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When Charlie's Angels Alex (Lucy Liu), Natalie (Cameron Diaz) and Dylan (co-producer Drew
Barrymore) burst on the big screen for the first time in 2000, though reinvented, they adhered to the conventions set by the popular TV series in the late 70's which inspired
them. They were three beautiful, feisty, young women successfully decimating the evil forces a la James Bond but without using a gun. In this year's film sequel
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, the returning Angels follow tradition and get directions from the disembodied voice of Charlie (John Forsyth) who speaks highly of his
protιgιes. Designated undercover agents, they are tasked to recover a pair of lost wedding bands on which are encrypted information about the identities of every person
in the Federal Witness Protection Program. When witnesses start dying mysteriously, The Angels go full throttle after the criminal perpetuators, among them the older,
more experienced fallen Angel Madison Lee (Demi Moore).
True to expectations, the film dazzles with spectacular stunts, special effects and ultra
modern imaging and messaging technology.
The stars spend a lot of time airborne, performing somersaults, backflips and throwdowns Kung-fu style. On the ground, they execute flawlessly choreographed martial arts fights. The visuals are enhanced by a variety of milieu and changes of costumes (disguises). Action picture enthusiasts will find this film entertaining. But like most films of this genre
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
is not intellectually stimulating. It is so shallow that it is almost silly. It does not challenge the mind. Neither does it move the spirit. There is an attempt to deepen characterization by presenting vignettes from the past lives of the Angels, but a lot of undeveloped characters and sub-plots as well as some disjointed scenes make the film confusing, especially for those who have not seen the first film in 2000.
Young people, especially girls, in search of heroines, may be inclined to look at the Angels
as models. Impressed by their beauty, their skills (fighting and dancing), quick thinking minds and wily resourcefulness, the young audience may think of them as the
embodiment of woman empowerment.
While it is true that there are some things to admire in the Angels, young people should be guided to see that the Angels are not perfect and that they have traits that should not be emulated.
(Date reviewed: July 4, 2003)
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