Movie Info
Movie Name: Charlie’s Angels
Studio: Flower Films
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Comedy
Release Date(s): November 3, 2000
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Meet the Angels!
Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu) are agents of Charlie (voiced by John Forsythe). When a computer developer named Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) is reported kidnapped, the Angels under the watchful eye of Bosley (Bill Murray) must locate the kidnapped man. Rival Roger Corwin (Tim Curry) is the likely kidnapper and Corwin appears to be working with an agent called the Thin Man (Crispin Glover). When Knox is rescued, the Angels learn Knox has his own secrets and a reason he wants Charlie dead!
Directed by McG, Charlie’s Angels was based on the Aaron Spelling TV series which aired from September 22, 1976 to June 24, 1981 on ABC. The action-comedy film was met with mostly positive reviews.
Thin Man fun
I liked Charlie’s Angels when I was young and this film took a smart turn to the series. The production was marred with problems ranging from multiple scripts to casting conflicts. The set also allegedly had problems with fighting amongst the cast which led to Bill Murray choosing not to return to the sequel.
Story-wise, Charlie’s Angels takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to action movies. The movie has some completely unrealistic stunts…and plays them as unrealistic. I can handle this better than some “real” action films that expect you to believe stunts that are so implausible that it takes you out of the film (a classic example of this is the motorcycle fight in Mission: Impossible 2). This film has a lot of humor and homages to the original show which really played with the goofy cheesecake nature.
Yeah, I’m a little bit kooky…but I have a gun!
While through the course of the five years the show was on, the Angels switched out multiple times. Here, the movie is seen as the latest in the long line of Angels which included the original Angels. Before casting the Angels for the film, Angelina Jolie, Jada Pinkett Smith, Alyssa Milano, Julia Roberts, Milla Jovovich, Jenny McCarthy, Asia Argento, Ashley Judd, Victoria Beckham, Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Helena Bonham Carter, Kristin Davis, Jodie Foster, Geri Halliwell, Nia Long, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tiffani Thiessen, Kate Winslet, Uma Thruman, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Wright, Angie Harmon, Penelope Cruz, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Aaliyah were all considered for roles during the long process of taking the show to the screen. Bill Murray is nice as Bosley, and Sam Rockwell always adds interest to a script along with the always odd Crispen Glover. Matt LaBlanc and Luke Wilson are good as the stand-by boyfriends…Tom Green aka The Chad, however, I could do without.
We’re here to entertain!
Visually, the movie obviously is more physical than the rather laughable TV series which action usually just involved running, skateboarding, or whatever theme the weekly episode involved. The movie borrowed a lot of the style of The Matrix for its looks and fights and like the script, the fights are almost parodies of real fights.
I have to admit, I like Charlie’s Angels. The over-the-top unrealistic nature of the film makes it a fun ride with no apologizes. It isn’t a great film, but it is a fun, flawed film. Charlie’s Angels was followed by Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle in 2003.
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