Ass expected (Charlie's Angels (DVD))

Member Name: Slim Lee

Product:	Charlie's Angels (DVD)
Date:	24/04/01 (671 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good fight scenes and pokes at other films in the genre

Disadvantages: Way too much cleavage shots that it becomes FAR too obvious!

Not being old enough (just) to have seen much of the original series, apart from the odd unwatchable re-run (I just can’t watch anything with flares THAT big in it), I wasn’t really that sure what to expect from the updated film version. After watching it, part of me suspects that Columbia Pictures weren’t too sure either!

Anyway, enough of that, I better get through the plot first.


• Plot (No spoilers – honest!)


Easy part of the opinion this, as there isn’t too much of a plot to outline! This wasn’t too much of a shock, as I hadn’t expected a lot, especially after seeing that Drew Barrymore was a co-producer on it.

To keep it short and sweet, a group of three unlikely women (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu) are secret crime fighters, working for the shadowy figure of Charlie Townsend. The middleman between Charlie and his “Angels” is Bosley (Bill Murray). His latest assignment for the trio is to rescue a kidnapped client and recover stolen technical information from a rival company.

That’s about all I can tell you without giving anything away, although I’m sure it wouldn’t spoil the film too much for you, as you’ll guess the twists very early on in the film. If you read the blurb on the back of the DVD box before watching the film it drops far too many hints. Not fair Columbia!

Very much in the vein of the Mission Impossible films and most of the James Bond ones, the plot is skating on thin ice, but it doesn’t really matter. Does anyone really give a hoot about the plot in James Bond films? No. So you shouldn’t with this one either.


• The Talent

Lots of hype surrounded this film even before they started filming, mainly on who would be playing the parts of the three Angels. Cameron Diaz was inked in pretty early on, closely after Drew Barrymore (who as co-producer was al
ways going to star), and finally, after many other actresses turned it down (allegedly), Lucy Liu came on board to complete the trio.

The film hinges on how well they click together, and to be fair they do pull it off, even if Lucy Liu looks at times like she couldn’t care less. She is in danger of being typecast as the moody man-hater (see Ally McBeal for proof). Cameron Diaz plays the dizzy blonde (think Something About Mary but even more dizzy) to perfection and Drew Barrymore, well, erm … she seems to be playing herself as the wild child who jumps from bed to bed!

I couldn’t believe how blatantly they used the three lead actresses in this film. So many scenes with so much bare flesh!! Want to see Diaz opening the door to the postman in her underwear? Barrymore rolling down a hill butt naked? Wet suits that DO NOT zip up! The cynic in me can’t believe how far they went to attract the male audience, and I find it even harder to believe the actresses agreed to some of the shots! Diaz really does like to shake her booty that’s for sure …

No Oscars nominations will be forthcoming that’s for sure, but it isn’t that bad. Tim Curry puts a camp stint in as the devious mastermind, whilst other names to note are a brief appearance in the opening sequence by LL Cool J, a solid turn by Kelly Lynch, a dull as watching paint dry role for Matt Le Blanc as the love interest to Lucy Liu (what a challenge that was to take on!) and a weird role for MTVs Tom Green as the spaced out Chad (or The Chad as he likes to be called). Crispin Glover as the “Thin Man” just didn’t do it for me; I couldn’t help but laugh at the hair cut every time he came on screen.


• Special Effects and other bits


The best bits of the film without a doubt are the fight scenes, which have been well choreographed by Cheung-Yan Yuen, who is a Hong Kong action film choreographer and
trainer. It shows in how well the moves are executed, even with all the camera tricks. Lots of the scenes will remind you strongly of The Matrix and Blade, particularly the bullet scene and the one where Diaz and Lynch’s character dive at each other. Another notable rip-off is the bell failing down through floors … The Crow anyone??

A lot of these take offs are done very much tongue in cheek. If you’ve watched lots of James Bond movies, both Mission Impossibles and The Matrix then you will recognise quite a lot here. For explosions and fight scenes it is very stiff competition for MI2 indeed.

The direction is pretty good, not that you’ll pay too much attention to it, but that’s normally the mark of some good work in my book (when you don’t notice anything).

The soundtrack is one of the most varied I’ve seen in a film, from bands such as Korn, Appolo Four Forty and the Prodigy, to at the other end of the spectrum Destiny’s Child, to the obscure quick excerpts from Rod Stewart and Leo Sayer!


• Verdict


Not for those of you wanting something to keep your brain ticking over, and definitely not one for those of you who hate those little inaccuracies in films (i.e. he couldn’t have possibly got out from that explosion). But, if like me, you enjoy turning your brain off once in a while and just watching a film for pure entertainment they Charlie’s Angels is pretty good.

If you liked Mission Impossible 2 then you’ll probably like this one too, it’s in the same vein except that this one is far more into the comic side of things. A bit daft at times but it knows it and doesn’t really care either.

As far as the final rating goes on this one i'm wavering between a three and a four star one. I'll be generous for once (as it is quite enjoyable) and plump for the former. The humour is quite cheesy so may have a few of y
ou cringing in places but as an action flick it's not bad.

I’ve got the Region 1 (USA) DVD Special Edition, which is packed with features, but unless you’re sure about this film I’d recommend you rent it out first. The region 2 (UK) version and video release will take another couple of months before they are released in the UK, so if you want to see it now in the comfort of your own home then get the Region 1 disc. You should be able to snap it up for £16.99 from www.play247.com as I did.

Summary: