Yes, the new summer movie sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" outshines the original "Charlie's Angels" 2000 . This helium-filled hokum with its high octane action sequences, bevies of bikini-clad babes, and naughty but nice PG-13-rated sexual innuendos qualifies both as funnier but far more violent. Aside from the conspicuous absence of both Bill Murray and Tom Green, virtually everybody from "Charlie's Angels" returns, with former music video director Joseph McGinty Nichol, credited simply as McG, back in the saddle calling the shots. <more> Reportedly, Murray refused to reprise his role as Bosley, because Lucy Liu and he hated working together on the first film. Like its original big-screen predecessor, this slightly longer 105 minutes compared with 99 minutes sequel takes the classic prime-time TV series beyond anything Farrah Fawcett and her curvaceous cohorts could ever have imagined. Not only does "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" kiss off realism with blissful abandon, but also this swiftly-paced, super-charged, wish-fulfillment fantasy earns half of its kudos for its well-crafted homages to popular Hollywood hits as well as its interesting cameos. Watch closely, and you may catch a glimpse of Carrie Fisher of "Star Wars," Bruce Willis of "Die Hard," Eric Bogosian of "Talk Radio," original Angel Jaclyn Smith herself, and the Olsen twins. Meanwhile, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu portray women empowered either by their mastery of modern technology or their combat skills to thwart their evil-minded adversaries at the behest of a disembodied male voice on a speaker phone. Happily, "Full Throttle" never takes itself seriously. Further, nothing in this action-oriented chick flick remotely looks believable. Beyond its superbly-staged Hong Kong martial arts fights and Russell Carpenter's luminous wide-screen cinematography, "Full Throttle" represents actress Demi Moore's long-awaited comeback movie after a string of film flops including "G.I. Jane," "The Juror," and "Striptease." While the first "Angels" movie dealt strictly with revenge against their unseen boss Charlie, "Full Throttle" focuses on a dastardly plot to expose the identities of everybody in the Federal Witness Protection program. Never heard of the Witness Protection Program? Essentially, law enforcement relies heavily on this program so people will testify against major league criminals. Afterward, the government gives these brave souls new identities, so they can escape reprisals from the convicted criminals or their criminal organizations. In "Full Throttle," the lead villain, Madison Lee Demi Moore has her henchmen steal two rings worn by different guys in the Dept. of Justice. When these two rings are combined, they yield an ultra-secret computer program with everybody's new identity. Naturally, "Full Throttle" takes full advantage of this "Lord of the Rings" idea and gives the concept a clever make-over to accommodate their storyline. Although this constitutes the main plot, "Full Throttle" really concerns the theme of friendship between our trio of Angels. Dylan Drew Barrymore , Alex Lucy Liu , and Natalie Cameron Diaz have moved into a new place, and Natalie's boyfriend Pete Luke Wilson of "Home Fries" keeps trying to pop a certain question. Worst than any villain with whom they must contend, Dylan and Alex dread Natalie's inevitable departure because they fear Pete wants to marry her. Invariably, at least according to Dylan, this means that Alex and she will have to break in a new Angel.The charm of the "Charlie's Angels" movies lies in their giddy, effervescent innocence. The bubble bursts only with an occasional moment of drama when someone dies or extracts a bloody shard of glass from their ribs. Otherwise, McG directs with his customary flair. Watching "Full Throttle" is like riding a roller coaster. Actually, "Full Throttle" resembles a video game more than a live-action movie. Most of the graphics appear computer-generated more than real-life. However, in a flashy, frivolous film like "Full Throttle" that proves more an asset than a debit. Moreover, McG plays everything for a laugh, and he has the light touch to make it work repeatedly without making it seem too silly. The opening sequence when the Angels rescue a U.S. Marshal Robert Patrick of "Terminator 2" from a Mongolian strong-hold is the best scene. You can tell that the James Bond movie "GoldenEye" served as their inspiration, but the same thing occurred in the original "Charlie's Angels" when they cribbed their opening scene from "Moonraker." What is important is that they add enough variation to their make-over so the scene succeeds on its own more than as a slick rehash. Demi Moore makes a strong villain, stronger than Kelly Lynch from the original. Mercifully, Tom Green is gone, but Alex's boyfriend Jason Matt LeBlanc of "Friends" shows up again, and we get to meet Alex's befuddled father played by Monty Python alumni John Cleese. Further, the superficial but exciting screenplay by John August and co-writers Wormac and Marianne Wibberley develops the Angels characters while at the same they foreshadow events in the story. Indeed, the bulk of the story is action, action, action, but it is refreshing to see a movie that actually foreshadows and fleshes out its characters.Although the clever one-liners and risqué dialogue verge on sensuality, "Charlie's Angels" avoids graphic depictions of anything realistic or unsavory. Nevertheless, based on the star wattage of our three heroines and McG's light fingered directorial prowess, "Full Throttle" is a lot of fun from teenagers and adults. <less> |