Review of The Avengers (1998) by Lindsay Elizabeth M — 16 Aug 2010

"John Steed." What a horse's arse of a name.

And what a mess. Every actor has a failed movie; for George Clooney it was Batman and Robin, and for Ralph Fiennes, it's this one. Although I honestly enjoyed it when I was young, I now found it to be a bit brash and cheesy. The immense talents of Fiennes and Sean Connery were wasted in this film, and the former even admits it. Your honesty, Ralph Fiennes, is truly admirable.

Secret Agent John Steed (Fiennes), whose trademark is a snappy umbrella, and Dr. Emma Peel (Thurman), whose trademark is a black leather catsuit, are given a mission to stop eccentric weather megalomaniac Sir August de Wynter (Connery), from unleashing the power of his new weather machine unto the world. They have a few escapades along the way, such as a puzzling house and the final showdown between Wynter and Steed. Of course, the two main protagonists try to establish some chemistry between them, and although both are extremely attractive, their efforts feel a bit forced (although their exchanges can be witty at times).

I do have one pressing issue: why the hell does Sean Connery have his minions and allies prancing about it Care Bear suits? The man is a former James Bond, for crying out loud! He shouldn't be given a role which has him making his allies wear stupid neon bear suits! Seriously. And I did find Ralph Fiennes adorable, but his character was a far cry from his roles in film gems such as Schindler's List and The Constant Gardener. Uma Thurman kept up a slutty facade (sorry, Uma, I loved you in your other roles), which she carried to her Poison Ivy persona in Clooney's failed film. Sad. This should have been rated with one star, but due to the star power of Fiennes, Connery, and Broadbent, I've rated this two stars.

Have a look and see what you think.