Review of Charlie`s Angels

Introduction

Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu are `Charlie`s Angels`, a trio of elite private investigators who, with the latest high-tech gadgets, martial arts techniques and a vast array of disguises, unleash their state-of-the-art skills on land, sea and air. Their goal, to track down a kidnapped billionaire-to-be (Sam Rockwell) and keep his top-secret voice-identification software out of lethal hands. Aided by their faithful lieutenant Bosley (Bill Murray), and under the sure hand of their suave playboy boss, notorious for his clever ways of avoiding face-to-face meetings, the girls must foil an elaborate murder-revenge plot that could destroy individual privacy and corporate security worldwide.

Based on the old TV series, the sexy trio do battle with various criminals, all in the name of justice, whilst maintaining their sexiness - thankfully.

Doing the usual Hollywood gig, studios executives want to see the girls strutting their stuff on the big screen, and their wish has been granted. Only thing now is the all-important factor: it needs to be good...

Video

2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. The visuals are great (and no, I`m not just talking about the leading ladies); clear, well defined and no artefacts are visible (I`m just taking the p**s now...). The print is crisp and sharp, so it`s no surprise that the transfer is too.

For the benefit of action junkies, a fair amount of action set-pieces make their way into the film, usually in the kung-fu/explosions department. Think the feline version of The Matrix - the odd gunfight, bit of slow motion chopsocky thrown in here and there, and some death-defying stunts.

Audio

Dolby Digital 5.1 (English & Hungarian). The surrounds are used fairly frequently, to good effect. The soundstage is constantly crisp and clear, with good ambience levels, and the main audio stream is used for the dialogue - and used well.

The script flows well, with good interaction between the characters, as well as some amusing dialogue. The odd twist and turn is thrown in also for good measure, so the `nothing is what it seems` vibe does run through parts of the film, although at heart this is an action comedy, so don`t expect anything to deep or revolutionary.

Features

The extras begin with an audio commentary from director Joseph `McG` Nichol and the cinematographer. It is fairly insightful, but not the best commentary ever. Worth a listen though.

There are six featurettes - ranging from the self-explicable "Welcome To Angel World" to a profile of the director. They combine to form a comprehensive `making-of` - better than some other discs manage.

Some deleted scenes are also provided, with introduction from McG, and add to the plot slightly, although it is understandable they were cut. In a similar vein, there are extended scenes - they do what they say on the tin.

The outtakes and bloopers roll is amusing as always, but hardly substantial.

The Destiny`s Child music video, "Independent Woman", is also included. The song is actually quite good, with a catchy tune, and is suited to the film well.

There is a selection of trailers, ranging from teaser to trailer. The standard affair.

To cap things off, there are some weblinks and filmographies.

The menus are animated well, with music in the background and some clips from the film.

Conclusion

Pop culture and nostalgia meet for an action packed fest of girls, guns and gadgets. If you think this sounds like your average Bond film, then you`d be right - but Charlie`s Angels also combines many other film trademarks along with some of its own.

The three leads are all good, although I think Lucy Liu may have been miscast for two reasons: one, she isn`t as charismatic as the other two; two, it is rumoured that her well-publicised rift with co-star Murray led to his character not being included in the sequel - Charlie`s Angels: Full Throttle.

The disc itself is strong, with good presentation and on the extras wise, there ain`t much else one needs when looking for information on the production process.

If you`re looking for a good popcorn flick, then you can`t go wrong with this. Although it is implausible and predictable in equal measures, the action and appeal outweighs these flaws. With high expectations for the sequel (ETA: July 2003), this, due to a strong package overall, is the best chance to familiarise yourself with the Angels. Recommended.