The Avengers Review
by David Sunga (zookeeper AT criticzoo DOT com)August 26th, 1998
THE AVENGERS (1998)
Rating: 2 stars (out of 4.0)
********************************
Key to rating system:
2.0 stars - Debatable
2.5 stars - Some people may like it
3.0 stars - I liked it
3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie
4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out *********************************
Directed by:
Jeremiah S. Chechik
Written by:
Don MacPherson, from the Sydney Newman television series
Starring:
Uma Thurman, Ralph Fiennes
Synopsis:
The plot revolves around a failed weather project called Prospero, which Mrs. Peel (Uma Thurman) once worked on. British agent John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) joins Peel in investigating, and soon they stumble upon an evil plot to rule the world.
Sir August de Wynter (Sean Connery) is their main adversary. Sir August has a weather machine which can control the weather of any part of the world, and he wants countries to pay him tribute so that he won't attack local weather. Sir August also has a serious Mrs. Peel obsession; he keeps her painted picture up in his room. An island fortress serves as de Wynter's base of operations.
Will Steed and Peel storm the island fortress and defeat de Wynter?
Background:
The original 1960s serial THE AVENGERS featured Patrick MacNee and Diana Rigg as a crime-solving duo. MacNee was John Steed, a dapper veddy British chap, and Rigg was Emma Peel, a young, pretty, insatiably curious, mystery-loving platonic widow friend of Steed's. Together they drove an open-buggy car around the English countryside with a kind of devil-may-care confidence - - cheerfully drinking tea and solving cozy mysteries.
The 1998 version of THE AVENGERS attempts to update these two characters for the 90s, giving us Ralph Fiennes as Steed and Uma Thurman as Emma Peel.
Opinion:
If you're anticipating a sophomoric film, here's a hint: the bad guys are dressed as stuffed animals, and wear big teddy bear costumes. The dialogue seems very forced, and you can find better British accents in THE PARENT TRAP.
Actually the problem with THE AVENGERS is predictability. Right in the beginning, Steed and Peel visit de Wynter's palacial estate to solicit his expertise on weather. They find that de Wynter's mansion grounds are filled with dangerous weather anomalies, and Steed gets attacked.
So we know de Wynter is the bad guy. Instead of busting the guy, Steed and Peel go chasing around, belaboring obvious clues which, of course, point straight back to de Wynter by the movie's end. "Why didn't you tell me about de Wynter?" says Steed to his informant (Patrick MacNee). To which Jones replies, "You didn't ask."
Roll the final battle scene.
Reviewed August 15, 1998
Copyright © 1998 by David Sunga
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