I was sure I'd seen this somewhere before. Yet I hadn't seen either the TV series or the first Charlie's Angels film. So why was this so familiar?

Then it hit me. James Bond. The Matrix. Baywatch. Yes, that was it!! It covered all these films in one! I can picture the scene in the Columbia Pictures film planning room. Drew Barrymore, the sexy producer, talking sideways out of her mouth again to John August, one of the writers?

Drew: "I'm running out of small change ? I want to make a film that will make more .. more ? MORE MONEY!!!"

John: "Better stick to the usual formula film then, luvvey."

Drew: "But they've all been done. They're so yesterday. Oh John, I thought you would know better.""

John: "I just could die for a James Bond story ? that Golden Eye was smashing. I just luuuvvvved the whole thing. Good guy turned bad nasty villain wants to take over the world, only one man can stop him, trained in the same place so they should be evenly matched in the final fight? Ooh, I could crush a grape."

Drew: "Yeah, not bad, but I want to star in it as well as produce it so it'd better be a girl power hero saves the day. Tight outfits, girls using charms to get one over on stupid leering men. Oooh hang on ? I've got the rights to the Charlies Angels. We'll use that again, the last one went OK."

John: "Lots of female flesh would be super. Oh, and if the super heroes are super at everything they do. That would be super too! Even if to learn how to do everything would take a lifetime, this is fiction, after all. Super! How about motocross, I don't think that's been done before."

Drew: "But I can't ride a bike."

John: "Oh. Let's get Cameron and Lucy to do that bit then."

Drew: "No guns. I don't like guns. I want real fighting, you know, martial arty stuff"

John, sighing: "If you say so. But if the baddie has a gun, how do you win using only hands?"

Drew: "We jump."

John: "That's stupid."

Drew: "The Matrix did it."

John: "Yes, but that was because that was the point of the film. Just being able to jump out of the way of machine guns is plain stupid."

Drew: "I don't care. We jump. And no guns for the Angels. They're so 70's."

John: "OK, what about this. I can get hold of all the cameras and special effects people the Matrix used now they've finished with them, so you can jump, OK, luvvey? We'll use some slow-mo to get the fighting to look better. We'll fast forward the film in the slow bits., like walking and stuff. We'll use stunts that are trying to be bigger and better but they end up impossible. You'll be able to walk across the room on a chair. You'll be able to jump out of the way of bullets. You'll be able to fall off the top of a building having been shot and survive without a scratch. You'll be able to have a simply fabulous fight scene at the end ? you know luvvey, the near death thing but be saved at the last minute - then look totally glamorous in the next shot, not a scratch on you. Oooh wonderful. We'll do slow motion running of Demi Moore in a skimpy bikini ? it worked for Baywatch. We'll have some sexy dancing just to keep the men happy, although that doesn't fit in with the story line? but above all, it'll be so stupid it's actually funny! Girl power gone ridiculous."

Drew: "Go on, sounds good to me? do I get to kick the baddies?"

John: "Oh yes, lots of them. One at a time, of course, otherwise you might lose."

Drew: "But I need the classification to be as low as possible to get as many people as possible to see it ? like Batman did."

John: "So you want a lighthearted film which makes fun of itself which has a James Bond storyline but with the special effects, invincibility of heroes, totally impossible fight scenes and special effects of the Matrix. And some female flesh to keep the men happy?"

Drew: "Errm, yes, erm, I think that's about it. But no guns. And I want to get Joey, sorry, I mean, Matt Le Blanc in it too. Call him Jason, that's like, similar, but still different. No-one will know the difference so we'll get the Friends fans coming to watch too. And John Cleese is quite cheap to employ these days ? he could be Lucy's dad. He'll make up for the millions that Demi'll ask for."

John: "But Lucy's oriental, and John's english"

Drew, frowning: "So? Maybe she's adopted? Stop arguing ? remember who's paying your salary!"

John: "Alright, alright, keep your clothes on. Better have several baddies. One has to have a long time grudge against the Angels. That always works for James Bond. You know ? 'hey man, you shot my brother' type luvvey.

Drew: "That sounds perfect! Lets do it. And I want to make us look really cool. It's not every day you get to have a wardrobe on expenses. I don't want to be seen in the same outfit in two scenes running. But make Lucy's more skimpy than ours ? she's got a better body. That'll shut the stupid cow up. Serve her right for being so moody on set!"

John: "Hmm, OK. If you say so."

Drew: "I do. Just do it!! Just make sure I have lots of lipstick on at all times. I want to show off my 'voted the sexiest' big sumptuous lips. Do it, do it do it!!"

And so it came to pass. And it was called "Charlie's Angels, Full Throttle" to emphasise the motocross new bit. And it was very ridiculous. So much so it was actually funny. Although you were laughing AT the film rather than with it. "Oh come off it, you'd never be able to do that". And so it was a hit, simply because it had the formula that film buffs seem to like. Weird camera shots, loose plot you don't have to worry about because you know what's going to happen anyway, titillation, confusing baddies who are also invincible, and a smattering of big names.

Go see it if you dare.