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38 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Once Upon a Time, there were 3 Little Girls..., November 10, 2000
As much a tribute to pop culture as a big-screen version of the '70s
series, 'Charlie's Angels' has so much energy and tongue-in-cheek
charm that it DARES you NOT to root for its three young stars! And
while the film won't erase the images of Farrah Fawcett in a thin
tanktop on a very cold day, there is a wholesome sexiness and
accessiblity in Barrymore, Diaz, and Liu that none of the various
teamings of TV 'Angels' ever achieved! The pre-title sequence is
outrageous, and fabulous! ... Each Angel has a unique
backstory...Natalie (Diaz) is an ditzy, upbeat 'Soul Train'-dancing
wannabe who 'shakes her booty' at home in Spider-Man undies, looks for
'Mr. Right', and is a crack driver; Alex (Liu) is a 'leg waxer'/extra
on an action movie set, who is a lousy cook, sleeps with the film's
star (Matt LeBlanc, in a funny cameo), and is an expert in technology
and martial arts; Dylan (Barrymore) is an ex-high school 'bad
girl'/free spirit involved with a seedy, insecure hippie living in a
tugboat (humorously portrayed by Tom Green, Barrymore's real-life
boyfriend), is a master of disguise, and leads the trio. As in the
TV series, the Angels work out of the Townsend Detective Agency (still
located in the famous colonial brick building), and communicate with
the never-seen Charlie (voiced, as always, by John Forsythe) via the
telephone. As the trio's liason, Bosley, Bill Murray is simply
perfect, hilarious in his patented 'smarmy but lovable' persona!
The plot revolves around the kidnapping of a Bill Gates-type
computer genius (Sam Rockwell, 'The Green Mile'), and a technology
that can pinpoint any person's location, anywhere in the world. The
prime suspects are competitor Roger Corwin (Tim Curry, in a
delightfully wicked turn!), and his hitman, portrayed with kinky
relish by Crispin Glover. Hired by Kelly Lynch (who has a ball in the
role of Rockwell's partner!), the Angels embark on a case with all the
twists, betrayals, action, humor, and mayhem that a fan could ask for!
Loud, good-natured, and pulsating with a soundtrack of '70s-'80s
Top Ten songs, the film combines 'Matrix'-style freeze-frames and
slow-motion FX with a ton of Pop Culture references and a
swashbuckling sense of derring-do! The film literally rocks, and never
lets up! Is this 'Great Cinema'? Certainly not! But in its sheer
audacity, and sense of fun, no recent film can match it! And while the
original series teased with a visual sex appeal that was was largely
ignored in the storylines, the big-screen version has a 'if you got
it, flaunt it' attitude that is both refreshing and empowering! This
is a 'Girl Power' movie, in the BEST sense of the word! I HIGHLY
recommend it!
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Video On Demand ~ Cameron Diaz
Video On Demand ~ Angelina Jolie
Video On Demand ~ Tommy Lee Jones
Video On Demand ~ Martin Lawrence
Video On Demand ~ Peyton Reed
Video On Demand ~ Angelina Jolie
Video On Demand ~ Adam Sandler
Video On Demand ~ Jennifer Garner
