Themes: Daring Rescues, Race Against Time, Mad Scientists
Main Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, Sean Connery, Patrick Macnee, Jim Broadbent
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 89 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Jeremiah Chechick directed this $60 million adaptation of the whimsical 1961 British TV spy series, imported to the United States five years later for ABC airing (beginning 3/28/66), followed by The New Avengers (CBS, 1978-79). In the feature-length version, secret agent John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) and Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) face a meteorological menace as they track sinister super-villain Sir August de Wynter (Sean Connery), threatening to blitz Britain with blizzards and other extreme weather. Vocal cameo by Patrick Macnee (the original TV Steed). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
Universally hated upon its release, The Avengers, Jeremiah Chechick's big-screen adaptation of the cult-classic British television series, is not as much of a disaster as audiences have been led to believe. Many of the points for which the very expensive and very low-grossing film was originally criticized are true. The film's plot, which finds our spy heroes trying to stop evildoers who wish to control the world's weather, is too downright silly to be as complicated and be taken as seriously as the film treats it. Uma Thurman, while having the perfect lean, mean body to fill Emma Peel's famous cat suit, has a shaky British accent that tends to come and go from scene to scene. Sean Connery, as the brilliantly named villain Sir August de Wynter, seems to be having the time of his life running around wearing a kilt and shouting out every line of dialogue he has. The film, however, moves along during its brisk 89 minutes at such a haywire, roller-coaster pace that it often fails to give the viewer time to register the madness that is happening onscreen. Beautifully shot by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Pratt and featuring gorgeous mod Swinging-'60s-style costumes by Anthony Powell, The Avengers is a film that is wonderful to simply sit back with, letting yourself be sucked into its ludicrous world. Besides, where else will you see an action-packed chase scene featuring a group of guys dressed in Technicolor teddy bear suits? ~ Jason Gibner, All Movie Guide
Neil Lamont - Supervising Art Director, Susie Figgis - Casting, Chris Elliott - Conductor, Anthony Powell - Costume Designer, Terry Needham - First Assistant Director, Jeremiah S. Chechik - Director, Susan Ekins - Executive Producer, Joel McNeely - Composer (Music Score), Chris Elliott - Musical Arrangement, Laurie Johnson - Songwriter, Chris Elliott - Songwriter, Stuart Craig - Production Designer, Roger Pratt - Cinematographer, Jerry Weintraub - Producer, Stephanie McMillan - Set Designer, Clive Winter - Sound/Sound Designer, Nick Davis - Special Effects Supervisor, Don MacPherson - Screenwriter
