I rewatched The Avengers today and it really is a missed opportunity. The reason it failed was not IMO the surreal wackiness, it was that Warners panicked and cut huge chunks out of the film rendering it not only surreal and weird, but missing links in the story that would have tied all the bizarre stuff together better.
If you look on Wikipaedia it details what was in the original script, such as the attack on the secret base by the evil Emma Peel that was seen in trailers. I also recommend reading the novelisation, which you can pick up for a couple of quid. It really is absurdly stupid how Warners had, judging by the book and screenplay, a great film and then they decided 'instead of a long movie people might like, we'll cut it down to a short movie that people will hate for sure'. They should have had the courage of their convictions, and if they had The Avengers might have been a huge success. One can only hope they pull their fingers out and release the director's cut.
On reflection there's a lot to like in The Avengers: Uma Thurman in leather: always a plus, Sean Connery hamming it up more than Porky Pig at a bacon factory, and henchmen dressed as multi-coloured teddy bears. Bonkers. Utter bonkers. I like it.
The Avengers
1998
Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi / Thriller
The Avengers
1998
Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Plot summary
British Ministry agent John Steed, under direction from "Mother", investigates a diabolical plot by arch-villain Sir August de Wynter to rule the world with his weather control machine. Steed investigates the beautiful Doctor Mrs. Emma Peel, the only suspect, but simultaneously falls for her and joins forces with her to combat Sir August.
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August 18, 2014 at 01:39 AM
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Blame Warners
Speaking of the weather
I'm sure Sean Connery got some big bucks to both play the villain and pump some box office life into this big screen adaption of the British series The Avengers which got great ratings syndicated on this side of the pond. Several people were in the cast at one time or other, but the years of Patrick MacNee as John Steed and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel are what is remembered best.
Playing those parts and totally failing to channel the charm of the dialog of the charming Steed and the beautiful martial arts expert Mrs. Peel are Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman. These two are on assignment to find out who is blackmailing the world's governments with a climate control device. Dark clouds are over London literally.
It's Sean Connery former MI5 guy retired and the only time this film has some life in it is when he comes before Parliament in full tartan regalia. I guess proud Scot Sean Connery always wanted to do that and he got his wish here.
As for the rest if you loved the TV show are you in for a disappointment.
Not a complete horror, but very disappointing all the same
In all honesty, I was expecting The Avengers to be much worse than it was. I do remember the TV series with such fondness, and while this film is not an abomination as I have heard it to be it is very lacking in the series' style and charm. The production values, soundtrack and Ralph Fiennes though are pretty decent. The problems lie in the stodgy pace and direction, the inane and really quite terrible script and the uninteresting story. In regards to the cast, Fiennes is the only one who is decent enough, Uma Thurman is miscast, Sean Connery phones it in and the supporting cast are unforgivably wasted with so little to do. All in all, it could have been worse, but that is not to say it was good. 3/10 Bethany Cox