CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE
US, 2003, 106 minutes, Colour.
Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bernie Mac, Demi Moore, Robert Patrick, Rodrigo Santoro, Shia la Boeuf, John Cleese, Carrie Fisher, Jaclyn Smith, Bruce Willis, Justin Theroux, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Matt Le Blanc.
Directed by Mc G.
Full Throttle is as apt a title as any for this sequel to the popular action show, Charlie's Angels, and tribute to the popular television series of the 1970s. (Part of the tribute is in still using John Forsythe's voice for Charlie and having Jaclyn Smith appear to Drew Barrymore, like a guardian angel, to urge her to have faith in herself). Otherwise, this film is definitely of the 21st century, fast, flip, full of action, humour, tongue-in-cheek, just like a music video in its editing and pace as well as its offbeat glamour, the specialties of its director, Mc G.
The Angels themselves are given stronger personalities this time, a bit of family background and some boyfriends. They still have time to disguise themselves every few minutes (from exotic club dancers to nuns) and to enjoy themselves as they go into action to save the American Justice system from criminals who have stolen rings with the coded identities and addresses of everyone in the Witness Program protection system (including Dylan) and want to sell the information to the highest bidder. Would any government rely on two rings for this data!!
Drew Barrymore is the earthier angel, Lucy Liu the more educated and accomplished angel and Cameron Diaz simply holds centre screen whenever she is on, glamorous, singing and dancing and doing funny impersonations. The men play second fiddle, with Bernie Mac as one of the least effective of the Bosleys, the go-between for Charlie and the Angels. There are some boyfriends, including Matt Leblanc taking time off from Friends to do a parody (or repeat) of his Friends' persona, with a few jokes at the expense of Mission Impossible 2.
It is surprising to see Demi Moore looking so fit. But she is at the stage of her career where she plays villain in this kind of film. Other guest spots include John Cleese, Bruce Willis and Luke Wilson.
1. The popularity of the television series? The angels themselves, their jobs, Bosley as intermediary, Charlie and his coming through only as a voice? The commissions, achievements?
2. The popularity of the remakes? The new Angels? Glamour, personalities, working together as a team, bonding? The back stories and their personalities? The variety of disguises, including nuns, and their turning up unexpectedly? The missions? Bernie Mac as the new Bosley? John Forsythe reprising his role as Charlie? Dylan and her vision of Jaclyn Smith exhorting her to achievement? The musical score?
3. The attention to comedy? Spoofs? The three Angels and the different styles of comedy? Cameron Diaz as all-out, Lucy Liu as more intelligence, Drew Barrymore with more energy and fight? Her story of being in witness protection? Their admiration for Madison, the meeting, discovering she was the villain? The variety of slapstick comedy?
4. The verbal comedy, the interchanges, Matt Le Blanc and John Cleese? The double entendres?
5. Action, pace, special effects, stunts? A film with verve?
6. The opening, rescuing the secretary, the Mongols, their drinking, the Chinese, holding Dylan, Alex in disguise, Natalie coming in and distracting them, riding the bull? The successful operation, the escape? Gathering together with Bosley, his personality, his participation in their work, the car chase and Alex on the skateboard, holding up the traffic?
7. The problem, Bruce Willis and his guest appearance, with the rings, on the plane, everybody dead? The mission to recover the rings?
8. The various adventures, pursuing Randy Emmers, the racing, Natalie in pursuit? Recovering the rings?
9. The Irish gang, the leader and his escape, tracking down Dylan, her putting him away? The jokes about her real name, Helen Zass? His confronting her? Her not feeling capable, going on her own, imagining what it would be like with three other Angels in rejecting it? Her return? The confrontation with the Irish and defeating them? The presence of the Thin Man? His fall?
10. The plausibility of the plot, the rings having all the data of people in the witness protection program? Ultimately easy to get the rings back?
11. The realisation that the rescued agent was faking it, that he had the rings, that he was in league with Madison, her shooting him? The confrontations with Madison, the range of fights and the stunt work? Her defeat?
12. Alex’s father, thinking his daughter was a nurse, hearing all the agency stories from Jason? Natalie and her relations with Peter, his moving in, her overhearing him, happy ending? Dylan, happy at the end? Alex and her further exploits?
13. This female variation on the superheroic stories?
