CHARLIE’S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE

Rating: 3

The nice thing about CHARLIES ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE is that it laughs at itself. And, because it doesnt take itself seriously, we get to be in on the joke. Its a flight of hard-body fantasy served up with a healthy dose of self-mockery and some slick action sequences. Take that one at the beginning, where they tumble off a bridge and climb into a helicopter while it and they are plummeting to otherwise certain destruction. You may never be able to watch Bond do something like that again with a straight face. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The premise, as you recall from the previous film and the 70s television show on which it was based, has three drop-dead gorgeous women working for an investigative service run by Charlie. We never see Charlie, though we do get close-ups of the speaker he talks through using the voice of John Forsythe, the once and future voice of Charlie These beauties are not just eye candy, theyre also smart, acrobatically lethal, and can run in very, very high heels. They take on a horde of bad guys and never smudge their eye shadow or smear their lipstick. They can, however, run their stockings, perhaps a flaw thrown in by the filmmakers to make them more accessible. And, if I may deconstruct for a moment, while some might find scenes such as the ladies shimmying in fishnets sexist and degrading, I see something else at work here. The men they are dazzling with their swaying flesh and flashing smiles are caught, metaphorically, with their pants down. Nothing so sexy could be a threat, and hence, they are, not always metaphorically, kicked in those same pants. What we have here is a tidy tweaking of the traditional roles assigned to women by the patriarchy that then not only turns them on their heads, but also into potent weapons.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> And now back to the review.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> This time out, Angels Dylan (Drew Barrymore), Natalie (Cameron Diaz), and Alex (Lucy Liu), plus a new Bosley (Bernie Mac), are after a pair of titanium rings that contain the names of everyone in the witness protection program and their new identities. We join them, story in progress, in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” /><st1:country-region><st1:place>Mongolia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where theyre rescuing a government type and accidentally losing one of the rings. When the other ring goes missing, too, its time for the Angels to hit the beach, a dirt bike race, a convent, and, collectively, about a gazillion costume changes before the rock em, sock em finale with ex-Angel gone bad, Madison Lee, played by deadly serious Demi Moore, who may or may not have known that this was a comedy. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Along the way there are some nifty film references, including a seriously funny send-up of <st1:place><st1:PlaceType>CAPE</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName>FEAR</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, as well as some clever cameos. When the dialogue drags, or the sub-plot with Shia LeBoeuf as a kid in the witness protection program bogs down, the film throws an action sequence at us, which includes, of course, another three costume changes. The action is well-choreographed with the ladies (and their stunt doubles) twirling through the air like living ninja stars while the dirt-bike race demonstrates more things that a motorcycle can do than you might have through possible. As if that wasnt enough, there are some spontaneous production numbers and Lucy Liu on a luge. Come on, tell me that doesnt pique your curiosity. Something I would have like to have seen more of is Crispin Glover as the mysterious assassin with a hair fetish. Hes found his niche playing endlessly fascinating creepy characters with an edge of melancholy to them that are funny in a way that makes you want to keep the lights on when you get home. More John Cleese as Alexs befuddled father would also have been nice because hes, well, John Cleese. Nuff said. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The ladies are charismatic and have their comic timing down even when handed lines that are less than worthy of them. CHARLIES ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE delivers a grrrrrl power flick thats all very silly, subtext aside, but in a high-octane, oddly empowering way.<o:p></o:p>                                                                                                    <o:p></o:p>

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