Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle

Tags

2000's, Action, Bernie Mac, Cameron Diaz, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Comedy, Crispin Glover, Demi Moore, Drew Barrymore, John Cleese, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, McG

Film Title

Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle

Director

McG

Starring

• Cameron Diaz as Natalie
• Drew Barrymore as Dylan
• Lucy Liu as Alex
• Bernie Mac as Bosley
• Demi Moore as Madison Lee
• Justin Theroux as Seamus O’Grady
• Crispin Glover as The Thin Man
• John Cleese as Mr. Munday
• Matt LeBlanc as Jason
• Luke Wilson as Pete

More sassy attitude, kicking ass and sex appeal adorns Full Throttle, the sequel to the entertaining first film. Like its predecessor, it’s completely brainless and illogical but so watchable due to that very fact, it’s difficult to not enjoy it.

The Angels( Natalie, Dylan and Alex) return to fight crime and go undercover to thwart dastardly plans. We pick up with the girls as they rescue a US Marshall from captivity in Mongolia. Returning to America, the girls are informed of what their latest mission will entail. This time the unseen Charlie sends them to recover a pair of titanium rings. Encoded in these rings are the names and real identities of everyone in the Witness Protection Program. It appears that someone wants to sell the rings to the highest bidder; which just so happens to be any of the major crime outfits in the world. Gearing up for action with an array of costumes and skills, the girls encounter former Angel Madison Lee, who has clearly turned her back on the side of good and definitely has something to do with the plot. Added to the mix is Irish mobster Seamus O’Grady, who happens to be Dylan’s former boyfriend who she put away in prison years ago before changing her identity. This revelation hits Dylan hard as she fought so hard to escape her past, only for it to now resurface. From fast car chases to martial arts fighting, The Angels are back doing what they do best; stopping bad and shaking things up.

McG is back making things bigger and employing his music video skills for the montage heavy and frankly ridiculous movie. Once again, it’s a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously and on more than one occasion, rips itself off. The plot is essentially a riff on the first movie yet is a little tighter( I say little because it’s still pretty all over the show but still highly fun). The plot is the least of anyone’s concerns when the action and innuendo filled lines hit override. That’s where the fun begins as the gorgeous girls go from a dirt biking race to performing in strip club, all in the name of stopping crime. Various sub-plots of their love lives are superfluous and don’t go anywhere, the colourful fights and array of disguises is where the film is at. Like the title says, Full Throttle is what it gives in terms of silliness and amusing sequences that are pure ludicrous and candy coloured from head to toe. The film can best described as the equivalent of a sugar rush. You know you shouldn’t enjoy it, but the sweetness is difficult to resist. And even though it is a major rehash of the first film, is anyone actually paying that close attention? The soundtrack is lively and pumping, granted there is nary a second music isn’t playing.

Cameron Diaz, with her mega watt smile and perky energy, is delightfully goofy and animated in the best possible way. Drew Barrymore stands out the most as tough chick Dylan, who has to deal with the ghosts of the past. The film is hardly deep at all but the little bits of drama that reveal more of her( whenever the chance is given) are played remarkably well by Barrymore. Lucy Liu provides many laughs and feistiness as the brainbox of the troika, who can really deliver Once again, the three share a good rapport and have sparkling levels of energy. Some actually effective laughs come courtesy of Bernie Mac playing Bosley; his loud and frequently hysterical outbursts are just what the doctor ordered in this fizzy cocktail of a movie. Demi Moore, looking gorgeous and acting diva like, has fun as the vampy former Angel now on the side of evil and taking no prisoners. She seriously has a good time as the villain of the bunch and suits the over the top nature of the film. Justin Theroux, though underused, is pretty menacing as Dylan’s psychopathic ex who wants revenge on her for turning him in. Crispin Glover returns as the inherently creepy Thin Man, unfortunately he is ill-served by the film that doesn’t make the most of his unusual appearance and mannerisms. In support, John Cleese gets a few good moments Alex’s oblivious father. Once again, Matt LeBlanc and Luke Wilson are not really necessary or well used in the film and their parts could have easily been trimmed.

 

Virtually a variation on the first film with more explosions and killer stunts thrown in, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is guilty pleasure viewing of the highest echelon. You wouldn’t tell a friend you like this movie, but you’d secretly bask in its sheer dumbness when you needed a popcorn movie.

Charlie’s Angels

Tags

2000's, Action, Bill Murray, Cameron Diaz, Charlie's Angels, Comedy, Crispin Glover, Drew Barrymore, Kelly Lynch, Lucy Liu, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, McG, Sam Rockwell, Tim Curry

Film Title

Charlie’s Angels

Director

McG

Starring

• Cameron Diaz as Natalie
• Drew Barrymore as Dylan
• Lucy Liu as Alex
• Bill Murray as Bosley
• Sam Rockwell as Eric Knox
• Kelly Lynch as Vivian Wood
• Tim Curry as Roger Corwin
• Crispin Glover as The Thin Man
• Matt LeBlanc as Jason
• Luke Wilson as Pete

Based on the hit 70’s show of the same name, Charlie’s Angels is not the kind of movie you go to watch for deep, introspective lessons. It’s all about the action, silliness and sexiness of which it provides a slick and entertaining package.

The Angels of the title are goofy Natalie, sarcastic Dylan and knowledgeable Alex; three beautiful and strong women who work as private investigators for the unseen Charlie. He communicates with them via voice messages and agency handler Bosley. Getting out of scrapes and risking life and limb is what they’re good at, as well as doing it with some serious style and kick ass moves. Their latest case involves rescuing electronics millionaire Eric Knox, then finding his valuable software. The software is state of the art voice recognition that uses phones as its main communications base. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used to end basic privacy through the usage of satellites and put tens of thousands in mortal danger. The main suspect appears to be a rival businessman by the name of Roger Corwin, whose known to be very ruthless when it comes to getting his hands on the much moneymaking thing. Cue much action, chases and sexy outfits and it’s another day at the races for the Angels. But something more sinister may in fact be right under their noses and ready to strike.

From the get go, director McG, who used to be a prominent stylist of music videos, lets us know that this film is one to just sit back and bask in with his brash use of colour and tongue in cheek humour. He isn’t trying to be intellectual in the slightest and that very approach makes Charlie’s Angels a big guilty pleasure. It’s a pastiche and ode to glamour of the past( the original theme tune and voice of Charlie remains the same) and modern technology that bathes in its own craziness. I mean how can any of the film be taken seriously when you have these ladies defying gravity with their karate moves and changing clothing at lightning speed, in between disposing of bad guys? And yet, that is where the fun lies, in the sheer implausibility and fantasy of it all. None of this is rooted in the real world and doesn’t try to be; it just wants you to have a blast on the action score and comedy and not aspire for anything else. With colourful splashes of quick editing and slow motion for sensual purposes, the film whizzes along at such a rapid rate that you don’t have to think about a single thing, just being thrilled and excited is the response that will most likely garner. Watching the sexy trio move from one outrageous situation to the next is fun enough in itself as they kick serious ass and showcase bountiful sex appeal. Laughs and naughtiness go hand in hand( watch as Alex dresses up dominatrix style to infiltrate a corporate facility and causes every male worker to be her slave.) High energy and a prominent soundtrack ensure that Charlie’s Angels is a kinetic ride that doesn’t require brain power, yet wants you to just surrender to its frequently goofy content.

The gorgeous trio of Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu contribute significant fun and sexy prowess to match. It helps that they look like they’re having a really fun time playing the glamorous crime fighters, who get to raid the dress up box frequently and dispatch sassy one liners. That enthusiasm( from Diaz’s ditsy but sometimes very resourceful Natalie, Barrymore’s sassy, attitude heavy Dylan and Liu’s sophisticated and poised brainiac Alex ) is the key to the enjoyment of Charlie’s Angels as they sell the silliness all the way. Bill Murray is hilarious as the occasionally bumbling and sardonic Bosley, with his knack for humour in high supply and an utter delight to watch. Sam Rockwell is pretty eye-catching as the man supposedly in trouble, who might be quite different from the geeky persona he projects. Kelly Lynch is much the same as his partner who just know is dodgy from the moment she appears. Tim Curry does what he can with his ludicrous material and is quite amusing, while Crispin Glover is ideally unusual and freaky as an assassin known as The Thin Man. Matt LeBlanc and Luke Wilson on the other hand, come off as rather superfluous when playing two unsuspecting boyfriends of two of the Angels. Considering the cheesy script, the cast is mostly competent, particularly the sexy Angels.

It’s scattershot at best and virtually devoid of any real plot, but Charlie’s Angels delivers the fun and sassy goods, bolstered by the energy of the three women at the front of it. Defiantly ridiculous and outrageous, it’s best enjoyed as cheesy fodder and sexy fun.

Legally Blonde

Tags

2000's, Ali Larter, Comedy, Jennifer Coolidge, Legally Blonde, Luke Wilson, Matthew Davis, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Luketic, Selma Blair, Victor Garber

Film Title

Legally Blonde

Director

Robert Luketic

Starring

• Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods
• Luke Wilson as Emmett Richmond
• Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington
• Matthew Davis as Warner Huntington
• Victor Garber as Professor Callahan
• Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette
• Ali Larter as Brooke Taylor-Windham

A glossy comedy that like the main character is a lot more than it seems at first glance, Legally Blonde is a splendidly funny and endearing ode to proving people wrong and doing it with some serious style.

Elle Woods is the typical sorority queen; pretty, stylish and absorbed in a world of magazines and parties. She seems to have the ideal boyfriend in Warner Huntington( the rich son of a governor) and as the movie opens, she believes he is going to propose to her. Instead he dumps her because he is going off to Harvard and doesn’t see his future with her because he wants to be with a girl he considers smart and acceptable(as well as one his wealthy family would appreciate). Devastated, Elle is at a loss of what to do before she has an idea to win Warner back. As he’s going off to Harvard, Elle makes it her mission to get in and show him that she’s the one. With a mix of guile and surprising smarts, Elle is accepted to Harvard but it isn’t going to be plain sailing for her. She had to contend with ridicule and scorn aimed at her by her peers, particularly Warner’s snotty new girlfriend Vivian Kensington. Determined to prove everyone wrong, Elle gets her head down and buries herself in study. Surprisingly to everyone else, she begins to display an aptitude for law and begins to shine. When one of the professors is defending a client on a murder trial, he enlists the help of some of his students, one of them being a surprised Elle. With help from good-hearted Emmett Richmond, who sees potential in her and a slowly growing belief from within herself, Elle aims for success. But can Elle finally be taken seriously by those who have written her off?

Director Robert Luketic, in what was his directorial debut, excellently crafts this an amusing and quietly inspiring film. His direction makes the most of the story and adroitly displays Elle’s unexpected journey from Valley Girl to young woman who is taken seriously by the snotty elite. Visually and in story, Legally Blonde is fuzzy and light, yet this belies the funny fish out of water story and the theme of showing everyone you can achieve. Yes there are parts of the film that are routine and we’ve seen some instances of before, but you’ll be having too much fun to pick up on a few minor skirmishes on a frothy and fun movie. As much as Legally Blonde is a comedy, sympathy is generated for Elle because of writing that makes us relate to her and strive with her for acknowledgment from those who feel the need to be doubtful. Though Elle is not as dizzy as everyone makes out even in the beginning. She is a little naive but has smarts, though these mainly consist of fashion and style before giving way to more difficult subjects at Harvard where she slowly proves doubters and haters wrong. I enjoyed the way the script showed that Elle is not unintelligent, just has knowledge of more popular girly topics before rolling up her sleeves and deciding to subvert the stereotype everyone has of her. Another refreshing aspect is as the film goes on, Elle becomes less interested in winning Warner back and instead asserts her smarts in the court case. What could have just been a predictable part of the story turned into something else and I was happy to observe it take a different road for the better.

Reese Witherspoon is utterly delightful and winning as Elle Woods, making the character her own from the very first time we see her. She adeptly gets across the bubbly personality of Elle as well as making us root for her to succeed and prove doubters wrong. Witherspoon’s performance is one of kittenish enthusiasm, sparky quips and a growing intellect, that showcases how Elle may look out-of-place in Harvard at the start, but once settled and determined rises to the top. Reese Witherspoon is the biggest draw of Legally Blonde and it’s impossible to imagine anyone else playing Elle as well as her. I liked Luke Wilson in his role of the supportive Emmett; he plays him a genuinely nice guy who refuses to just see Elle as a Barbie doll like almost everyone else. Selma Blair is impressively snobby and bitchy as Warner’s new girlfriend, who is revealed to be quite insecure beneath the catty facade. As the douche bag boyfriend who because of his blue-blooded background dumps Elle, Matthew Davis is appropriately arrogant, until he sees that Elle is not as dumb as he initially thought. Victor Garber is well cast as a disapproving professor, while there is Jennifer Coolidge who is delightfully funny as an unlucky in love beautician benefiting from Elle’s sassy help. The only person who suffers is Ali Larter as the woman accused of murdering her husband. It’s not Larter’s fault, it’s that the character is introduced too late into the story to really feel anything towards her. Larter in fact does a good enough job, her role just could have used some embellishing.

It may at the start look like a run of the mill exercise, but Legally Blonde greatly distinguishes itself from the crowd with its mix of laughs and lovable heroine that will win you over instantly.

Vacancy

Tags

2000's, Ethan Embry, Frank Whaley, Horror, Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Nimród Antal, Thriller, Vacancy

Film Title

Vacancy

Director

Nimród Antal

Starring

• Kate Beckinsale as Amy Fox
• Luke Wilson as David Fox
• Frank Whaley as Mason
• Ethan Embry as the Mechanic

A taut and well shot horror-thriller, Vacancy eschews over the top gore in favour of well-timed shocks and nail-biting suspense. It may not fully escape B movie origins but it’s definitely a step up from some of the horror movies due to the building of terror and the efficiency of its running time.

On the way back from a family get together, estranged couple Amy and James Fox take a short cut due to an accident in the way of their intended destination. The couple is on the cusp of divorce after the tragic death of their young son and the two of them being unable to repair the wound it left. As they continue driving in the night, their car breaks down as they find themselves completely lost. Journeying back on foot after seeing a motel earlier in their travels,  Amy and David check into the place for the night, despite their initial reservations about the unusual manager Mason. While attempting to rest and with David trying to get through to Amy, it looks as if it will be a long night for the both of them. Yet events become a whole lot more creepy and deeply perverse as knocks at the door and an alarming discovery is made. The dingy motel room that they are staying in is the ground for the making of snuff movies, filled with hidden cameras. The motel manager Mason is the ringleader of the sickening games and has a group of masked assailants who he sends to torment Amy and David. Utterly terrified by what is happening, Amy and David must put their personal problems on the back burner as they fight for survival against a disturbing band of psychopaths whose every thrill is the squirming of the couple. As the night goes on and the terrified couple battle with all they have against deadly and sickeningly planned designs, it’s down to the wire as to whether they can make it until morning without becoming the victims of the next snuff movie.

Nimród Antal successfully builds a sense of dread from the very first frame and then quickens the pace with unbearable tension once David and Amy discover the horrifying purpose of the motel. The running time is thankfully not long-winded and throws us into the terrifying night that the couple faces after checking in. Antal wisely sidesteps the temptation to overuse the sleazy premise that many other film makers would indulge in. Sure, Vacancy shows brief snippets of the perverse horror that the motel is used for and violence, but these moments largely occur off-screen, which in my view makes the film more  creepy because we are forced to imagine the brutal extent of what is happening. Antal crafts so many scenes of merciless suspense and tension; a clear highlight being David and Amy having to quickly crawl through a series of underground tunnels used by the killers to quickly make their way between rooms as they are pursued. Low lighting and moody cinematography create an ambience of squalor and desperation as the couple fights to live on within the confines of the scuzzy motel. Vacancy only slightly falters due to some laughable dialogue that feels a bit out-of-place in this kind of film. Yet this is the only real flaw as the script is largely successful in setting up the terror and crafting two believable and flawed protagonists who we get to know and want them to survive this utter depravity that has trapped them.  A nail-biting and extremely tense score keeps the economical running time of the movie going along with an electronic bass that from the very beginning lets us know that something ominous will soon occur.

In the roles of the protagonists who are dealing with their own stress and trauma even before the hellish night of horrors that awaits them occurs, Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson are very good. They put across the feeling of these two wounded people trying to navigate grief in their own way, but being forced to forget about it and fight with every fibre of their being they have to survive. The two conjure the emotions of normal people pushed to their limits under emotional distress and doing whatever it takes to live on very effectively and with palpable skill. As the mastermind behind the snuff film plot, Frank Whaley has all the necessary sleaziness and creepy tics needed to make the character a despicable psychopath delighting in the suffering of others. In another villainous role that is somewhat brief, Ethan Embry plays a mechanic who supposedly helps the couple, but is in fact in on the sickening scheme.

Tight, taut and well paced, Vacancy is an effective blend of horror and thriller that is disquieting in a way that isn’t gratuitous or in your face, instead emerging as more of a creepy and suspenseful chiller.