Movie Reviews

Charlie's Angels

23 Nov 2000

For those who came in late, "Charlie's Angels" was a TV show about three female private eyes, which appalled feminists in the late seventies. I've never understood why. Sure, the Angels were sexy, scantily-clad, and preferred using feminine wiles to violence, but each of them had more fighting prowess than Starsky and Hutch combined.

Now it's the latest TV series to be transformed into a feature film. This one succeeds better than most, partly because (like the equally enjoyable "Brady Bunch" movies) it's not a homage to the original series, but a parody. The alleged bloopers over the closing credits, and the casting of Bill Murray as a bumbling version of their offsider, John Bosley, confirm this as a comedy.

The mysterious Charlie (voiced, as in the TV series, by John Forsythe), now has some new Angels, who are just as brilliant: highly intelligent, with digitally-enhanced combat skills that seem quite simply superhuman. Of course, the rules of parody state that they must be sillier than the originals. Hence, Natalie (Cameron Diaz), an expert racing driver and quiz show champ, is not only ditzy, but also a total dag, who boogies to seventies music using moves reminiscent of the "Solid Gold" dancers. Dylan (Drew Barrymore), an screaming martial artist, is a reformed trouble-maker. Alex (Lucy Liu), for all her electronics genius and fighting skill, is a klutz in the kitchen, not even able to make edible muffins. Actually, such human quirks make them LESS silly than the originals.

Happily, while it was scripted by a deluge of writers (only three are credited), "Charlie's Angels" somehow didn't turn out a complete mess. It actually has a discernible plot that is not especially fresh, but at least allows the stars to dress up in various fantasy disguises. See the Angels as geisha girls, as exotic dancers, as cheery Pippi Longstocking clones, as mustachioed men in business suits. (OK, that's not one of the sexier moments, but as you can imagine, it's kinda' funny.)

McG, the director, provides a movie as ludicrous as his own name, complete with dopey fight scenes, holes in the plot and cartoon-style violence. It's good to see all those touches. They make us feel comparatively smart.