A silly guilty pleasure
July 4, 2003 | 12:00am
I have this strange quirk about getting all giddy when a film has cameos of celebrities or spoofs of other films. They make me so excited that I make it a game to guess who that celeb is or what movie that scene is from. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle satisfied my urge for these, as it is filled with cameos of people like Bruce Willis, the Olsen twins, singers Eve and Pink, and Jaclyn Smith, one of the Angels from the original ’70s TV show; and spoofs, like The Sound Of Music, Mission Impossible 2, a welding scene from Flashdance and a scene from the hit TV show CSI, complete with the theme song Who Are You? by The Who. But that doesn’t mean this is the most cerebral movie of the year. You should, but not necessarily always, critique movies as what they intend to be. Particularly, this film intends to be a stupid yet very entertaining joyride, and it accomplishes all its intentions.
All of the Angels: Natalie, Dylan and Alex (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu) are back, but with Bernie Mac replacing Bill Murray as Bosley and the new-and-improved Demi Moore in her comeback role as Madison Lee, the ex-Angel and sinister yet sexy villain. After five people are suddenly killed, including Bruce Willis (Demi’s ex) in an uncredited cameo as William Rose Bailey, the Angels discover that the assassins were after these two rings, that when put together, will be able to access H.A.L.O., a computer program that contains all the real identities of those in the Witness Protection Program. And since all the different mobs and mafias want to find out those who ratted them out and testified against them, they want the list so they may be able to claim revenge on those people. So here’s where Madison steps in: Being a former Angel, she knows all their techniques and methods and uses them to her advantage. She now attempts to steal the rings and sell them to the highest bidder.
Along the way, we have three different subplots: Natalie (Diaz) moves in with her boyfriend Pete, and is thinking that he may pop the question. Dylan (Barrymore) is in fear that if Natalie does get married, she will leave the Angels and Dylan’s ex-boyfriend, who she testified against during his murder trial, is released and is out to get her. And Alex (Liu) thinks that her father already knows her secret identity, when he really thinks she’s a prostitute: "It was a woman this time, Daddy!" she said, intending to mean that they fought Madison, and I guess you probably already know by now what her father thought she meant.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol, though he’s simply known as McG, includes all the winning elements from the first film and doubles them. This is a movie in which you leave your brain outside the cinema and just bring your extra-large tub of buttery popcorn and extra-large vat of Pepsi inside; you shouldn’t care about the acting, or the writing, or the directing – you just want to have a great time. That’s exactly what the film gives you; it’s funny, energetic and bubbly, just pure, brainless fun. You might think some of the sequences as ridiculous, whispering to the person beside you, "How could they survive that?!" You might find it too hyperactive and noisy, like the whole cast and crew swallowed bags of sugar during shooting. But you’ve got to understand: that’s the whole point! If I were to compare Full Throttle to something like The Hours, of course I’d favor the latter, but since this is an action comedy that doesn’t try to be anything else, I’d have to say that I loved it. It emanates this sweet nostalgic feeling that is just simply irresistibly joyous and cheerful. The pop-culture references, spoofs and cameos also compliment the film and makes it even more enjoyable. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle may very well be the best guilty pleasure of the year.
Bottom Line: Silly, funny, and enjoyable – Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is heaven sent. Grade: B+
TO DO LIST
Movies
Watch Dancer in the Dark. First of all, why is it being released here now; it was released in the US in 2000! Anyhow, this musical, starring singer Bjork won the coveted Palme d’Or for Best Film during the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, the highest and most prestigious award of the festival. This film is the pure definition of art. And though critics have been divided on whether it is a great film or not, it promises to be very interesting and spellbinding.
Don’t watch Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle might have been silly, but if ever a film’s title told truth, this would be it. This is the most inanely idiotic movie of the year, and when the funniest joke in the film is about a melted chocolate bar being thought of as poo, you know you shouldn’t see this movie.
Books
Read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Now that there is probably at least one copy left of the latest (and best yet) seven-part Harry Potter series in the bookstores, you little Muggles can finally start reading it. But I, a very powerful Death Eater and the right-hand of the Dark Lord, am one of the privileged few who have finished the 870-page novel. Just be thankful I haven’t Avada Kadavdra-ed you already!
For comments, questions and suggestions, e-mail me at lanzl@info.com.ph.
All of the Angels: Natalie, Dylan and Alex (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu) are back, but with Bernie Mac replacing Bill Murray as Bosley and the new-and-improved Demi Moore in her comeback role as Madison Lee, the ex-Angel and sinister yet sexy villain. After five people are suddenly killed, including Bruce Willis (Demi’s ex) in an uncredited cameo as William Rose Bailey, the Angels discover that the assassins were after these two rings, that when put together, will be able to access H.A.L.O., a computer program that contains all the real identities of those in the Witness Protection Program. And since all the different mobs and mafias want to find out those who ratted them out and testified against them, they want the list so they may be able to claim revenge on those people. So here’s where Madison steps in: Being a former Angel, she knows all their techniques and methods and uses them to her advantage. She now attempts to steal the rings and sell them to the highest bidder.
Along the way, we have three different subplots: Natalie (Diaz) moves in with her boyfriend Pete, and is thinking that he may pop the question. Dylan (Barrymore) is in fear that if Natalie does get married, she will leave the Angels and Dylan’s ex-boyfriend, who she testified against during his murder trial, is released and is out to get her. And Alex (Liu) thinks that her father already knows her secret identity, when he really thinks she’s a prostitute: "It was a woman this time, Daddy!" she said, intending to mean that they fought Madison, and I guess you probably already know by now what her father thought she meant.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol, though he’s simply known as McG, includes all the winning elements from the first film and doubles them. This is a movie in which you leave your brain outside the cinema and just bring your extra-large tub of buttery popcorn and extra-large vat of Pepsi inside; you shouldn’t care about the acting, or the writing, or the directing – you just want to have a great time. That’s exactly what the film gives you; it’s funny, energetic and bubbly, just pure, brainless fun. You might think some of the sequences as ridiculous, whispering to the person beside you, "How could they survive that?!" You might find it too hyperactive and noisy, like the whole cast and crew swallowed bags of sugar during shooting. But you’ve got to understand: that’s the whole point! If I were to compare Full Throttle to something like The Hours, of course I’d favor the latter, but since this is an action comedy that doesn’t try to be anything else, I’d have to say that I loved it. It emanates this sweet nostalgic feeling that is just simply irresistibly joyous and cheerful. The pop-culture references, spoofs and cameos also compliment the film and makes it even more enjoyable. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle may very well be the best guilty pleasure of the year.
Bottom Line: Silly, funny, and enjoyable – Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is heaven sent. Grade: B+
TO DO LIST
Movies
Watch Dancer in the Dark. First of all, why is it being released here now; it was released in the US in 2000! Anyhow, this musical, starring singer Bjork won the coveted Palme d’Or for Best Film during the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, the highest and most prestigious award of the festival. This film is the pure definition of art. And though critics have been divided on whether it is a great film or not, it promises to be very interesting and spellbinding.
Don’t watch Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle might have been silly, but if ever a film’s title told truth, this would be it. This is the most inanely idiotic movie of the year, and when the funniest joke in the film is about a melted chocolate bar being thought of as poo, you know you shouldn’t see this movie.
Read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Now that there is probably at least one copy left of the latest (and best yet) seven-part Harry Potter series in the bookstores, you little Muggles can finally start reading it. But I, a very powerful Death Eater and the right-hand of the Dark Lord, am one of the privileged few who have finished the 870-page novel. Just be thankful I haven’t Avada Kadavdra-ed you already!
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