Los Ángeles de Charlie

Head-spinning collage of technically marvelous effects in theatrical remake of cult late-'70s TV series. Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Lui are attractive, funny, resourceful, sexy and--most importantly (and surprisingly) quite convincing as super-detectives. Their case (involving rival software companies, a kidnapping, and the planned assassination of boss Charlie) doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and Bill Murray is out-of-it as confidante Bosley, but director McG's modern-comic action is so lightning-fast and silky smooth you may be having too much fun to notice. Some of the satire is actually rather smart, and the girls are game for just about anything. **1/2 from ****

Yet another old television show has been updated for the big screen. The new Charlie's Angels movie is cheesy and comical, and it means to be. What we have here is a mindless but fun outing that will have women cheering and guys laughing. Diaz, Liu and Barrymore portray the extraordinarily skilled team of crime-fighters who seem able to do everything except lead a normal life. Bill Murray plays Bosley, their supervisor, and John Forsythe reprises his role as the voice of the team's boss Charlie. Their latest seemingly routine call involves rescuing and protecting a computer genius whose technology is about to fall into the wrong hands. Of course things wind up to be more complicated than expected, and the Angels must use their "talents" to save the day. They quickly cross paths with a creepy individual played by Crispin Glover, who some of you my remember as the nerdy George McFly from Back To The Future. He's changed his look a bit since then, and ends up being one of the coolest big screen villains since Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode One, which he was surely patterned after. This film is fun, albeit silly fun, and will entertain you on many levels. First time director McG, pronounced Mick-G, borrows shots and styles from many recent films. The most obvious similarities come from The Matrix, allowing our heroes and villains to defy the laws of physics on numerous occasions. All of the fight scenes are spectacular and nicely choreographed, with the exception of one involving Drew Barrymore towards the end. You would think with all of the fancy wirework and effects capability that they could at least give the illusion of Drew's kicks connecting with the bad guys. Bill Murray adds some nice extra comedy to an already funny film. Don't expect any Academy Award nominations, but definitely expect a sequel. Mind-numbing entertainment can be great if you're in the right mood.

Three little girls have become three little ladies who work as special agents for Charlie (via intermediary Bosley). When they are contracted in to get evidence of Roger Corwin stealing the kidnapped Eric Knox's voice recognition device. The agents are successful but Knox turns out to have more sinister motives and the angels find themselves fighting to protect Charlie and Bosley.

Yet another in a line of film remake's of old TV shows, in the words of LL Cool J `yet another remake of an old TV show'. However this just about succeeds for one simple reason – it never tries to take itself seriously. This works because it can be camp, silly and OTT because we know it's meant to be. The plot is OK and has some reasonable twists but really the jokes and action move it along. The silliness can get a bit much at times and is a little tiring.

For example we have far too many shots of the girls tossing their hair, and too many scenes that mean nothing. Eg a high speed car chase ends on a bridge but it has no reason for happening and nothing happens as a result. The fights are very OTT and are very much a matrix rip off – they are only just saved by the tongue in cheek attitude of the film. But even then they still silly.

The cast are OK but really they are just playing daft. Rockwell is really good and Bill Murray saves the whole film by being really funny. Tom Green is in it because his girlfriend felt sorry for him and wanted him to be in a film that got shown in a cinema outside of the US, however his character is stupid and pointless. Wilson is good and LL Cool J makes a good cameo, but Tim Curry has been better.

Overall it's enjoyable if you're in the mood for silly popcorn trash. If you're not in the mood this will only serve to irritate you at how poor Hollywood blockbusters can be.

Charlies Angels was a semi serious, comedic detective series about three girls, who were working with faceless and mysterious Charlie. And this movie is updated version out of the series, now adding goof ball humour, sex and coolness factor in to the mix.

The angels this time are Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore. Their boss still is Charlie and his right man Bosley is played by Bill Murray. The plot line goes in the lines of: important software stolen, get it back, who did it. But that matters very little, as the movie has only one aim: to be as cool as it is humanly possible. And when it get tired of being cool it just starts throwing goof ball humor left and right.

I honestly have trouble of reviewing this film as a real movie, as it obviously doesn't even try to be one, but then again what is a real movie. Charlie's Angels is like one huge music video with action and gimmicks in it. The girls are pretty and do throw a couple of great lines and the action is just fine, but the truth is the movie doesn't hold up for multiple viewings. It is a fast food film.

Whether you like 'Charlie's Angels' or not will probably depend on whether you like watching beautiful ladies Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore. Up to a point I liked it, or actually I liked the fun the women were having with their parts. Especially Diaz and her behind and Barrymore in total really show they have a lot of fun. Another part of the fun comes from Bill Murray who has a lot of moments that will make you smile.

What about other things in this film? Story for example. In a film like this that really is the last thing you should worry about. The film is not about story, it is about the three ladies in their action scenes. Admittedly they look great in them, although most of the action scenes were not that great. Again, for watching Diaz, Liu and Barrymore because they are beautiful or to see the fun performers can have 'Charlie's Angels' is worth watching. But for no other reason, I would say.