5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Charlie's Angels are a crime-fighting trio, masters of disguise, espionage and martial arts. When a devious mastermind embroils them in a plot to destroy individual privacy, the Angels are on the spot with their brains, brawn and high-tech toys. Aided by their loyal sidekick Bosley, the girls are about to bring down the bad guys when a terrible secret is revealed that makes the Angels a target of assassination.
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam RockwellComedy | 100% |
Adventure | 19% |
Action | 14% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
movieIQ
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Once upon a time there were three very different little girls.
There aren't too many movies that are as over-the-top ridiculous as Charlie's Angels.
Fortunately, the entire movie's one gigantic wink-and-a-nod, and while there's nonsensical tripe
packed into almost every frame, the picture's lighthearted "hey don't take me seriously" attitude
helps alleviate some of the more ludicrous moments that will have even the staunchest of viewers
watching with jaws agape and contemplating things in life that may or may not be worse than some
of the stuff that happens in the movie, like a dish full of peas, a trip to the dentist, or parachuting into
a nuclear explosion. Starring three of Hollywood's hottest commodities and directed by an
up-and-comer who would go on to helm one of 2009's best action movies, Terminator Salvation,
Charlie's Angels oozes talent no doubt, but can the film's good cast and solid production
values overcome 90-some minutes of overzealous goofiness that threaten to completely overwhelm
whatever positives may exist in this, a modern take on a classic television show?
Three's company.
Charlie's Angels' Blu-ray presentation features a color palette that seems to surreptitiously switch monitors to "torch" mode, but worry not; bright as it may be, Sony's 1080p, 2.40:1-framed high definition presentation seems pretty much in-line with Director McG's intended visual scheme. Indeed, the picture is awash in rich, bold, and excessively vibrant colors; reds in particular are almost blinding, but the playful color scheme plays right into the picture's style and mood. The transfer is also steady and free of extensive artifacting, print debris, or unwarranted digital manipulation. A few soft shots seem inherent to the source and not a mistake on the transfer-to-Blu-ray process. Fine detail ranges from flat to extraordinary; faces don't always showcase the finest nuances, but there are plenty of scenes that come alive with a breathtaking array of eye-catching details and texturing, notably as the Angels infiltrate a rocky compound in the film's final act. Black levels are good, and flesh tones are, too, if they're observed through the prism of the picture's intended color scheme. Grain is retained over the image, and while a few elements display something of a slight digital sheen, Charlie's Angels offers up what is, more often than not, a transfer that's nicely filmic and generally reflective of McG's intended visual appearance, as harsh as it sometimes may be.
Charlie's Angels features a full-throttle (lame joke alert!) DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. In fact, "full throttle" might be an understatement. This's one incredibly loud at reference volume. Turn it down a few notches; it's not worth going deaf. Once it's been properly adjusted, the track yields a positively aggressive and virtually nonstop barrage of action movie goodness. Surround speakers are used extensively to create not only rip-roaring action scenes but also subtle and, oftentimes, not-so-subtle atmospherics that sometimes threaten to overtake the primary sound elements, but usually the track finds a nice balance that proves its potency but also delivers a healthy but not overbearing support structure. Bass pours into the soundstage in abundance; it's not quite as precise as that found on the best tracks, but it's throbbing and potent every time it makes an appearance. The low end's aggressive posture is certainly befitting the picture's mood. Gunshots ring out with a good bit of authority, and listeners will duck for cover as bullets whiz through the listening area and impact onto surfaces across the back channels. Dialogue is strong and center-focused, too. Charlie's Angels requires some fiddling with the remote, but once that happy medium is found, the track delivers a powerful and entertaining sound mix.
Sony's Blu-ray release of Charlie's Angels yields several supplements, chief among them a
commentary track with Director McG and Cinematographer Russell Carpenter. No surprise, this
track hits plenty of technical talking points that revolve around stunt work, cinematic trickery, the
picture's visual schemes, lighting, and its many sets and shooting locales. They also discuss the
professionalism of the actors, cutting back to reduce the size and scope of the film, costumes, special
effects, and much more. Listeners more interested in commentaries that focus on the technical end
of the filmmaking process will want to check this one out. Getting G'd Up (480i, 6:32) is a
pat-on-the-back piece that features cast and crew laying the praise on the Charlie's Angels
director. The Master and the Angels (480i, 7:25) takes a look at the contributions of
Cheung-Yan Yuen, the film's martial arts choreographer, and the training regimen followed by the
lead actresses.
Next up is Welcome to Angel World (480i, 4:48), a piece that looks at the
picture's tone that reinforces its playful and none-too-serious feel. Angelic Attire: Dressing
Cameron, Drew, and Lucy (480i, 3:25), no surprise, focuses at the clothing worn by the
actresses in the film. Angelic Effects (480i, 6:45) looks at how several of the picture's
major effects shots were achieved, while Wired Angels (480i, 2:35) examines the extensive
wirework utilized in one of the film's action scenes. Also included is a collection of three deleted
scenes (1080p,
4:42); outtakes and bloopers
(480i, 2:39); the music videos "Independent Women Part 1" by Destiny's Child (480i, 4:06) and
"Charlie's Angels 2000" by Apollo Four Forty (480i, 4:13); BD-Live Functionality; MovieIQ
connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Stomp the Yard:
Homecoming, The Back-Up Plan,
Beastly, The Runaways, and
"Damages"
Smart cinema this is not; Charlie's Angels won't ever be popping up as a part of the Criterion Collection (wait, Armageddon did, so anything's possible), so those in search of intellectually-stimulating cinema should pass this one by and forget it even exists. For those looking for a movie that could very well serve as the definition of "escapist entertainment," look no further. Charlie's Angels is hot -- the girls look great, the film looks like it's on fire, and the action scenes are well-done -- and it works as mindless cinema precisely because it has no allusions of being anything more or anything less. Sure, it's got plenty of wobbly plot elements, a story that's as transparent as they come, and more than a few scenes that are downright dumb, but McG's 2000 Action flick works well enough as a good popcorn movie for a lazy day and as eye candy for fans of its lead actresses. Charlie's Angels arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony with a 1080p transfer that's harsh but seemingly in-line with the filmmakers' intent. It also sports a terribly loud but enjoyably aggressive lossless soundtrack and a handful of extras. Fans will want to pick this one up, and for the curiously-inclined, Charlie's Angels would make for a solid rental.
Unrated
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