Charlie's Angels DVD > Reviews > Charlies Angels

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Satisfactory
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Good
Soundtrack	Outstanding

Advantages:	good old action movie
Disadvantages:	not much of a plot

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This year I have seen a number of great movies. I've also seen some real howlers. Charlie's Angels has both feet firmly in the first category, and is easily one of the best movies of it's genre, ever.

Yes, it's cheesy. Yes, it's slickly produced. But, unlike so many recent films to which that description could be easily applied (Hollow Man, The Cell), Angels is so obviously aware of it's own blatant ridiculousness. For this, it is to be applauded. Sitting through MI:2, another 70's action-based TV show turned into a slick, effects-driven third-millennial movie, you get the horrible feeling that the directors really believed they could turn a ridiculous, campy TV show into some deep and meaningful social critique. No such high-brow pretentiousness in this film - from the opening scene, which slots in a barely-audible conciously self-mocking one-liner, all the way through every clever reference and spoofed scene, through every pointless chase and exaggerated fight-scene, through every nodding innuendo, predictable plot twist and traditional baddie, McG and his cast have made a film which acknowledges all the tongue-in-cheek sass and cheesiness present in the original.

70s TV cop shows, of which Angels was perhaps the perfect example, revelled in their lack of plot but enormous amount of explosions, random car chases and beautiful characters. The clichés in this film are not lazily slotted in through lack of invention, but deliberately sprinkled throughout to give the whole piece a knowing quality. Even the cinematography is deliberately plagiristic of the 70s TV show.

In fact, Angels is nearly as referential as anything Kevin Smith has put his name to. Just check out Drew Barrymore's ET shirt for proof of that. I get the impression that alot of people were expecting a M:I2 style remake, and thus missed the point of this wonderful film.

If you want a great Kung-fu movie, go rent "Enter the Dragon". If you want a deep and meaningful plot, "Fight Club" has been released on DVD. If you want a day-glo cross between Mystery Men, Austin Powers and any James Bond movie you care to mention, all wrapped up in a stunning soundtrack and very modern effects, go see Charlie's Angels.