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Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)Click here for a detailed explanation of how we determine our grades.
Detailed content analysis from
The MPAA rated
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
PG-13 for action violence, sensuality, and language/innuendo.
Once again the voice behind the box (John Forsythe) summons Angels Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore) and Alex Munday (Lucy Lui) to take on a mission of astronomical proportions.
Two encoded titanium rings have been stolen from the Unites States government, leaving a mass of murdered bodies in the wake. The unknown thief plans to sell the highly secretive information on the bands to the highest bidder. While members of the world’s most powerful drug cartels, mobs and undercover groups converge on the sale site, the girls try to uncover the conspirator before the names of thousands of people in the Witness Protection Program are decoded.
Leaving their boyfriends (Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc) at home, Natalie and Alex don disguises, and join with Dylan and Bosley (Bernie Mac) to get past the local police at a murder scene. After scouring the location, they pool their collected evidence and follow their suspects to a bikini covered surfing beach where they meet former Angel Madison Lee (Demi Moore). After getting a tip, they’re off to an extreme dirt biking track and then finally a strip joint where they become part of the stage show to gather information on the crooks.
Meanwhile an old flame of Dylan’s resurfaces with an agenda that doesn’t match that of the feisty angel.
In an era of female empowerment, Charlie’s Angels are stepping up to give James Bond a run for his money. Clad just as scantily as a Bond girl, these gals pack in the punches while evading flying bullets and avoiding exploding cars. Relying on their martial art skills and ingenuity -- rather than guns -- to take out hordes of bad guys, they never seem to break a sweat. But with more computer-generated manipulation than astounding aerobatics, their extreme stunts often look unconvincingly contrived (as well as being a direct rip-off of the Matrix genus).
Going Full Throttle in the violence category, the script is also spiked with ample amounts of sexual innuendo, some well-shadowed nudity and spicy language that offer nothing in the way of heavenly inspiration for aspiring little angels and leave halos barely hanging on.
Dressed in their lethal high heels and loosely laced tops, these employees of the Townsend Agency are more eye candy aimed at fulfilling male fantasies than credible crime fighters. However, even those fantasies may suffer from a sugar overdose after watching these Angels assume their pose.
Talk about the movie with your family...
Although more films are promoting the idea of female empowerment, many still depict women in revealing clothing doing things aimed at catching men’s attention. As a female, do you feel empowered or degraded by the portrayals in this film? How realistic is their vast list of accomplishments? What female characters most closely mirror your image of strong and capable women?
Spoofing other forms of media is often used in comedies. What films or television shows did this film spoof? Is there a difference between making a creative satire and simply plagiarizing someone else’s work?
Video Alternatives...
As well as playing angelic figures in the first Charlie’s Angels, these actresses like to play the part of princesses. You can hear Cameron Diaz as the voice of Princess Fiona in Shrek, watch Drew Barrymore recreate a Cinderella role in Ever After and see Lucy Liu as Princess Pei Pei in Shanghai Noon.
Kerry Bennett
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2003 One Voice Communications. All Rights Reserved