How many of Charlie’s Angels fit on the Head of a Pin?
Charlie’s Angels (2000): 8 out of 10: Reading the major press reviews I am struck by a time travel quality of their pans. It is as if they are watching another movie entirely. It’s as if they were watching the leaden Charlie’s Angels sequel Full Throttle.
The first Angels, however, is a great movie if you keep three things in mind. It is mindless. It is fun. It is mindless fun. Never has eye candy had so many empty calories. As nutritious for your brain as a deep-fried Twinkie and with about as much substance, Charlie’s Angels is about as quintessential a summer movie as you can get.
This is not a bad thing. With a great soundtrack, three hot girls, solid supporting cast and non-stop action even brainless fun can be well good. It is not easy to make a film this shallow, this entertaining. (As the sequel proved and come to think of it dozens of movies prove every summer.) In reality, there is a fine line between fluffy, bubble-headed, featherbrained fun and feeble-minded, half-witted, imbecilic drudgery.
Charlie’s Angels stays solidly on the featherbrained, fluffy side. It is that rather rare film that is smart enough to keep it simple and needless to say mindlessly fun.