Review: The Avengers (1998)

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The Avengers

Rating

Director

Jeremiah Chechik

Screenplay

Don MacPherson

Length

1h 29m

Starring

Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, Sean Connery, Patrick Macnee, Jim Broadbent, Fiona Shaw, Eddie Izzard, Eileen Atkins, John Wood, Carmen Ejogo, Keeley Hawes, Shaun Ryder, Nicholas Woodeson

MPAA Rating

PG-13

Buy/Rent Movie

Soundtrack

Poster

Source Material

Basic Plot

A millionaire with a penchant for weather control wants to take over the world.

Review

Television continues to churn out film versions of its most popular shows in history.

This time, it’s the British spy series “The Avengers” that gets the big-screen treatment. “The Avengers appears to be a two-person spoof of James Bond and other related spy films or series.

What are the differences between “Avengers” and James Bond? “Avengers” has lush visuals and large amounts of visual effects. Bond has a sense of style, an intriguing plot and good acting.

The film begins with John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) displaying his ability to pick out an unworthy foe among many potential innocent bystanders. It’s a play on those infamous training yards where cardboard cutouts pop up and the participant must decide if they are good or bad. Only this yard has real people to perform that duty and the most innocent of people are usually the most dangerous.

We then meet Dr. Emma Peel (Uma Thurman). She formerly worked on a secret weather dome project with the Ministry, Steed’s spy agency. Now she’s the lead suspect in the destruction of said dome and possibly as a dreaded counter-agent.

We come to understand that it is actually the sinister Sir August de Wynter (Sean Connery) who is behind the scheme. Only it goes deeper than anyone had anticipated.

The actual scheme is to take over the world by using a sophisticated weather control system to send inclement weather to various major cities of the world unless a specific ransom is met.

“The Avengers” excels in some areas, while it lacks greatly in others.

The acting is suitable, but not laudable. The plot is too run-of-the mill for a spy movie. The action is too vague at times to be anything but mildly entertaining.

On the good side, the score is fun and appropriate, the art direction is marvelous and the visual effects are the best in film so far this year.

However delicious the film is, the story isn’t involving enough and the action is rather pointless. While there is a great deal of humor, it often comes at the wrong moments and rarely is it on par with other spoofs.

“The Avengers” is an average film that will appeal to some audiences, such as fans of the show, but it won’t appeal to the great mass audience. Those interested in a great spy thriller, depending on how they like them, may or may not enjoy this film.