After two decades of incessant whining and misplaced faith, “Charlie’s Angels” is brought back to life on the big screen by Columbia Tri-Star.
The Angels (Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz) are called upon to investigate the kidnapping of a brilliant software engineer named Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) whose reputation in the field of communications technology is unsurpassed.
Knox has invented voice recognition software that can create a unique “voice fingerprint” and thereby act as a stepping-stone to an arsenal of hi-tech weapons (if placed in the wrong hands.)
The Angels are thus hired to launch a rescue operation and to re-acquire Knox’s dubious software from the bad guys. A subsequent infiltration of Red Star Communications and its proprietor, Roger Corwin (Tim Curry), takes them on a dangerous and capricious journey that tests their skill and training. Implementing the tools of disguise and female intuition, the Angels go undercover amidst Red Star bureaucracy and crack down on a real threat to national security.
Originally based on the series “Charlie’s Angels”, created by Ben Roberts, the movie is a thoroughly entertaining and flamboyant cocktail of old formats and modern techniques. On the one hand, it pays complete tribute to the original 70s classic; on the other, it’s a total embodiment of the best of digital choreography and editing techniques. Most of the action sequences serve as a strong reminder of Hollywood’s intervention, and there is no dearth of SFX.
The directorial debut of McG is highly evocative and glamorous, and his prestige seems to have precipitated his initiative into this Hollywood blockbuster. His metaphoric illustration of Red Star Communications serves as a reminder of the Cold War and its effect on American television of the seventies, while his cool and sensuous portrayal of the Angels adds the tinge of individuality that characterized the original script.
Superlative performances can be expected from all three women, whose private lives are depicted for that extra touch of femininity and identification. A brisk and subtle sense of humor also underlies the script and keeps the audience on their toes throughout the film.
The characters come to life with the aid of a talented cast and crew who spare no expense to re-create the original Angels and their elusive employer in a movie that will blow your socks off…and that’s a promise!
This article was first published on 19 Dec 2000.