Missing our dog Katy who had to be put down on Saturday :-(
Missing our dog Katy who had to be put down on Saturday :-(
Member since:08.07.2000
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Yesterday, I had a child-free few hours, so went out with Emily (Ophelia). One of the things we did was to go to the cinema and see the new Charlie’s Angels film. I loved the original TV series (with ‘my’ Angels being Cheryl Ladd, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson) and had bought the video of the first film, but I still haven’t got round to watching it! Emily had and assured me it was really good, so we were both looking forward to seeing the sequel.
I have read lots of film reviews on Ciao and Dooyoo and had found a lot of them rather negative, but I tried not to expect anything and came out of the cinema thoroughly entertained. It was a really good movie and we both thought it was great fun and well worth seeing.
Being rather stuck in a 1970s nostalgia timewarp, I loved the continuity from the old TV series. John Forsythe still provides the voice of Charlie (and is, no doubt, still surrounded by beauties in bikinis), the backgrounds of the Angels are still described in a similar way, the old music is there (albeit modernised) and there’s even a cameo appearance from one of the original Angels herself! Ah, bliss.
It is a difficult balance to find when a remake of a beloved TV series hits the big screen. It has to be up to date enough to tap into the teen market, providing enough high-tech special effects and big name draws. But it also has to appeal to the 30-somethings who fondly remember the original and like to see a few nods to those golden days. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle gets the balance exactly right.
The
Angels for the Noughties pretty much follow the old pattern. There are three of them, they’re all beautiful, they’re all slim, they have different hair colours and wear skimpy clothes as often as possible. These days though, wielding guns around corners is passé and the new ‘in’ thing is Matrix-style karate kicks and slow-motion gymnastics.
Cameron Diaz plays Natalie and despite me rather disliking the actress, I liked her in this role. A few minutes into the film, I also found a way to sell this to my husband in only four words – “CAMERON DIAZ IN BUNCHES!” <grin> So, she’s the blonde one whose boyfriend is just moving in with her. She’s a bit silly and dizzy at times, but the three Angels are all strong characters, so the giggly side isn’t taken too far, thankfully.
Drew Barrymore is, in my opinion, the sexiest Angel, as she is the curviest one and has that beautiful mouth. She plays Dylan, whose past we find out more about during this movie. She loves bad guys, several of whom seem to reappear in this one. She is a bit of a rock chick too, but definitely looks better in less grungy outfits. As one of the multi-talented Angels, she certainly gets chance to try out plenty of disguises!
Lucy Liu plays Alex and uses her lovely long black hair to full effect in the film, flicking it in the ‘70s Angels way. Her background is one of being a gymnast and this gave me my favourite cameo, when Bela Karolyi (famous gymnastic coach of Nadia Comaneci) appeared!
The new Angels still have the beauty, glamour and femininity of the ‘70s versions, but have come further with their independence. Whereas they sometimes would need rescuing by a man (often Bosley), these days they tend to do most of the rescuing themselves, with Bosley (now played by Bernie Mac) as more of an accomplice than a saviour. As the mother of three little girls myself, I am happy for them to aspire to the confidence of these Angels. I think Drew Barrymore has a big say in the Angels’ images, as she is one of the producers and I agree with her vision.
The plot of this film is admittedly not the strongest, but that wasn’t a problem for me. Basically, due to the profusion of crimes committed by various gangs in the area, several people have had to go into hiding under the FBI’s Witness Protection Programme. The details of their new identities are stored on two rings, which have gone missing. As the death toll of those protected increases, the Angels have to recover the rings and find out who’s behind the murders. The stakes are high, especially when it is discovered that a familiar name is on the list…
The film is essentially a lot of fun. There is action and comedy in equal measure, with a variety of star cameos to spot throughout. It is fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat action which will keep you interested from start to finish. The special effects are brilliantly done, but of course, tongue in cheek. There are several parodies to spot too, as the film recreates its own versions of The Matrix, Cape Fear, Grease, The Sound of Music and many other familiar movies.
Despite reading many criticisms of Bernie Mac’s Bosley, I found him to be watchable and usually on the right side of irritating. He had some very good one liners and the scenes with his mother provided some good comic elements.
John Cleese was another welcome addition to the cast as Alex’s father. His ignorance of his daughter’s real job is the trigger for several belly laughs and his scenes with Lucy Liu and Matt LeBlanc (who plays Jason, Alex’s boyfriend) are light relief in-between some of the heavier tense action sequences.
Demi Moore is excellent as former Angel, Madison Lee. Looking absolutely stunning (and nowhere near her age of forty), her acting is very good in this film and she is very convincing in the role. She is certainly one of the stars of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
The film’s soundtrack deserves a mention too, with Christina Aguilera, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Beck and Dr. Dre featuring. There is a lovely dance sequence involving the three Angels reliving the M.C. Hammer era, which was one of my favourite parts of the movie.
Overall, I loved the film and will be buying the DVD as soon as I can. It is a wonderful bit of escapism with everything you could want in a film – lots of stars, glamour, great costumes, good music, excitement, action and comedy. I came out of the cinema thoroughly satisfied, happy and smiling. Feel free to criticise my simple tastes and praise your favourite arthouse movie, but for me, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle was brilliant and I can’t wait for more!
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Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
I watched this at the weekend and was very disappointed - it was rubbish! I liked the first film, and like all three actresses in it. It had absolutely no plot and seemed just to be a showcase for rip-offs of other films. Much of the action was not even slightly believeable (the opening sequence for example, was very James Bond, but at least I can believe the Bond opening scenes). It also just seemed to be a vehicle for as many cameos from famous stars as possible - no attention at all to plot. And I think they're overdoing the ditzy role played by Cameron Diaz too.
Ryan74 21.09.2003 05:21
I agree with you on almost every point, the soundtrack I especially liked for this film as it was so knowingly cool and modern. And I agree that Bernie Mac made a fine Bosley, though nowhere near as classy as Bill Murray in the first movie. And my favourite Angel is definitely Diaz.
GentleGiant 30.08.2003 13:24
I was really wanting to see this, but all my mates went to see it while I was on holiday (sob sob). Matt
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttleis a big, fun, bubble-brained mess of a movie and that's ... more
exactly as it should be. Its popular 2000 predecessor got the formula right: gorgeous babes, throwaway plots and as many current pop-cultural trends as you could st...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
America's greatest secret weapon is being unleashed again as Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore ... more
and Lucy Liu reunite in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.The Angels are ready to strike without warning and kick some serious butt as they go undercover to reclaim...
![Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle [DVD] [2003]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78525022.jpg "Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle [DVD] [2003]")
Aug 7th, 2003
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