The Avengers (1998)

Director:

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers (WGA):

Sydney Newman (television series The Avengers)
Don MacPherson (written by)

Release Date:

14 August 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Mrs. Peel, we're needed.

Plot:

Two British agents (John Steed and Emma Peel) team up to stop Sir August De Wynter from destroying the world with a weather changing machine.

Plot Keywords:

Weather | British | Secret Agent | Lightning | Sequel

Awards:

1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Ralph Fiennes	...	John Steed
Uma Thurman	...	Emma Peel
Sean Connery	...	Sir August de Wynter
Patrick Macnee	...	Invisible Jones (voice)
Jim Broadbent	...	Mother
Fiona Shaw	...	Father
Eddie Izzard	...	Bailey
Eileen Atkins	...	Alice
John Wood	...	Trubshaw
Carmen Ejogo	...	Brenda
Keeley Hawes	...	Tamara
Shaun Ryder	...	Donavan
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Dr. Darling
Michael Godley	...	Butler
Richard Lumsden	...	Boodle's Porter
Daniel Crowder	...	Messenger
Nadim Sawalha	...	World Council of Ministers
Christopher Godwin	...	World Council of Ministers
David Webber	...	World Council of Ministers

Directed by
Jeremiah S. Chechik		(as Jeremiah Chechik)

Writing credits (WGA)
Sydney Newman		(television series The Avengers)
Don MacPherson		(written by)

Produced by
Susan Ekins	....	executive producer
Jerry Weintraub	....	producer

Original Music by
Joel McNeely

Cinematography by
Roger Pratt

Film Editing by
Mick Audsley

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Stuart Craig

Art Direction by
Andrew Ackland-Snow
Mark Harris
Michael Lamont
Neil Lamont		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Stephanie McMillan

Costume Design by
Anthony Powell

Makeup Department
Kay Georgiou	....	hair stylist
Peter King	....	makeup artist: Ms. Thurman (hair stylist: Ms. Thurman)
Paolo Mantini	....	key hair stylist
Daniel Parker	....	key makeup artist
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stephen Barker	....	post-production supervisor
Susie Ford	....	production manager: model unit
Michael Murray	....	production manager: second unit
Gerry Toomey	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vic Armstrong	....	second unit director
Peter Bennett	....	assistant second unit director (as Peter Bennett Sr.)
Max Brown	....	third assistant director
Thomas Guard	....	third assistant director
Harvey Harrison	....	second unit director
Christopher Mullane	....	third assistant director
Terry Needham	....	first assistant director
Adam Somner	....	second assistant director
Arthur Wooster	....	second unit director
Chris Steenolsen	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Phil Stoole	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Phil Stoole	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Brian Bishop	....	scenic artist
Alastair Bullock	....	art department assistant
Max Dennison	....	model artist: model unit
Sylvain Despretz	....	concept artist
Kavin Hall	....	paint foreman
Lubo Hristov	....	art director: Cinesite (as Lubo Hristow)
Gary Ixer	....	stand-by propman
Carol Kupisz	....	graphic designer
Simon Lamont	....	art director: second unit
Nicola Levinsky	....	art department assistant
Dominic Masters	....	assistant art director
Miraphora Mina	....	assistant set decorator
Jim Morahan	....	assistant art director
Ken Pattenden	....	construction foreman (as Kenny Pattenden)
Brian Read	....	assistant set decorator
Michael Redding	....	construction coordinator
Denis Rich	....	storyboard artist
Lucinda Thomson	....	assistant art director
Sara-Jane Valentine	....	art department coordinator
Alexandra Walker	....	art department assistant (as Alex Walker)
Barry Wilkinson	....	property master
Jamie Wilkinson	....	stand-by prop
Simon Wilkinson	....	stand-by prop
Tony Wright	....	storyboard artist
Sylvain Despretz	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Peter Dorme	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Peter Francis	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Alan Gilmore	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Stephen Morahan	....	draughtsperson (uncredited)
Daniel Thompson	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Matthew Desorgher	....	boom operator
Stephen Gilmour	....	sound maintenance
Guy Hake	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Hancock	....	studio sound technician
Peter Joly	....	supervising sound editor
Danny Longhurst	....	dialogue editor
Mike Prestwood Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound effects editor
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Rose	....	assistant sound editor
Ian Wilson	....	foley editor
Clive Winter	....	sound mixer
Stuart Wilson	....	sound effects recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jonathan Angell	....	special effects
John Brown	....	special effects
Michael Dawson	....	special effects (as Mike Dawson)
Kevin Draycott	....	special effects
Rodney Fuller	....	special effects
John Holmes	....	special effects
Rob Malos	....	special effects
Kevin Mathews	....	special effects
Brian Morrison	....	special effects
Roger Nichols	....	special effects
Paul Whybrow	....	special effects coordinator second unit
Joss Williams	....	special effects supervisor
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects coordinator second unit
Mark Woollard	....	supervising modeller: props
Brian Best	....	model maker (uncredited)
Duncan Capp	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garry Cooper	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor (uncredited)
Keith Dawson	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Paul Dunn	....	special effects crew (uncredited)
Manex Efrem	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Doug McCarthy	....	special effects technician: model unit (uncredited)
Peter Norcliffe	....	model maker (uncredited)
Benjamin Palmer	....	animatronic engineer (uncredited)
Matthew Roberts	....	special effects crew (uncredited)
Colin Shulver	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Jody Taylor	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Neil Toddy Todd	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
David Watkins	....	model unit technician (uncredited)
Andy Williams	....	supervisor: action unit (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Helen Ball	....	2D digital artist: digital unit
Steven Begg	....	effects animation designer: digital unit (as Steve Begg)
Alex Bicknell	....	digital effects producer: Cinesite
Ian Biggs	....	special effects floor supervisor: model unit
Nigel Blake	....	model supervisor: model unit
Gary Blowfield	....	video operator: model unit
Angus Cameron	....	digital supervisor: digital unit
David Carrigan	....	assistant production supervisor: model unit
Chas Cash	....	3D animator: Cinesite (as Charles Cash)
Dave Child	....	3D animator: Cinesite Europe
Nik Cooper	....	special effects technician: model unit
Gary Coulter	....	model animator: model unit
Brenda Coxon	....	production accountant: model unit
Tracy Curtis	....	model supervisor: model unit
Nick Davis	....	visual effects supervisor
Alexandra Day	....	visual effects coordinator
Max Dennison	....	model artist: model unit
Catherine Duncan	....	production coordinator: Cinesite
Paul Elman	....	assistant visual effects editor
Joe Felix	....	camera grip: model unit
Susie Ford	....	production manager: model unit (as Suzie Ford)
Mark Gardiner	....	process plate cameraman
Caroline Garrett	....	model animator: model unit
Chris George	....	3D computer animator: Cinesite
Chris Gibbons	....	digital compositor: Cinesite
Dan Glass	....	visual effects lead animator: CFC
José Granell	....	production supervisor: model unit
John Grant	....	film scanning and recording: model unit
Chris Greenwood	....	plasterer department head: model unit
Charity Hobbs-Wood	....	prodution assistant: model unit
David Houghton-Williams	....	digital compositor: Cinesite (as David Williams)
Lubo Hristov	....	art director: Cinesite Europe
Robin Huffer	....	2D digital artist: digital unit
Antony Hunt	....	model and visual effects producer: model unit
Andrew Jeffery	....	film controller: model unit
Matt Johnson	....	digital compositor: Cinesite (as Matthew Johnson)
Ken Kittens	....	special effects technician: model unit
Sharon Lark	....	visual effects producer: CFC
Katherine Lofting	....	model coordinator: model unit
Roger Lofting	....	model and visual effects producer: model unit
David Man	....	digital compositor: Cinesite
Chris Martin	....	model supervisor: model unit
Tori Martin	....	prodution assistant: model unit
Adam McInnes	....	model animator: model unit
Jacqui Mitchell	....	special effects technician: model unit
John Morgan	....	camera operator: model unit
Karl Morgan	....	focus puller: model unit
Alison O'Brien	....	visual effects producer: CFC
Daniel Pettipher	....	Domino artist: digital unit
Dave Poole	....	special effects workshop supervisor: model unit
Sarah Robinson	....	production coordinator: model unit
John Rogers	....	gaffer: model unit
Sue Rowe	....	digital composite supervisor: Cinesite
Robbie Scott	....	model supervisor: model unit
Roy Scott	....	model supervisor: model unit
Frank Sheeky	....	best boy: model unit (as Frank Sheekey)
Andy Stevens	....	clapper loader: model unit
Nigel Stone	....	director of photograpy: model unit
Charles Tait	....	digital compositor
Niki Wakefield	....	digital composite supervisor: Cinesite
Russ Woolnough	....	visual effects editor
Keith Barton	....	technical support: Cinesite (uncredited)
Nick Bonathan	....	modeler (uncredited)
Nathalie Buce	....	3D animator: Cinesite (uncredited)
Sonia Calvert	....	digital compositor: Cinesite (uncredited)
Kevin Campbell	....	software developer (uncredited)
Dayne Cowan	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)
Adrian De Wet	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Paddy Eason	....	digital effects designer (uncredited)
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC (uncredited)
Dan Harrod	....	data operations (uncredited)
Oliver James	....	research and development (uncredited)
John Lockwood	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)
Thomas Lopatka	....	digital compositing support: title sequence (uncredited)
Jon Meakins	....	model maker (uncredited)
Dennis Michelson	....	visual effects: CFC (uncredited)
Elizabeth Moore	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Mark Nelmes	....	digital effects designer (uncredited)
Clare Norman	....	lineup & editorial: Cinesite (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	scanning and recording producer: CFC (uncredited)
Paula Pope	....	digital trainee (uncredited)
Fedele Rinaldi	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Candice Scott	....	lead digital compositor: title sequence (uncredited)
Simon Staines	....	computer graphics designer (uncredited)
Bill Thomas	....	model maker (uncredited)
Gavin Toomey	....	digital effects designer (uncredited)
Courtney Vanderslice	....	head of production: Cinesite (uncredited)
Tim Wellspring	....	visual effects coordinator: CFC (uncredited)
Pete Williams	....	scanning and recording manager (uncredited)

Stunts
Shelly Benison	....	stunts
Marc Boyle	....	stunt coordinator
Marc Cass	....	stunt double: Eddie Izzard
Gabe Cronnelly	....	stunts
Ray De-Haan	....	stunts
Jamie Edgell	....	stunts
Candice Evans	....	stunts
Dave Fisher	....	stunts
Dorothy Ford	....	stunts (as Dorothy Anne Ford)
Sarah Franzl	....	stunt double: Uma Thurman
Sarah Franzl	....	stunts
Paul Herbert	....	stunts
William Hobbs	....	swordfight arrangements
Sy Hollands	....	stunt double: Uma Thurman
Sy Hollands	....	stunts
Eunice Huthart	....	stunt double: Uma Thurman
Eunice Huthart	....	stunts
Paul Jennings	....	stunts
Vincent Keane	....	stunts
Paul Lonergan	....	stunts
Tony Lucken	....	stunts
Mark Mottram	....	stunts
Ray Nicholas	....	stunts
Adrian O'Neil	....	stunts
Eddie Stacey	....	stunt coordinator: second unit
Rachael Stephens	....	stunts
Steen Young	....	stunts
Dickey Beer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gabe Cronnelly	....	stunt double: Sean Connery (uncredited)
Joss Gower	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Lee Sheward	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mik Allen	....	second assistant camera
David Appleby	....	dolly grip
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Marc Atherfold	....	clapper loader: second unit
David Budd	....	camera operator: second unit
Ciro Candia	....	second assistant camera
Mike Evans	....	first assistant camera: second unit
John Fletcher	....	first assistant camera: second unit
John Foster	....	first assistant camera
Steve Foster	....	gaffer: second unit
Harvey Harrison	....	director of photography: second unit
David Hughes	....	rigging gaffer
Simon Hume	....	first assistant camera
Alan Martin	....	chief lighting technician
Jason Martin	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Philip Murray	....	dolly grip
Simon Ransley	....	camera operator
Peter Robertson	....	camera operator
Peter Taylor	....	camera operator: second unit
Chris Warren	....	video playback operator
Darren Bailey	....	remote camera technician (uncredited)
Adam Dale	....	aerial camera operator (uncredited)
Adam Dale	....	aerial director of photography (uncredited)
Laurence Edwards	....	crane technician (uncredited)
Danny Espey	....	practical electrician (uncredited)
Pat Garrett	....	grip (uncredited)
Alan Grayley	....	electrician (uncredited)
Eugene Grobler	....	electrician (uncredited)
Martin Kenzie	....	camera operator: car chase unit (uncredited)
Phil Murray	....	grip (uncredited)
Ron Nicholls	....	grip (uncredited)
Howard Smith	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Jonathan Taylor	....	director of photography: car chase unit (uncredited)
Marc Wolff	....	camera pilot (uncredited)

Animation Department
Charles Cash	....	3-D computer animator: Cinesite
Dave Child	....	3-D computer animator: Cinesite

Casting Department
Kate Bryden	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
David Croucher	....	wardrobe
Ken Crouch	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Kenny Crouch)
Nathalie Duerinckx	....	assistant costume designer
Mark Holmes	....	wardrobe master
Jane Lewis	....	wardrobe mistress
Janet Lucas-Wakely	....	wardrobe
Dave Croucher	....	costumes (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mags Arnold	....	digital assistant editor
David Burrows	....	second assistant editor
Kate Higham	....	first assistant editor
Peter Hunt	....	color timer
Amy Quince	....	third assistant editor
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter
Bill Daly	....	post-production executive (uncredited)
Fred Fouquet	....	editor: main title sequence (uncredited)
Asha Radwan	....	assistant editor: on-location (uncredited)

Music Department
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
Michael Connell	....	supervising music editor
Marius De Vries	....	music supervisor
Joel McNeely	....	conductor
Joel McNeely	....	orchestrator
Shawn Murphy	....	score recordist
Craig Pettigrew	....	music editor
David Slonaker	....	orchestrator
Steve Browell	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)
Chris Elliott	....	conductor (uncredited)
Chris Elliott	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Duncan Barbour	....	action vehicle coordinator
Maurice Newsome	....	transportation coordinator
Gerry Turner	....	driver (uncredited)
Gerry Turner	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Nicola Armstrong	....	assistant: Mr. Connery
Rosie Bedford-Stradling	....	first aid
Erica Bensly	....	production coordinator
Terry Blyther	....	location manager
Allan Bradshaw	....	assistant: Mr. Chechik
Jennifer Collen-Smith	....	unit publicist
Keith Hatcher	....	location manager
Gary Jones	....	financial controller
Sharon Mansfield	....	script supervisor: second unit
Eth Ibrahim Maynard	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Caroline Moore	....	production secretary
Debbie Moseley	....	production office assistant
Gary Nixon	....	production accountant
Matthew O'Toole	....	assistant accountant
Kim Pinkstaff	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Katherine Teakle	....	first aid (as Kate Teakle)
Emma Tillinger	....	assistant: Ms. Thurman
Becky Veduccio	....	assistant: Mr. Fiennes
Tania Vujic-Powell	....	assistant: Mr. Chechik (as Tania Powell)
Nick Waldron	....	assistant location manager
Sarah Waldron	....	production office assistant
Ari Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Jamie Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Jody Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Joseph Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Julie Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub (as Julee Weintraub)
Rachel Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Sarah Weintraub	....	assistant: Mr. Weintraub
Kirsten Welles	....	assistant: Mr. Chechik
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	dialogue coach (as Julia Wilson-Dixon)
Anna Worley	....	script supervisor
Richard Bonehill	....	assistant sword master (uncredited)
Kyle Cooper	....	title designer: main title sequence (uncredited)
Karin Fong	....	title designer (uncredited)
Lori Freitag-Hild	....	compositor: main title (uncredited)
Emma Mager	....	production coordinator: second unit (uncredited)
Justin Owen	....	computer and video systems (uncredited)
Rob Seager	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
John J. Tomko	....	production executive (uncredited)
Marcel Valcarce	....	artist: main titles (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Jerry Weintraub Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1998) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1998) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (1998) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (1999) (Argentina) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Cinesite (digital special effects and computer graphics animation) (as Cinesite Europe)
• Computer Film Company, The (CFC)
• Magic Camera Company, The (miniatures and visual effects)
• Mill Films (I)
• The Magic Model Company (model construction)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• 1st Unit Caterering  catering
• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Atlantic Records  soundtrack
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Flying Cam  close range aerial photography
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Imaginary Forces  main titles
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Panavision UK  camera and grip eqiupment
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Rover Group  mini provided by
• Technicolor  film processing (as Technicolor Film Services)
• Technicolor  prints (as Technicolor Film Services)
• The Magic Model Company  model construction
• Useful Company  playback
• Warner Sunset Records  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Philippines:G | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36085)

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Roger Lloyd-Pack filmed scenes as a professor but the scenes were deleted from the final print.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Snowflakes on hands and face should melt.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
John Steed, Emma Peel: Tea?

Movie Connections:

Remake of "The New Avengers" (1976)

Soundtrack:

STORM

A wonderfully retro, stylish, tongue-in-cheek movie adaptation

Whenever the movies The Avengers or Batman and Robin are mentioned the most likely reactions are telling of someone who has seen and feels burned by what they saw (until recently myself included). That the two of these films star Uma Thurman is unfortunate. However, I would argue that The Avengers isn't all that bad. Having recently viewed some of the original television series I have come to appreciate what was attempted with the movie.

This movie's tag-line is 'Saving the world in style' and that's precisely what it does. The Avengers is not a rough-and-tumble James Bond or Mission Impossible type action-adventure but a retro-stylish tongue-in-cheek jaunt through the marvelously preposterous diabolical schemes of an over-the-top madman. The tongue-in-cheek humour grates on most viewers but it is essential to this particular film in that it honours the source material wonderfully.

The casting of Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman is spot on, the overt double entendres between them is light and playful and they handle it with aplomb. The supporting cast is filled with wonderful character actors from Britan and Ireland including the likable Jim Broadbent and the delicious Fiona Shaw. Original TV series star Patrick Macnee makes an inventive cameo appearance.

If the film falls short in any way it is with Sean Connery. He is never presented with enough material to chew upon, and my only guess is that (seeing as it is a relatively short film) some of his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.

That said, I think the film delivers precisely what it set out to do. That audiences stayed away and fans balked is a shame as it is a gloriously retro, stylish yet restrained romp. The opening title sequence is superb, the music fits perfectly and scenes such as the climactic inflatable ball river-walkers could have been iconic.

Worth a look, in the right mood. I suggest watching some of the original episodes first. This is no action movie clone... Makes you wish it had been a success to see where they would have gone with a sequel.