The Avengers

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: Steed starts seeing double, Emma discusses the weather.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: I almost walked out of the theater.
Review: This movie is easily on my top-5 list of the worst films I have ever seen. The painful truth of the matter is that I saw this in the theater. What a horrible memory that is! I am a 33-year-old male, and in my entire life I have never wanted to leave the movie-house as badly as I wanted to while watching this pile of rubbish. I have never walked out on any movie, much to my dismay. I should have left during this one. In fact, I remember at least 4 people leaving the theater, never to return. One scene, in particular, haunts me to this very day. There is a complex conspiracy afoot, and the villains all meet one last time before the crime will unfold. They decide to wear disguises to conceal their identities. They are all dressed in giant, multi-colored Teddy Bear costumes!!! What? Yes, you read it correctly. It is so incredibly stupid that I have a hard time retelling it without my lower intestine reaching up and strangling my brain. (Note: that last obscure referrence is from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy") Anyway, this film does not deserve a long review, so I will now sign-off. Rent or buy anything else, anything other than this movie. I hope my warning here will save lives......or at least save people from emotional scarring. Take care.

Rating:
Summary: .
Review: I know nothing about the Avengers TV show, other than that this movie is based on it. So I can not compare the two or speak as "a fan." I just like Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman and giant bees. I expected the movie to be awful, but it was SO badly trashed in all the reviews that I was hoping maybe it would pop out the other end and be good in a ridiculous, campy sort of way.

It ... almost was. Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman fit their roles extremely well. The dialogue isn't as abysmal as I would've expected, although it tries a bit too hard. The bees were a lot of fun, although they had that *painfully* CG look to them. In general, quirkiness abounds, and the visual aesthetics of the film are classy.

But it just doesn't quite pull itself off. The quirkiness never quite lands on you the right way -- it's just ... weird. It wants to be funny, but fails due to the general tonality of incoherence. I imagine that I spent most of my time watching the movie just sort of ... furrowing my brow and pursing my lips in a kind of uncertain perplexity. And what's more, this surreal "quirkiness" gradually corrodes, throughout the duration of the film, into a more typical brand of brash Hollywood cheese. The last half-hour or so is pretty horrid.

Sean Connery can't have more than fifteen minutes of screen time here. His character is completely unexplored. The audience never feels much of a threat from him because he almost seems like a secondary aspect of the movie anyhow. Just this sort of crazy guy who pops up during a couple of scenes. Who's messing with the weather. Or something. And yes, his performance -- the little of it that there is -- is absolutely uninspired.

Also: I doubt I have ever seen an onscreen kiss more lifeless and fake than the one seen here. I don't think either Fiennes or Thurman even parted their lips. The kiss shouldn't have been there anyhow, but ... just thought I'd mention it.

All in all, this struck me as a really bizarre movie that just doesn't work. I appreciate the surreal tone but it was tainted by self-consciousness and clumsy delivery. The story/plot, rest assured, barely makes any sense at all. The kind of movie you just ... watch ... rather than think about or question. I've seen big-budget Hollywood movies far worse than this (Lost in Space, Independence Day, Con Air) ... but ... that's saying little. Vaguely interesting as a curiousity, but certainly skippable.

Rating:
Summary: Flawed - yes. Turkey - No way !
Review: At last available to own - the only movie of 98 which I went to see twice at the cinema. Ignore the bad reviews - this is NOT the worst film you are going to see this year. Yes, ok the plot doesn't make a great deal of sense and why all the British casts' accents are worse than Uma's I will never know but this is definitely the bravest movie I have seen for a long time beautifully transferred onto DVD. Great costumes, great cars, great cast and a title sequence to die for all add up to a viewing experience not to be missed. It's a pity that we didn't get the missing scenes put back into the film (which would really have helped it to make more sense) and a pity that only one of the theatrical trailers is included (but if you watch this you'll get quite a lot of the cut footage anyway !) but all the other features are top rate (and so darned funky too). Crack open a bottle of champagne, sit back and enjoy a witty, entertaining, FUN movie which never insults the intelligence of it's audience. And Hollywood when are you going to learn that you shouldn't always listen to the preview audiences - we mere mortals do actually have brains and would like to see the film the director intended. More tea for me please, Mother - but go easy on the Macaroons !!

Rating:
Summary: Amiable Nonsense
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The story of what happened to this film
Review: The rumor that shuttled around a while is that the original script stayed very close to the TV show. The people who developed the film were huge Avengers fans that spent years trying to bring this to the screen and saw it as an art house action movie. When Warner's realized that they didn't have a big budget summer film for 1998,they rushed production on The Avengers, threw a lot of money at it, and more or less told the producers they wanted a big hit. Needless to say, pandering to the masses and doing good "Avengers" are incompatible, which the test audiences more or less told the studio execs during test screenings by not liking it at all and getting confused (though I am hard pressed to see how they were any more confused than I ended up) . Unfortunately, take out the sublime strangeness and the film falls apart and makes little sense. Apparently, the studio thought they could rush this out on name power and no real story and maybe make a little money, which is exactly how much they made.

Regarding the film itself, it is gorgeous to look at but painful to watch. The three leads are badly miscast (You can't replace MacNee and Rigg, though Patrick Stewart and Lucy Lawless would have been MUCH more interesting than Fiennes and Thurman) and Sean Connery chews scenery like he hadn't eaten in months. would love the DVD to have loads of extras I am sure are milling about somewhere, including commentary by the director on what happened.

Stick with the TV Show.

Rating:
Summary: The Avengers: How Not To Make A Film.
Review: This film is absolutely amazing. Watch it and simply stare in awe at how terrible it really is. Hollywood still hasn't got the hint that you do not make movies out of old tv shows. Interestingly enough, The Avengers is a more enteraining film than Hollywood sludge like Charlie's Angels, which is 100% Grade-A Crrrrrrrap. Why? Because it is so bad that it actually becomes amusing, unlike Charlie's Angels or Starsky & Hutch which are just plain bad with no amusement at all. My fascination with the Avengers is just wondering A.) What was the director thinking? B). What were the stars thinking when they signed on for this film? The director must be a terrific salesman, coz I don't think Sean Connery is a moron. C). Who gave the stamp of approval that allowed this film to be released into our neighborhood theaters? I mean, this film had to be viewed and approved by the producers. It was probably shown to a test audience. How did it slip through all these cracks and make it's way out? I think of these things as I watch this film. You wanna see Sean Connery and his band of criminals dressed as giant teddy bears? You wanna see America's rather shallow view of the English?(tea dispenser in car, lame attempts at British dry humor) You want to see ZERO chemistry between the leading man and woman? You wanna see an invisible man? You wanna see Ralph Fiennes, normally a very good actor, trying to be cool, but actually looking and acting like a total schmuck(this goes for Uma as well)? Wanna see some of the most unexciting action sequences ever filmed? You wanna see a 90 minute film that feels like twice the length? Basically, do you want a 90 minute instructional video to all film students about what not to do, and at the same time chuckle a few times? Then you can't go wrong with The Avengers.

Rating:
Summary: Brain starving...please feed brain...movie killing brain...
Review: Me director. Make movie. Movie have people, cars, costumes, and costumes. And costumes. Here plot--plot very good! It have bad guy...and good guy! Geniyus stuff plot. And talking stuff wrote good too, real movie sounded stuff. Listen, and you no throw up like some watchers...

Sean Connery in plot. In costume. He talk. You no throw up when he talk. In costume. When Ralph and Uma talk, sorry, you throw up. On costumes. And somebody die! So watch and see who die. In costume. Me director--say, watch! Me make good film, you like and not throw up much. But when Ralph and Uma talk, have wastebasket ready, sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible waste of money, time and talent
Review: I loved the original Avengers series. It was a near flawless program; at least until Diana Rigg left. This film bore little resemblance to that wonderful show. The original Avengers never shied away from the occasional flagrant pun or creating wonderful, almost comic book quality characters. However, in this film, the plot meanders. Ralph Fiennes has no comic ability, and the lovely and talented Uma Thurman pretty much sleepwalks through movie. These is no trace of the quirky style that made the Avengers so special. To those of us who have seen the TV series, it comes as little surprise that several of the original program's directors went on to success in the big screen . I doubt that anyone associated with this film will find that it leads to more career opportunities. The chemistry between Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee was always a delight to watch. Sadly in the film, Fienes looks uncomfortable, and Thurman looks bored.

This is a poorly conceived, uninspired waste of film. The television Avengers' unique character is nowhere to be found in this disaster.