Review of Charlie's Angels (2000) by David G — 15 Jul 2011

Surprisingly fun adaptation of the 70's TV show starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu as a trio of freelance crimefighters whose deductive powers and James Bond-like skill sets (everything from parachuting to racecar driving) are matched only by their ditziness. McG directs with a lot of energy and plays up the camp factor of the show, never taking things too seriously. The girls are game, kung fu fighting and slipping in and out of ever more ridiculous (and revealing) outfits, and the secondary cast is a lot of fun with Sam Rockwell hamming it up beautifully as the villain and Crispin Glover showing us how George McFly would have turned out had that peeping tom vice got out of control. Star of the show though is Bill Murray, who plays the girls' dopey handler Bosley. Effortlessly funny, he steals every scene he's in.

Naturally it's not all good. Dodgy special effects, bad wire work, pointless characters/sub plots, a general feeling of pointlessness... It's an entertaining diversion but nothing more.