This was a film I spent a good 2 months getting psyched up over during the summer of it's release. Why? Because the trailer was pretty cool (it contained the way groovy song "Get Duffy" by Primal Scream!), I owned every single (Emma Peel) Avengers episode (way before A&E made it easy for everyone) on video and Uma looked pretty neat-o in a weird outfit. Did I have my doubts? Sure! This was being made by the director who brought us "Benny And Joon"! (God, how I hate that film!) Well, on the day of the release I began to really sweat. First there were no reviews to speak of (that being always a very bad sign) and while waiting in line people were coming out of the theatre grumbling "lame", "don't waste your money!", and "where did I park my car, again?" So maybe in a way, I wanted to like it, because everyone hated it. Oh, and I was hoping to hear that "Primal Scream" song in the movie again. Well, unfortunately the song was only in the trailer, so that was a let down, but the film did manage to put me in some kind of hypnotic dream state that neither fully enthralled or fully entertained me. It just sort of existed like a weird pot haze state. Did I appreciate the liberties it took on one of my favourite tv shows? Not really. Emma Peel's character was reduced to a neurotic victim, versus the ass-kicking woman that the show had depicted. Mr. Steed was a little too foppish and suffered terribly from an over abundance of blush (they should have fired the make-up department)? A friend of mine met Patrick (the original Mr. Steed) and he'd mentioned that there were some great moments in the film that were edited out at the last moment? Also, I can recall reading that they did some last minute special effects tweaking? Maybe a director's cut is in order? Was it the best film I ever saw? Nope! What I have found with a lot of films though, is that everyone has such strong opinions of a film that really doesn't warrant much of a reaction. I mean if people really want to explore BAD films, then surly there is definitely worthier candidates then this one. It has a lot of cool (though I'm not a big fan of digital, but..) effects, and the color is bright enough to keep most viewers awake. The acting is a little shakey, but at least the cast was attractive. The characters remind me more of the last season episodes with Tara King, more then the Emma Peel ones. It does have some great surreal imagery though. The colorful bear outfits are like some opium induced (or "Grateful Dead" inspired) dream. If I was a child I could have had nightmares for days. Also, I thought the landscape of the new England was pretty inspired. It had a cold almost isolated feel of another planet. An alien environment like the isolated villages I use to view in the TV show. I spend (unfortunately) a lot of time at jobs that just allow me to surf the net for a living (life of a receptionist), and I spend many of the hours reading a lot of reviews from people who should not be reviewing films, but "hey, it's freedom of speech". And then I spend the latter part of my day watching films that no one could be bothered to watch. Why is it that a film relatively harmless as this one gets such outrages and attention, when a film director like John Cassavetes gets barely 4 reviews a film? But I find it interesting that (for the most part) all reviews as whole put together all the thoughts on a film. I've read reviews of films I love and can't get enough of, and found myself giggling at someones "bad" review of it. Why? Because film in general takes people places that they don't necessarily ask to be taken to, or change the way a person usually predicts it should be. Depends on the mood. One film is just one interpetation of an idea. A film does not have to be the last word on a topic, but rather an opinion. At least it tried a little harder to hit the mark then the "Mod Squad" remake. In a way I highly recommend everyone see this film, because it's different from the typical Hollywood turn out, and someone at a studio decided to drop millions of dollars on it with people spending hundreds of hours making it. Will there be a sequel? I should predict not. So hey, it's a one off deal. For all the people that hate it...you're eyes will bleed no longer. I predict that this will be Sean Connery's second "Zardoz" (and I love "Zardoz"). In 50 years, people will look to this film and think..."hella weird" (due, no doubt to the failed sense of British humour. And for those people who come onto this review and gag... well just look into your own reviews and see the duds you've been championing. Because I have.
Review of The Avengers
