and twisted, I like the way he acts as the bad guy.
41- Review from Amazon.com
'Great fun'
After I had read some of the reviews for Avengers, I was nervous about not liking the movie, since I liked the series. But I must admit that it was great fun!! But being an Anglofile I can see a lot more funny puns and remarks than most people. So are you into your british humor do not miss this one!!
40- Review from Amazon.com
'Silly, illogical and weird...just like the HIT series!'
The problem with most TV series is that they try, mostly in vain, to update to modern looks and mentalities. The Avengers is simply a big screen tribute to a little British TV series in the late 60's that many of us remember fondly and vividly from our teen-age years. Nothing is ever as good as the original, but this resurrection is not terribly off-target.
Most of the negative reviews would suggest that the authors never saw or were fans of the original. Most of the things they didn't like were what made the show a hit to begin with...silly plots, a total disregard for science-fact, comic book characters...you know, the FUN stuff! This film did not attempt to re-invent the Avengers wheel for the 90's. Sure there are flaws. Uma Thurman should have studied Diana Rigg's Mrs. Peel a little more closely. Yes, Sean Connery was over-qualified for his role, but it looked like he was having fun...a little mindless activity acting for a change? Ralph Fiennes was "right-on" as Steed, and who doesn't love their "Mother"? I also congratulate the producers who were not afraid to include the original music, a television theme classic (one the unforgivable acts of the Maverick re-make).
This movie is not for everyone. But for Avengers fans, it's a familiar, fun and mindless visit with an old friend.
39- Review from Amazon.com
'A great Saturday Afternoon Movie'
My friend & I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted and surrealistic romp through a retro/futuristic London. You don't need to have lock-on concentration to keep up with the plot, it's beautiful to look at, and often so weird and wonderful.
It's great to see filmmakers being a little silly again - we surely don't always need to be ponderous and intense!
38- Review from Amazon.com
'Don't listen to the critics !!!'
This movie is a great one. Don't listen to the morons who expected a blockbuster, it's not. It was meant to entertain and it does a great job. Sure there are plot holes and strange characters but it's overall a good movie. I have never seen the old series but if it's as half as good as this movie I'll buy the videos.
37- Review from Amazon.com
'Fun with weather'
This movie was great and campy, just what I expected. All the actors were great, and the teddy bear scene was hysterical, at least to me. You will either love this movie or hate it. I loved it.
36- Review from Amazon.com
'A nice transformation of the 1960s Avengers TV series'
Sexy, charming, witty; a smooth action with a suave romance, "The Avengers" is indeed a pleasant movie to watch. However, this movie is not for everyone; it is a "cult-classic". If you enjoy this new version of The Avengers, I'm sure you'll find the classic one to be amusing as well.
35- Review from Amazon.com
'Weird as hell, and terrific !!!'
This movie was hilarious from beginning to end - from Steed's (Ralph Fiennes') first scene when he is "working out," to seeing Mrs. Peel (Uma Thurman) storm into his traditionally all-male club (the shock and horror of the members was priceless), to suddenly seeing businessmen concealed in Grateful Dead-type bear suits.
This film definitely isn't for the unimaginative or those who want a meathead , predictable spy story like James Bond.
34- Review from Amazon.com
'Absolutely fabulous'
I loved the way all the main actors had their pure style. The movie was fun to watch, with all the technology combined with the style and manners. I just loved the accent they used and the way the story went.
33- Review from Amazon.com
' Very clever, shows wonderful British wit'
Me being British and living in London I really liked this film, I think it was misunderstood in America. I don't think people got the humour or the cleverness of the story. It was however very, very popular in London, if people weren't so in to horror and sex films they would enjoy this one!!!
I give it 4 stars!!!
32- Review from Amazon.com by Kirby Kok
'The Best Uma Thurman movie of all time! Get it'
This film has such a British wit. I like this film regardless of what others say about this movie. Uma Thurman is an astounding actress. She was witty and charming. She knew her lines and what to say in this movie and you have to admit this movie is better than Batman And Robin. She had such beautiful auburn hair in this film. I think the Avengers is worth seeing so please buy it or rent it!
31- Review from Amazon.com
'This is a great movie'
This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. It is a must for anyone who loves British comedy and spy films. The effects are spectacular and the actors are great. You might not like it though if you don't "get" British humour.
30- Review from Amazon.com by Josh Smith
' I Love This Movie'
This one of the best movies ever made. My favorite Actress, Uma Thurman is in it, which makes it even more great! I recommend this movie to everyone.
29- Review from Amazon.com
'Avengers better film than critics and fanatical fans admit'
Uma Thurman and Ralph Finnes gave better performances than fanatics of the show or critics concede. Yes,I loved the Diana Rigg/Patrick MacNee series. Tara, Mother, and the New Avengers were so dreadful you couldn't have paid me to watch it.
The script was better than fans and critics realize. The director was obsessed with special effects- people attend films to see stories- not explosions. Only terrorists are obsessed with blowing things up! Ralph Fiennes was a different Steed. I found it refreshing that it he didn't leer over every female he met. He genuinely fell in love with the widowed Mrs. Peel. Read Julie Kaewert's well written novel, based on the script, and it answers the plot holes (botched editing) Uma Thurman as the lovely scientist/widow/agent was brilliant, sexy and complex. Only Diana Rigg can be Diana Rigg. I missed scenes cut from the film. Steed supposedly dodging death- only to have it turn out to be a test- the judges held up 6s (like Olympic skaters! rating) only to give him one 5.9 which he questioned. Very witty. Some loneytune cut that scene and dialog, thinking the audience only wants blow-em-up. Viewers know that they are intelligent- not stupid and want dialog and plot. Sadly, the film editors showed their contempt for plot, dialog, and the audience. The scene which conjures up "Date Rape" was a serious one (but sometimes the Avengers TV show slipped in commentary) Mrs. Peel, bound and then drugged by the megalomaniacal de Winter, frantically tries to escape and is indirectly aided by Steed, tapping on the wall outside as he tries to gain entrance to the house and rescue her.
It was truer to the spirit of the series than the wild-eyes, rather hysterical bashers admit: a beautiful, brainy, seductive woman the equal of a man forges a partnership based on mutual respect, liking and understanding. The hints that both of them felt more than friendship added the necessary romance. "Mother" was a bore but the writer paid homage to the Avengers: teddy bear assassins (Cathy Gale/Steed script) Invisible man (Steed/Emma), something nasty in the nursery (Steed line- Steed/Emma script), Steed and Emma fencing (Town of No Return and the witty dialog pays tribute to that Clemons story). Mother was a bore- as were the Tara/Steed/Mother episodes. Dame Diana Rig expressed disappointment that the movie was not well received. The film helped publicize the Avengers TV series and Avengers books. It was charming. A full 2 hour film, the director's cut with dialog and complete plot would have been even more enjoyable and made more sense. I was hoping for a sequel with Thurman and Fiennes but a better director a British one! some Avengers were terrible- the New Avengers- casting Joanna Lumley- young enough to be MacNee's daughter as a passive, adoring female made me boycott the show. It was cancelled in America because it stank!
Interestingly, the Avengers film plays on one of the cable stations almost every week so it is a much better film than the almost crazed people who shred it would have you believe.
P.S. I enjoy the video but it would be much better with all the deleted scenes and dialog reinstated!
28- Review from Amazon.com by B. Mah
'Should've been better, missing scenes sure don't help!'
I was a fan of the original TV series when the A&E network aired it back in the early 1990's. I waited with much anticipation when I started to see photos of the film. Then came the trailer. WOW! I couldn't wait to see the film. But to find out that the folks at Warner Bros. didn't let advanced sneak peek for critics to see this, you knew something was wrong. So there I was waiting to see this and found out how horrible the reviews were. When I finally saw the movie I thought scenes were missing.
What does this mean? We were jipped! False advertising from the WB! The movie to my mind is OK, but all the missing scenes were in the darn trailer! There were really absurd moments (the Teddy Bears were the funniest to the audience at the theatre). I thought the worst was the lack of explanation for Bad Emma. How did she come to be? The original Steed, Patrick Macnee reduced to being invisible? It'd been great to see the two Steeds side by side. Uma was OK but sure looked uncomfortable doing a British accent. She looked great in the leather outfit though! Ralph as Steed I thought was the best acting in film. Seemed a more silent, maybe dark Steed? Connery as the villain was OK but his objections should've been more realistic. The Alice character seemed to me the highlight of this film for something that worked.
The movie did seem to be a combined mixture of a couple Avenger episodes. But to adapt it as the 1960's was wrong. They should've put it into the 1990's. The movie is OK and for that it ain't so bad. The missing scenes are needed. Mrs Peel, we're needed to find the complete film print edition!
27- Review from Amazon.com by Emma Chissett
' How real do you feel Mrs Peel?'
Dry, arch...this could be Monument Valley, but tis an apt description of an underrated film.
The original John Steed has been described as a man NSIT (Not Safe In Taxis)and the latest incarnation, the talented Mr Ralph Fiennes, is equally seductive(check out the leather boot scene, mmmm...). The killer bees, surprising nuns and decapitated teddy bears are in the spirit of the original show, as is the fencing in the gentleman's outfitters.
Only mistake, and huge mistake at that, was at the end, allowing Steed and Peel to... Innuendo abounding, subtle and witty throughout, so why? tell me why was THAT necessary? Smacks of pandering to the lowest common denom'.
I can only hope a "Director's Cut" will be issued; in the words of Steed, '...hurry back'.
26- Review from Amazon.com
'Good Movie, Very interesting'
While it had some problems overall this was a great film. Very interesting and it works with the original series well.
25- Review from Amazon.com
'Really Good Movie!!'
I really liked this movie! It has a great story line and witty humor. The best part about the movie is that every where Steed (Ralph Fiennes) and Mrs. Peel (Uma Thurman) go they encounter breathtaking action. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys humor and action. Great movie!!
24- Review from Amazon.com by Evan Waters
'A Most Underrated Little Film'
The whimsical spirit of the classic TV series is retained in this unbelievably poorly treated adventure film. The studio hacked away about a half-hour's worth of footage after a bad test screening, meaning some may find the plot hard to follow, but all the stuff you need to know is there if you pay attention.
Basically, it's the traditional spy story- our heroes battle a diabolical madman with an elaborate scheme for world domination- overlaid with some of the most imaginative, inventive and downright charming imagery seen in any action film. You've got gun-toting grannies, killer teddy bears, robotic bees, Escheresque mazes and all other kinds of hallucinogenic imagery, as suave superagents John Steed and Emma Peel try to foil Sir August De Wynter's plot to control the world's weather. Throw in a Mrs. Peel clone and a traitor in the agents' midst, and you've got a dreamlike narrative that proceeds to a wonderfully tempestuous climax.
Fiennes and Thurman are no Macnee and Rigg, but they've got their own appeal and a nicely tender chemistry. Sean Connery as the bad guy appropriately hams it up, and there's a superb supporting cast. The visuals are wonderful (avoiding the phoniness of some attempted camp-fests like BATMAN AND ROBIN), the characters fun, and the overall effect is quite exhilirating.
Highly recommended.
23- Review from Amazon.com by Grant I. Wilson
There seems to be a lot of argument over how good is this film. Some people love it, some loath it. Actually, it's somewhere in the middle. I liked it, and found it entertaining. There are some movies I lose interest in halfway through. I didn't lose interest here. There are some films that are so sappy or preachy I turn them off. This isn't one of them.
It's a decent film, if you don't take it too seriously. The film may be a bit disjointed, and not entirely believable at times, but it isn't boring. Most films are not entirely believable, as far as that goes. So, as long as you're not expecting too much, and are willing to suspend your disbelief (which most films require - come on, Castaway?) This can be an enjoyable film.
22- Review from Amazon.com by Recbecca Johnson
'Good fun, really'
"I thought you lived on the edge Mrs. Peel. Is this as fast as you can go?"
I much preferred this movie to most of the James Bond movies. For one, the wit is wicked, Uma Thurman (Mrs. Peel) was born to wear a catsuit and Ralph Fiennes is a most dapper John Steed. This movie has style, yet the backdrop is a special effects surreal dream. If you love storms moving in on a beach, rainy days or just gothic style weather, this is for you.
While drinking tea most often, these two secret agents fight crime in style while resisting the impulse to drown in more than a hands-off sexual chemistry. I could watch these two play mind games for hours. In one scene John Steed is discussing Dr. Emma Peel's profile and states:
"After all, according to your file you're a psychopathic personality with schizophrenic delusions, suffering from recurring amnesia, based on traumatic oppression leading to outbursts of antisocial and violent behavior."
Then, he states that she is just his style. Of course, she is not the type of woman he needs to save from herself or anyone else for that fact and more than likely he is describing the other Mrs. Peel who seems much more violent. This Mrs. Peel can take care of herself, thank you very much.
So, what is the diabolic plan they must thwart? Ah, yes....the evil aristocrat, Sir August DeWynter. He plans to threaten the world with his fantastic high-tech weather machine. He is capable of threatening mankind with raging ice storms, scorching temperatures and mechanical insects. The special effects in regards to the weather are seamless and spectacular.
The script is delicious, the chemistry drips over the edge of the mind into a pool of absolute surging tension and visually, The Avengers is very compelling. You will love the fencing scenes, intelligent script, British humor and tongue in cheek capers.
Diabolic Villainy vs. Stylish Heroes who never lose their cool.
I rather liked this movie.
21- Review from Amazon.com
'Director's Cut - You're needed'
I think it is almost common knowledge by now that this movie was cut to shreds after poor test screenings. A very good opening sequence was cut along with "backstory" scenes that would have ensured that the film made sense.
Therefore this version [the theatrical cut] has curiosity value because it shows exactly what happens to a film when a studio panics and decides that a film will exactly fit 90 minutes regardless of how it will affect the story.
The director's cut is in the vaults and should be released on DVD now if only to show the fans what the original story was intended to be.
20- Review from Amazon.com by Walter B. Conger:
'Faithful in spirit'
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1966, I was in the 6th grade and discovered Steed and Emma on TV, and I adored them. So when this film was released, I never expected it to "live up to" the originals. But I was surprised at how faithful it was to the tone and wackiness of the old series.
I may be in the minority in thinking this, but I believe "The Avengers" was brought lovingly to the screen. And although it ain't the "real thing," it deserves kudos for being a noble, and even entertaining, effort.
19- Review from Amazon.com by The Literate Wench:
'Chemistry ... Biology... Home Ec?'
Chemistry is Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman (who was pregnant during the making of this). It's quite deliberate on the part of the director, but it's still enough to light up the screen.
Biology is... well, Uma Thurman in skin-tight black leather. Yowza. I wanna look like that.
Home Ec... or maybe Home Dec. This movie is all about style. This makes the suspension of disbelief necessary to get through this movie go down with a honey coating.
Not much in the way of extras on this DVD, though. I'd have liked to see more.
18- Review from Amazon.com by TuPac Q. Liebowicz:
'I Thought It Was GROOVY, Baby!!'
If this film would have been made in the 60s it would have been a cult classic. So what's with all these sad sacks with a woody for Diana Rigg and Patrick MacNee. Their turn was 40 years ago and let's face it, with all due respect, they'd look a bit silly doing it today.
This is a quirky, offbeat film with the 60s "anything goes" approach and I think it works quite well. Anything can happen at any time. Okay, I would have preferred a young Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Emma Peel role instead of Uma Thurman but what you get ain't half bad. The FX are great and the rousing climactic fight scene with villain Sean Connery and Ralph Fiennes (as John Steed) is specactular.
Also the giant mechanical bee attack is first rate. The main problem people have with this movie is their total fanaticism with the 60s TV series. It's sacred to them and I can understand that. I was there the first time around as well but this is an update...just like the Bonds have been updated from "Dr No". Get used to it! Wacky, over-the-top entertainment in the "Modesty Blaise" vein with some very James Bondian touches. Love that old lady with the machine gun.
I think this might even get better with repeated viewings. Yeah... I'm glad I bought it.
17- Review from Amazon.com by Robert Torres:
'Steed starts seeing double, Emma discusses the weather.'
This movie was actually my first exposure to the Avengers, and although it has received mixed reviews, I am perhaps one of the few that enjoy this film.
I do not try to compare the movie with the television series, which is why I think so many people dislike the film.
If anything this is something that is unique and stands on its own much in the same way 'The New Avengers' cannot be compared with the original series.
I will admit that I think the film could've been a little better in parts, I have a feeling that there are many deleted scenes from this film, and this is something that is simply begging for a Director's Cut Special Edition.
Anyway, I think Ralph Fiennes does an exceptional job in the role of John Steed in that he combines the darker parts of who Steed was when the show started with Ian Hendry, with the charm, wit and sophistication on display during the Diana Rigg era. Plus, he looks absolutely smashing with that suit and bowler hat.
Uma Thurman is no Diana Rigg, but does make the role of Emma Peel her own in this film with beauty and grace. And I thought the chemistry between her and Fiennes was excellent.
I think Sean Connery relished playing an over-the-top diabolical mastermind in this film, and you can see that he was just having a ball.
The special effects are awesome, and I think this film could very well be a cult classic, just as long as it isn't compared with the orignal series. The film obviously won't be for everyone, whether or not you're a fan of the show really doesn't factor into whether you'll like it or not.
I just like it for what it is, entertainment.
16- Review from Amazon.com:
'Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!'
It's the type of movie, you can watch repeatedly, and enjoy it every time.
I am happy to have it in my dvd collection!
15- Review from Amazon.com by davefromwales:
'Amiable Nonsense'
It would seem that many of the people who reviewed this movie are unfamiliar with the original tv series and, as such, don't 'get it'. The combination of understated British humour and the surreal were staples of the tv series and this is reflected in the film, which is why we have criminals dressed as teddy bears and an old lady despatching the baddies with a machine gun.
If you're expecting a typical Hollywood formulaic action film (as it would seem Warner Bros were!), then you will probably be disappointed. However, fans of the quirky and offbeat will find much to entertain them in this film. You may call me odd but I enjoyed it thoroughly! It's just a shame that the original longer version was butchered because the test audiences didn't get it.
A Directors Cut DVD with commentaries etc would be most welcome.
14- Review from Amazon.com by trubshaw1:
'Steed & Mrs.Peel, Good to Have you Back!'
Totally misunderstood movie. A unique and visually stunning film with fantastic costume and set design. Ralph Fiennes was superb as British secret John Steed and gave the character some much needed sex appeal which in my opinion was sadly lacking in the original series. Eileen Atkins produced a classic 60s Avengers style character with her portrayal of 'Alice'.
Sadly the Avengers does appear to have been very badly hacked in the editing room at the 11th hour and would certainly benifit from a release of the full length version. 'The Avengers' stayed true to the spirit of the original TV series and visually even improved upon it - Uma Thurman looked almost edible as Mrs. Peel.
A fun and highly entertaining movie if you don't take it too seriously. I for one don't know what all the critical fuss is about.
13- Review from Amazon.com by Photoscribe:
'You know...'
I have pretty high standards when it comes to movies...AND TV shows, and I can't, for the life of me, see what is so gawrsh-awful about this movie. Granted, the superfeminine Diana Rigg isn't playing Mrs. Peel...and yes, dapper, veddy British Patrick McNee isn't parlaying Steed, but they did pretty well with what they had, and had a plotline that you were actually able to FOLLOW, to boot! This is something I remember the TV show NOT having...most of the stories were just platforms for Emma to be stylish in, with no clues, no O. Henry, no real DISCERNIBLE plot thread to speak of...just the barest of storylines....
The story involves Steed first MEETING Emma, (again!) and Emma being a major renaissance woman...doctor, meteorologist, psychologist, etc....the woman holds more degrees than a Kelvin thermometer!! The film opens up with Steed being tested for reflexes and skills as he strolls through a mockup of a British village. Pram-pushing nannies throw knives, pub drinkers try to run him over, bobbies attack him unbidden...he comes through with flying colors. Switch to Emma Peel's fabulous flat in London...she gets the call from the elite arm of the BSS that Steed works for after it's discovered that she, or a double of her, has sabotaged her own project.
What follows are chase scenes from hell; some VERY mannered acting; Sean Connery chewing the scenery as a megalomaniac meteorologist and businessman who wants to, what else, RULE THE WORLD...by controlling the weather. Steed and Emma go after him when it's discovered, unequivocally, that it IS a double of Emma sabotaging her project...and in fact, attempting to kill the original Mrs. Peel!
The cinematography and art direction for this film is EXCELLENT. The music, however, except for the lifts from the series, seems somewhat inappropriate and overly ponderous. There are some hair-raising chase scenes in the film, one with a fleet of mechanical, anti-personnel hornets, and Connery's acting is perfect for his role. The style of the series is recaptured nicely, especially with the villians' confab scene in teddy bear mufti in the middle of the film, and Emma wandering through what looks like M.C. Escher's summer home.
All in all, the phlegmatic bearing of Fiennes and Thurman in the face of it all remind you an AWFUL lot of the original Steed and Emma, and the climax between Steed, Emma, Connery, Eddie Izzard, Fiona Shaw, as the very teutonic-looking "Father", (supposedly one of the GOOD guys,) and Connery's henchmen is fairly entertaining.
While it may never win a spot on AFI's top 100, it IS diverting. My one complaint is...why did they have to pick UMA THURMAN...Ms. Box Office Poison herself, to play Emma? Was Nicole Kidman busy? Emma Thompson? Miranda Richardson? WHY A YANK??!! And ESPECIALLY her?? Didn't "Batman & Robin" tell them ANYTHING??!!
12- Review from Amazon.com by wiredweird:
'Fun and action filled'
This is a very watchable action flick, with Uma Thurman doing what she does best - wearing something tight and kicking the bad guys around. Sean Connery goes over the top as the mad Scottish scientist holding the world ransom. Mostly, though, it's comedy of manners. Steed and Dr. Peel (that's Thurman, but her friends can call her Mrs. Peel) maintain a relaxed tea-time manner no matter what the chaos around them or between them.
I can't compare this to the original series, which aired more than 35 year ago. I suspect that fans will find this wanting. So be it. If you can take this for itself, you'll find a decent piece of humorous action entertainment.
11- Review from Amazon.com by Don Millard:
'Classic Camp in a '90s Film'
I just got this on sale...to all the reviews that pan this revisit; quit being Avengers snobs! You won't ever see a duo as well suited to each other as Patrick MacNee and Diana Rigg but give the current duo their propers!
This a 1998 feature film version of a '60s British TV series, not a retrospective! It has the same over-the-top technology spin that the original producers would have incorporated in a heart beat, updated for the late '90s. If you paid attention to the original series it had the same eccentric characters and the same outlandish plots. That's what made the series and this film fun to watch.
P.S., I would have gone for Elizabeth Hurley as Mrs. Peel.
10- Review from Amazon.com by Billy Harlington:
'Lighten up!'
I agree with the other reviewers here [on Amazon.com] in that this film does not represent the best work of its stars, and the movie as a whole probably fell short of its aims. But there are too many good (and highly original) scenes too write it off altogether. (eg. the optical illusion looking down on Emma Peel as she tries to escape down a staircase yet ends up on the same floor).
Also, the romantic restraint of the two lead characters makes a refreshing change from the contemporary norm, which is either based on tease & innuendo, or can't-wait-to-rip-each-others-clothes-off.
As for the teddy bears scene that has been so blasted, I found it so unexpected & bizarre that I had to laugh. And surely that was the intention of the film...
Anyway, I enjoyed it. Just watch it with an open mind and, for God's sake, don't take it seriously. I especially recommend this film if you are a fan of English architecture (there are some great shots of interiors & exteriors of both modern & historical), or a sucker for Uma Thurman's stylish warmth (like me :))
9- Review from Amazon.com by Bookreader79424:
'Excellent, humorous, and exciting!'
I found this film to be delightful. It's about two agents living in London, England, who are on a mission to stop a well-to-do knight from controlling the weather. By controlling the weather with his large weather-making machine, Sir Sean Connery, incidentally a knight himself in real-life, wants to rule the world, but not if Steed and Mrs. Peel have their say in it!
It's humorous and exciting throughout the movie. Interestingly, the villain of the film played by Sir Sean Connery resides at BLenheim Palace, a breath-taking private residence owned by His Grace the Duke of Marlborough in Oxon, England, which you get to see the massive and beautiful interior in the film, too!
I rate this film 5-stars.
8- Review from Amazon.co.uk:
'Don't knock what you don't understand'
Reviews of this film have been mixed ever since it was released, with most of the negative comments coming from people who probably never saw the original TV series.
True, the harsh editing has been the most significant reason for its downfall. But this is only because the thick Americans wouldn't get it. The Avengers were, are, and always will be quintessentially English - and thats a good thing.
I just pray that one day we may be treated to the full version as it was origainally meant to be seen - who cares what the Americans, or anyone else thinks - I love this film.
7- Review from Amazon.co.uk:
'Did the movie miss the point - or just the audience?'
Well... where to begin. For a movie that was so long anticipated, this was in some ways a disappointment. On the other hand, it could never be as bad as the press made it out (and I'm sure that was something to do with the lack of press previews) but as a fan of the series, and of the Emma Peel era in particular, I had mixed feelings about this movie. And I have to say, if it had had a plot, it would have been a fitting homage to a British Telefantasy classic!
As it was, I think it was rather unfairly treated - the set pieces were fabulous, the costumes wonderful, the characters great fun. Most of the elements were in place. What really lets The Avengers down is the editing, which appears to have been done with a knife and fork. Great chunks of the story have clearly disappeared for a variety of reasons which frequently leave Steed, Emma et al tripping over inconveniently placed plot devices. Scenes may have been excised but the traces remain, which is a bit of a bug-bear (for instance, we never get to the bottom of Sir August's obsession with Mrs Peel, or the true nature of "Bad Emma").
It does have the potential to become something of a camp classic, however, and it's almost worth it for "Invisible Jones". And if I only remember one sequence from this movie, it's Steed & Emma crossing the river in the spheres. I just hope that one day some enterprising soul decides to release a "restored" version that makes a little more sense. Oh, and they should NEVER have given Emma an E-Type!
6- Review from Amazon.co.uk:
'Cult Movie'
The Avengers movie has been either stoically accepted by Avengers fans or avidly dismissed by others. I'm in the former camp and think it's just a shade short of being a great movie. The Avengers can't be upated. It was a creation and reflection of the sixties, the best decade for music, TV and film ever.
The producers had a difficult job, to maintain the silly plots, unlikely characters and not make the whole thing a nostalgia trip for Avengers people. Let's face it, Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg could never be duplicated so why try. Whether Fiennes and Thurman are better or worse as John Steed and Emma Peel is irrelevant. They were different, as they should be, no less than Roger Moore and Sean Connery were different as James Bond.
I saw this movie at the cinema (one of just 42 people!), bought the video and will accept the DVD from anyone who wants to give it to me. I've watched it several times and love every moment. The humour, evident in the TV series, shines through like a beacon for those of us prepared to see it. For sheer silly, escapist entertainment, The Avengers must take a gong. Again, I don't consider it a great movie, but it's good.
When the excellent A&E series of videos and DVDs have been bought up by the current population of Avengers aficionados, perhaps the film will be looked at in the warm light of nostalgia.
5 - Review from Amazon.co.uk:
'An excellent unappreciated film'
This film failed basically for one reason, Americans couldn't understand what the actors were saying or referring to or appreciate its retro-style. It's as simple as that. The lines are classic, inuendo-laden and witty, the scenography beautiful and the acting tongue-in-cheek. The film is a visual gem and the sight of Sean Connery in a menacing teddy bear is easily worth the price of a DVD. Distilled 1960's London style and a very funny and sometimes violent script make this a future cult film.
4 - Review from IMDb by Joseph Kerr:
'A fun movie and introduction to the Avengers series'
Is this going to be the next "Gone with the Wind"? No. Is it a horrible movie with a bad script and bad acting? No!
This movie is, quite simply, fun. Fans of the hit series will be reminded of the smug attitude of Steed, although no one will be able to catch the magic between the original actors. However, the movie does well for what it is, and is quite enjoyable.
Unfortunately, it caters to a narrow range of people. Those who have never seen The Avengers might think the acting is bad or dialog poorly written. This is not the case. They are merely mimicking the style of the TV show.
Of the other hand, those who are fanatical fans will hate it because it's not as good as the TV show, and makes many changes.
But those who enjoy the show and aren't nitpicky will find this a thoroughly enjoyable movie.
3- Stephen Cummings (aka Sthom-1):
'Stormy Weather'
AN ANALYSIS OF 'THE AVENGERS' MOVIE
1998. One of the most eagerly awaited films of the year, 'The Avengers' opened in August to a universal drubbing. I saw it in my local multiplex in the company of my girlfriend and a half a dozen or so confused children. Though we liked the movie and laughed in the right places, I was acutely aware that others found it not in the least bit fun.
Despite the awful reviews, there was some good news. A Ceefax poll asked the question: 'The Avengers' - hit or miss? A decent majority found in favour of the movie. Then it was reported that box office takings in its first week were respectable. Hope surged in my heart. Was it not possible that 'The Avengers' could overcome adversity to become a cult favourite along the lines of 'Blade Runner'? Hadn't the first 'Star Trek' movie also disappointed fans but gone on to spawn a long-running franchise? But this new-found optimism was not to last. Word of mouth (perpetuated by a hostile media) kept audiences away in droves, ensuring that its only great achievement was to headline that year's list of biggest movie flops.
When it came out on VHS, I watched to see whether or not I'd made a blunder by liking it. But no. It was as good as I'd remembered, despite bearing the hallmarks of a production brutally vandalised at the eleventh hour by some madman who realised it wasn't 'Lethal Weapon 4' in bowler hats.
Now that the fuss has died down, what are my thoughts on the film? Was it really that bad or were the critics simply getting their own back for having to pay for their own tickets?
To start with, the film looks sensational. The opening credits lead to a delightful teaser in which a youthful-looking Steed takes a stroll through what appears to be a quiet village and gets attacked by some unlikely would-be assassins. Pure 'Avengers'.
Then we get onto the main plot - Steed is ordered to bring Dr.Emma Peel to 'The Ministry' after a Government-funded project to control the weather - 'The Prospero Project' - is sabotaged, apparently by Peel herself. The real baddie is, of course, the bullish Sir August DeWynter, a mad genius so obsessed with Emma he has made a clone of her. He wants to blackmail world governments into paying him for their spring and summer. If they refuse, he will condemn them to perpetual winter.
Not the ultimate 'Avengers' story by a long chalk, but more than adequate a starting point for a franchise of films based on the television series. If it strikes you as ridiculous, check out some of the spy films made during the '60's such as 'In Like Flint' (1967) in which a cabal of cosmeticists based in the Virgin Islands hijack a space platform or 'The Ambushers' (also 1967), a Dean Martin/Matt Helm flick about a Mexican beer manufacturer stealing a flying saucer belonging to the U.S. government. Reality was not what 'The Avengers' was about nor ever should be.
Critics at the time pointed out the so-called lack of chemistry between Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman, Its true that their relationship is cold and formal but with Steed not knowing whether Emma is an enemy agent for most of the picture one couldn't reasonably expect otherwise. It took Patrick Macnee three years to turn Steed into the character we all know and love today. Fiennes only had eighty-five minutes. As for Thurman, while she is in no way comparable with Diana Rigg, she exudes the toughness and confidence required for the role. This Emma is no pushover. Part of the problem for the actress was that so many films and television shows (such as the awful 'Charlie's Angels') have copied the 'Emma Peel' character that it no longer has any real novelty value. Still, Thurman fares better than one might have reasonably expected.
The film is blessed with some extremely good action sequences - the snowstorm on DeWynter's estate, Steed's fight at 'Wonderland Weather', Mrs.Peel trapped in a room that looks like it was designed by Escher and, of course, London besieged by destructive weather. My favourite, though, is the flight of the robot bumble bees. Considering that the budget for the film was considerably less than that of say a 'Bond' or a 'Batman' flick (£50 million), I'd say it was money well spent.
The high campery of the television series was perfectly preserved by writer Don Mcpherson and director Jeremiah Chechik. Those unfamiliar with the show, however, hated the movie for precisely this reason. Which would seem to suggest they'd have hated ANY 'Avengers' movie, no matter how good, bad or indifferent it was.
One of the biggest complaints concerned the 'teddy bear' costumes worn by DeWynter's men. Again you need to be familiar with the show to appreciate this touch. It could have been a lot worse - Warner Bros. could have insisted they wear 'Batman' suits!
The casting of Sir Sean Connery was also the cause of much debate. In the original script, Sir August was not the baddie. Mcpherson rewrote the part completely to accommodate the actor. DeWynter is in the grand tradition of 'Avengers' villains; he lives in a house full of snow shakers and has a greenhouse where it constantly rains! Connery gets some amusing lines ("We don't get trespassers up here...we shoot them!") and delivers a suitably larger-than-life performance. To anyone who thinks its the nadir of his career, they should be forced to sit through 'Meteor' and 'Sword Of The Valiant'!
As henchman Bailey, Eddie Izzard is impressive though his role is badly underwritten. Jim Broadbent is splendid as the macaroon-munching 'Mother' as is Eileen Atkins as the machine gun-toting spinster Alice. Good old Patrick Macnee appears (or rather, doesn't) as Colonel 'Invisible' Jones, the sort of eccentric the television show thrived on.
Because the movie was truncated, some scenes don't appear to make very much sense. This is why a 'Director's Cut' DVD. re-release of 'The Avengers' is so vitally important Let's not forget that Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' only became a motion picture classic after it was granted this honour.
'The Avengers' movie deserves the same.
2- Sean Cogan:
The film's characters are so British, they make James Bond look American. Hated by critics, audiences, and even fans of the TV show it was based on, 'The Avengers' is great, as long as you're looking for a spy movie that's more than a little weird. Ralph Fiennes gives a brilliant performance as debonair, derby-wearing Agent John Steed, and Uma Thurman also is at her best as his lovely but lethal civilian counter-part Mrs. Emma Peel.
The movie is rather odd, so if machine-gun toting grannies, mad scientists disguised as Teddy bears, and a hero that wields an umbrella as his weapon-of-choice aren't your cup of tea (Pun intended. The hot drink features in every scene.), then this film is not for you. Extra points for starring Sean Connery, the original James Bond himself, as the demented villain, a scientist bent on controlling the weather.
I'll admit I've never seen an episode of the TV show that inspired the movie, but I enjoyed this film on its own, and besides, when has Sean Connery ever done something not worth seeing?
1- Mike Plant:
This film can be described in two words, eccentric and British.
In what other spy film would the film's villain get his associates to dress as Teddy Bears and be holding the world to ransom by controlling the weather?
This film is set in an alternate world where the sixties styles never went out of style and amazing hi-tech gadgets exist, the movie's 'Avengerland' is faithful to it's TV counterpart in every way.
Fiennes' John Steed is charming, polite and deadly when needed, Thurman's Emma Peel is sexy, intelligent and very graceful. Together they have a dynamic chemistry that is fascinating to watch. Throughout the film the suspicion they have for each other at first develops into mutual respect, as they become true comrades and The Avengers everyone remembers.
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