Review of Charlie's Angels (2019) by Jumpcut_Online — 04 Dec 2019

Although the Charlie’s Angels films have always been defined by their mix of action and comedy, this instalment succeeds more at executing the former than the latter. The action sequences are exciting and well-directed, and Banks rightly doesn’t hold back on the violence. The humour, however, doesn’t always work and is stilted at times despite the cast’s best efforts. Banks’ first screenwriting effort is commendable, but the script might have been sharper and funnier had she not taken on quite so many roles.

The film’s 118-minute runtime would have equally benefitted from being tightened up. Some of the purely comedic scenes are not quite funny enough to justify being kept in, so it feels like it’s dragging at certain points.

Nevertheless, the tone of the film is consistently youthful and fun, and nowhere is this better reflected than in the soundtrack. No Charlie’s Angels track could ever compare to Destiny’s Child’s masterpiece ‘Independent Women, Pt. 1’, but with the likes of Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Lana Del Rey on the track listing, the new pop soundtrack is pitch-perfect for its audience of young adults.