The Movie

[kim]

This movies seems to have caused quite a controversy over the years. There are people who love it. There are people who hate it. And then there are a few who just aren't sure. I've yet to see the movie, but I do have it on order so maybe I'll be able to view it for myself in a week or so. I'm going to try very, very hard to keep an open mind while watching it and try to ignore the fact that the actors that brought me to love the series aren't there. I've been told that it's not a bad movie, just a bad Avenger's movie, so maybe I'll be able to keep that in mind since there were bad episodes, yet they didn't deter me from enjoying the series itself.

What I want to know is why you like or dislike the movie so much. Don't worry. You won't influence my decision to watch it.

[Sam]

I enjoy watching the movie. I've watched it quite a few times. No, it's not the same as the series, but it's still not bad. My only gripe is the butchering they did before it was released. I read the novelisation before I saw it, so at least I knew what was missing, and what was going on. I love Sean Connery's role in it especially.

[kim]

They novelized it? Just great...*checking credit card balance*

[Timeless A-Peel]

They novelized it? Just great...*checking credit card balance*

The novel is pretty good. I've heard people imagien Patrick and Diana while they read it and it works.

But really,I remember watching the movie without knowing there even was a show, and enjoying it as 90 minutes of entertainment. When I went back as a fan, I wept. I take it for what it is. But I've seen way, way worse movies than this one. At least it's not boring, the way a lot of today's excuses for screenplays are.

[Avengerholic]

I'm going to try very, very hard to keep an open mind while watching it

And it certainly appears that way from the title of your topic ! Maybe just The Movie may have been more "open minded" Anyway, it's a brilliant film on so many levels, both good and bad. Visually it's simply stunning, the scenery and set pieces are truly wonderful, the costume designs fabulous, the 60s cars, the entire retro feel of every scene is brilliantly executed. Ralph Fiennes makes a very handsome (if differently interpreted) Steed, and Uma looks fantastically sexy in her leather catsuit. The bears are a colourful bizarre concept, the sterile Avengerland streets of London superbly shot. Boodles, Trubshaws, Hullucinogen Hall, The bee attack on the Jag, all true to 60s Avengerland, they have style and they have magic. Visually, if nothing else, it captures the essense of the series perfectly. The tips of the bowler to the old series ie 'Purdey & Sons' are fun to spot, the opening credits are just stunning and Joels' score is nothing short of superb. Eileen Atkins creates a truly Avengerish character in Alice & Jim Broadbent is excellent as Mother (a character I hated in the series).

Uma is so bad as Emma that she's hilarous. And while IMO not the most attractive of women in the first place, manages to look distorted and hideous in a pink coat and pearl earings the size of dinner plates ! She has to be seen to be believed, but a joy to view for that reason alone. The dialogue is so forced and false between the leads that it actually becomes amusing to listen too, "should we be making plans for tonight ?", "more tea ? I meant me !" I cringe with a strange delight every time I witness that Bentley scene. And unless you've read the novel first, the whole thing has been so badly hacked, that in parts it is something of a mystery to figure out. There were such high expectations of it, and it bombed so badly that it became something of an instant legend. As I said, an intriguing piece of cinema on so many levels. I find every facet of it facinating, even the reaction to it. In truth, just as some find it hard to understand my love for it, I find it difficult to comprehend how anyone can loathe it completely. I've watched it over 100 times in the last decade, and it still never bores or fails to entertain me on some level, for all (and many more) of the reasons mentioned. Nothing makes me more angry that to hear the words "it's not the Avengers" because you see, it is. Love it or mostly loathe it, it's been made. It's now forever part of the shows history, and history, no matter how hard you may want to, can't be changed

[Alan]

I'd agree with all Avengerholic has said. The central casting is probably the biggest challenge to a new viewer, not least because Fiennes and Thurman are at a very basic level trying to recreate characters that do not have a literary source and whose entire legacy is due to the interpretation of two exceptionally popular actors. Putting it bluntly, they struggle. If you approach it simply as a kitsch movie, rather than comparing it with the series, you'll probably find you enjoy it a lot more than if you watch it expecting it to be the colour Peel years MkII.

I have a great fondness for the movie, and fell in love with it the moment I saw it with friends in '98 in San Francisco. They all hated it, and I came out of the cinema on a bubbly high. It's different things to many people - mostly negative things, but I think it's wonderfully entertaining, even in the release version, the cuts to which are well documented.

[Philippa]

I haven't seen the film, and I'm not sure if I ever will.
To me there's only 1 Steed and 1 Emma, and I'm not even the least bit curious about it to be honest.
But after reading here that it's not as terrible as I thought it was, I might, just might watch it someday..

[Artanis]

I've seen the film two or three times and I thought it was okay. It's certainly not as bad as some people say. I think they did a good job at recreating The Avengers universe, which is one thing I like about the movie. And before the film I didn't even know there was a TV show. Everyone should watch the film and decide for themselves if they like it or not.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

These are just some hastily-written notes I wrote about the film - I apologise if it looks rushed - it was. It's just my opinion, which is of equal value - no more, no less, than - anyone else's.

So, where did it all go wrong for The Avengers Movie?

From the opening actually, which is not too bad (as it's merely a copy of The New Avengers' Target. There are other copies/'tributes' to The Avengers (the sword fight from The Town of no Return, the maze (via H R Giger) in The House That Jack Built among them).

There are annoyingly dated visuals things that nark me: the horrible logo with the lower case 'a', wich makes it look more dated than the original classic/iconic logo), Dr. Peel's leather costume, which looks like a reject outfit from Uma Thurman's previous Batman & Robin film, and the 'throw-everything-in-including-the-kitchen-sink') busy film poster.

No Avengers theme music until well into the film.

Uma struggling with the English accent which she makes too high-pitched and annoying and the sheer odd acting from her in the way she delivered the lines. She seems to have absolutely no idea what The Avengers is, or what it's supposed to be.

The lines! The dialogue has absolutely no wit. No irony. There's not a word worth quoting. The humour is forced or inappropriate. The 'Oh f***!' line is unforgivable and so UN Avengers.

Ralph's bowler doesn't sit right on his head (nor does Uma Thurman's wig on her's). His performance is stiff and his version of Steed is WAY off. This is no Patrick Macnee-type performance - nowhere close.

No Avengers atmosphere. It could be any film set in England. The scenery is pretty, the sets are attractive, but as the budget was $80 million it should be.

The fights are bad - nothing memorable. Sean Connery eats the scenery in every scene. He thinks he's bigger than the film. Diabolic Masterminds are supposed to be eccentric and strange-looking. Connery just seems as fake as his toupee.

The whole shambles suddenly forgets what it's supposed to be halfway through and turns into yet another ka-boom/third-rate Bond film halfway through. It is not just a ropy, poor man's version of a Bond movie, it's a rop, poor man's version of Gareth Hunt's Licensed to Love and Kill...

Why was Patrick Macnee attached to this film? To make it an Avengers product? To give it some legitimacy? It didn't work, if that's the case. There was absolutely no point in Pat being in it, as we cannot even see him.

It is not The Avengers. It is just a poor, ill-advised imitation. It can't be connected with The Avengers anymore than the Val Killer/Saint movie can be connected with the Roger Moore TV series. It's set in the 1990s yet Steed and Dr Peel are in their 20s/30s.

The difference between this and The New Avengers (apart from obviously TNA is so much better made and cast) is The New Avengers continues on from The original Avengers. This theft of a film tries to replace it.

In short: It is tiresome, it is counterfeit and it lacks all humour and charm.

[DiVicenzo]

And, here's a review I did for Avengerholic in 2002 - I haven't read it before posting it here because I want it to stay true to when I actually wrote it. It's more observations than a review:

Review of ‘The Avengers’ film by Barry Clarke

I have watched the said film a few times now and each time I *do* enjoy a little more. When I was ‘reviewing’ I found that I looked at the film differently and found there was quite a lot I liked. So, I just made a list as the film progressed of what I did and didn’t like and this ‘review’ is merely a list – sometimes not in any order:

I think the opening would have worked better using the title music from the Emma and Tara episodes and then we would have firmly known where we are. As much as I like the music used it told me just to expect another Hollywood film.

I liked the opening homage to The New Avengers episode ‘Target’ (which is one of my favourite NA episodes) but Ralph cannot carry a bowler, it has to be said – sorry Ralph!

Love the nuns smoking in the background.

Jim Broadbent as usual was fantastic – I loved his ‘Mother’ portrayal.

I know this film takes place between the Cathy and Emma eras but I didn’t like Emma being called Doctor – don’t know why. Maybe because we have never heard her be called doctor before.

Emma’s costumes were fantastic and if nothing else Uma Thurman has the right body to carry them off.

Hated the scene where she answers the door to the bellboy, or whatever you call ‘em. When she makes that little whimpering sound it makes my stomach turn. Emma Peel just wouldn’t be ‘amused’ by a boy.

The Avengers banter is flat – Ralph is one of greatest actors but he just couldn’t deliver those lines and the less said about Uma-Ainta-Emma the better.

Every time I watch it I swear that if they mention tea again I’ll go up the wall! Where’s the sherry and biscuits?

And, macaroons! They are Mrs Overall’s domain!

Liked the deserted streets.

Liked the idea of bad Emma.

Liked the swordfight and the references to our series – ‘More flexibility in the wrist’.

I am not a fan of Eddie Izzard and I know he’s a big Emma Peel/Diana Rigg fan but why, oh why was he in this film? And, why, oh why did he use the word ‘fuck’ in The Avengers?

Loved all the snow globes and the magnifying glasses at deWynter’s place and that little Avengers touch with offering a brolly.
At Wonderland Weather the special effects in the globes were superb and it was very funny with the muzak playing ‘Raindrops Keep falling On My Head’

The Teddy Bear scene is very annoying and totally out of place. Not at all Avengers to me.

As was the flying wasps – what were they all about?

Eileen Atkins delivers a line perfectly with ‘Cocky little bastard’ – not very Avengers but funny.

I think Eileen Atkins’ character; Alice hearkens back to The Girl from AUNTIE and Steed’s aunts.

Loved the maze – apparently this was rebuilt at Pinewood because they had damaged it whilst filming at Hatfield House and were told to ‘Get out’!

Loved that staircase, which hearkened back to The House That Jack Built and the smashed bust being the replacement for Dian’s lipstick.

Emma was very lucky with that mirror, don’t you think? How did she know there wasn’t a brick wall behind it?

The scene with Steed and Emma and the boots was far too sexy for The Avengers – but, I am a bit of a prude.

Now, I am of the school that Emma & Steed may have been lovers and once I realised the time period of the film being between Cathy and Emma series I could bear the kiss a bit more, but I really didn’t want to see it.

Loved Patty Nee as Invisible Jones – thank God he was in the film!

A most embarrassing performance by our Uma in the padded cell but a fabulous line from Father: ‘How real do you feel Mrs Peel?’

Loved Mother chain-smoking and how he is tipped in the snow and says ‘Don’t mind me’ and another line here is ‘It really isn’t Mother’s Day’

The ending was good with the duo arising from the Thames to the strains of our theme.

Well, that’s it!

Oh and the sets were great and the special effects not bad!