Charlie's Angels Details

This take on one of the most popular TV shows of the 1970s by director McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol) is a gossamer-thin, pop culture patchwork that misses the Austin Powers benchmark by miles. If postmodern irony was indeed the aim of this tacky, cheap-looking and tedious female empowerment fantasy, the target was missed completely by the wrong-headed use of shampoo-commercial direction and glaring retro-disco lighting. Beginning on a low note of self-referential camp, the movie never aims higher than star and co-producer Drew Barrymore's plunging neckline.?She's part of the vampy super agent trio, alongside Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, hired to find a kidnapped software genius — a storyline that twists to jeopardise the life of reclusive head honcho Charlie (voiced as ever by John Forsythe). With its reheated plot, trashy single-entendre humour and ho-hum thrills, this rickety chick flick charmlessly sashays its bland way from one kitsch set piece to the next. If a way had been found to spread the good time Diaz is clearly having with her role over this entire disaster, then Charlie's Angels might have been a lot more fun. But it wasn't, leaving this as little more than stultifying eye-candy, brimful of skin-tight costumes, lightweight Bond action and slow-motion hair flips. Thank heavens for Bill Murray, whose reliable presence as Bosley rescues the whole thing from total doom.

"...Cameron Diaz is fantastic....She has an old-style star power which lights up the screen the second she smiles....Drew Barrymore is wry and funny..."