Year:
2000
Studio:
Columbia Pictures
Movie:
4/5
DVD:
4/5
Charlie's Angels
is a fun action movie that is a modern update of the classic television
series. These trio of angels are not the angels of the television
series, they are the successors to that legacy (which is made more
apparent in the sequel movie). Natalie (Cameron Diaz), Dylan (Drew
Barrymore) and Alex (Lucy Liu) are more photogenically diverse than the
originals and the action sequences makes this trio much more athletic
and capable than the originals.
The angels still work for Charlie (John Forsythe reprising the voice)
and they're still detectives with Bosley (Bill Murray) as the sort of
administrator and Charlie's right-hand man. Their current assignment is
to rescue brilliant software engineer Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell), who has
been kidnapped by his corporate competitor Roger Corwin (Tim Curry).
They go undercover at a party and rescue Eric, then have to infiltrate
Corwin's company to recover the stolen software.
In their mission they are opposed by the Thin Man (Crispin Glover), who
does not speak but plays a big part in the movie. Surprisingly, about
2/3rds of the way through the movie we find out that Corwin is not the
bad guy, it's actually Eric and his partner Vivian (Kelly Lynch). It's
all been a ruse to get into Corwin's computer center and use their
satellites, combined with Eric's software, to track down the man that
murdered father in Vietnam -- one Charles Townsend. It's an unexpected
twist and rather well done in my opinion.
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Naturally, the
angels have to regroup after being backstabbed by Eric. They track him
down and through some more fight scenes finally stop him at Charly's
front doorstep. But of course when the angels walk in to see who Charly
really is, he's already gone.
The DVD has about 30 minutes of featurettes behind the scenes stuff.
There are two music videos and I think three deleted scenes. Commentary
track is provided by director Joseph McGinty Nichol and cinamotrapher
Russell Carpenter. Nichol is extremely effusive and upbeat in the
commentary and the featurettes. It's entertaining listening to him talk
about the movie.
What I liked: three kick-ass babes who are smart and capable. The
movie's big twist of villains. The Cameron Diaz-Kelly Lynch showdown.
Diaz's goofy and endearing character Natalie.
What I didn't like: the whole "you have to be invisible to get past the
camera" was a bit silly, as was the computer vault in an alcove off of
a main hallway. Dylan's moonwalk? That wasn't a moonwalk.
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