Charlie's Angels (2000 film)

Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, and written by Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August. It is the first installment in the Charlie's Angels film series, a continuation of the television series of the same name created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, which is also a continuation of the series story. Unlike the original series, which had dramatic elements, the film features more comical elements.

Charlie's Angels
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMcG
Produced by
Written by
Based on
Starring
Music byEdward Shearmur
CinematographyRussell Carpenter
Edited by
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • October 22, 2000 (2000-10-22) (Mann's Chinese Theatre)
  • November 3, 2000 (2000-11-03) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$93 million[2]
Box office$264.1 million[2]

It stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working in a private detective agency in Los Angeles. John Forsythe reprised his role as the unseen Charlie's voice from the original series. Bill Murray also stars as John Bosley, replacing David Doyle who played the role in the original series. It also stars Sam Rockwell, Tim Curry, Kelly Lynch and Crispin Glover while Matt LeBlanc, Luke Wilson and Tom Green appear in supporting roles.

It was released on November 3, 2000, in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing under its Columbia Pictures label, and has grossed $264 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of Diaz, Barrymore, Liu and Murray as well as its action sequences and humor, but criticisms aimed at the plot and "lack of originality".[3]

It was later followed by the sequels Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in 2003, and a 2019 film of the same name.

Plot

Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu) are the "Angels", three talented, tough, attractive women who work as private investigators together for an unseen millionaire named Charlie (voiced by John Forsythe). Charlie uses speakers in his offices to communicate with the Angels, and his assistant Bosley (Bill Murray) works with them directly when needed.

Charlie assigns the Angels to find Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell), a software genius who created a revolutionary voice-recognition system and heads his own company, Knox Enterprises. Knox is believed to have been kidnapped by Roger Corwin (Tim Curry), who runs a communications-satellite company called Redstar. The Angels infiltrate a party held by Corwin and spot a suspicious-looking man that they had previously seen from surveillance videos of Knox's kidnapping. Dubbing him the "Thin Man" (Crispin Glover), the Angels chase him down and fight him; he gets away, but the Angels find Knox, safely held nearby.

After the Angels reunite Knox with his business partner Vivian Wood (Kelly Lynch), Charlie explains that they must determine whether the Thin Man has stolen Knox's voice-recognition software. The Angels infiltrate Redstar headquarters, fool the security system, and plant a device in the central computer that will enable them to explore it remotely. They retire for the night after giving Bosley the laptop computer that communicates with the Redstar computer. Dylan takes up Knox's offer to spend the night with him, and they end up having sex. Afterwards, Knox betrays her; simultaneously, attacks are made on Natalie and Alex, Bosley is captured by Vivian, and Corwin is murdered by the Thin Man. Knox tells Dylan his kidnapping was all faked to get the Angels to help him access the Redstar satellite network. He plans to use it along with his voice recognition software to find and kill Charlie, who Knox asserts killed his father in the Vietnam War.

Dylan escapes and reunites with Natalie and Alex, who survived their attacks. They approach Charlie's office just as the building explodes. They find a radio transmitter that Bosley is able to communicate through via a tooth implanted radio transmitter. Bosley provides enough information of where he's captured to allow Natalie to deduce its location, an abandoned lighthouse. With help from Dylan's boyfriend Chad (Tom Green), the Angels stealthily approach it. Upon finding Knox, Dylan is captured by his henchmen, tied up and gagged. The Angels are too late to stop Knox from determining Charlie's location, though they rescue Bosley while Dylan fights off her captors. They come together to defeat Vivian, the Thin Man, and other assorted henchmen, but Knox blows up the lighthouse and flies off in an attack helicopter towards Charlie's house. Bosley helps the Angels board it, where Alex reprograms the missile to have it shoot backwards; blowing up the helicopter and killing Knox while the Angels land safely.

Seeing the opportunity to finally meet Charlie in person, they enter the nearby beach house that Knox had targeted, but Charlie has already left. He remotely congratulates the Angels on a job well done through another speaker, and treats them and Bosley to a vacation. Charlie also tells them that Knox's father was undercover; he was discovered and killed, but not by Charlie. When he speaks to the Angels by telephone on the beach, they ask if they could ever meet him in person. Dylan suspects she sees him nearby talking into a cell phone, but doesn't tell the group; opting to raise a toast to Charlie instead. Bosley playfully douses the Angels with his drink, and they chase him towards the ocean. From afar, a silhouetted Charlie watches them and walks off.

Cast
One of the most widely reproduced publicity images from Charlie's Angels features (L to R) Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz, and Drew Barrymore in defensive posture as they prepare to subdue The Thin Man.

Reception

Box office

The film opened on November 3, 2000, earning $13.7 million in its opening day, debuting at the top of the box office. For its first weekend, the film grossed $40.1 million dethroning Meet the Parents, which had stayed at number-one for four weeks. Eventually, Charlie's Angels grossed a total of $125,305,545 domestically.

Against a budget of $93 million Charlie's Angels grossed $125.3 million in North America and $148.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $264.1 million, making it the 12th highest-grossing film of 2000.[2]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 68% approval rating based on 145 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Mixing tongue-in-cheek cheesecake with glossy action set pieces, Charlie's Angels is slick and reasonably fun despite its lack of originality."[4] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score, it has a score of 52 out of 100 based on reviews from 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[3]

David Edelstein for Slate, wrote, despite expecting to hate the film, he found he loved it, calling it "A charming, hyper-energetic, and wittily self-aware action comedy about gorgeous girls".[5] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B grade, with particular praise for Cameron Diaz's performance, saying "not just an Angel – that's a star."[6] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film a "guilty pleasure" and praised the wire work and fight choreography of Cheung-Yan Yuen. Travers was critical of the thin plot but said it is "the film's quirky sense of mischief, which sets it apart" from lesser television to film adaptations.[7] Desson Howe of The Washington Post said "The gals are fab. And so's the movie." He expressed mild disappointment at the men, commenting that Murray is funnier than the role written for him, and that even though Tom Green "does his weirdest best" he is only mildly amusing.[8]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it "a movie without a brain. Charlie's Angels is like the trailer for a video game movie, lacking only the video game, and the movie" and gave it half a star out of a possible 4 stars.[9] Manohla Dargis wrote "Of course, it's terrible – but did it have to be this bad?"[10] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "An utter debacle" and said the film "makes the show look like the height of creativity, imagination and restraint". LaSalle blames director McG comparing the film to a trailer or music video. He was also critical of the deliberate decision to make the three women very similar, and says "The Angels' goofiness is a big disappointment, second only to the shocking ineptitude of McG." [11]

During the making of Blade II, Guillermo del Toro commented that while films like Charlie's Angels had helped to popularize the wire fu style of fighting choreography in Western films, they also served as a "nail in the coffin" and prompted many filmmakers to want to get back to more "hard-hitting" action.[12] "The moment you see Cameron Diaz flying in the air, and you know that she is incapable of flying in the air and kicking five guys... you realize that it is done using wires. [...] I mean, Charlie's Angels was great, but it[s fighting style] was almost satirical," he said.[12]

Accolades
Award Category Subject Result
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards[13] Worst Supporting Actor Tom Green (also for Road Trip) Won
Most Unfunny Comic Relief Won
Worst On-Screen Group The Angels Nominated
Worst Song "Independent Women, Part 1" by Destiny's Child Nominated
Worst Resurrection of a TV Show Columbia Pictures Nominated

Home media

Charlie's Angels was released on both VHS and DVD on March 27, 2001, in widescreen-only on both formats. It became the first film to be released on Blu-ray Disc in 2006.[14] It was then released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 22, 2019.[15]

Soundtrack

Charlie's Angels is the soundtrack album from the film of the same name. The album was released on October 24, 2000 by Columbia Records.[16]

Charlie's Angels
Studio album by
Various artists
ReleasedOctober 24, 2000 (2000-10-24)
Length58:22
LabelColumbia
Charlie's Angels soundtracks chronology
Charlie's Angels
(2000)		 Charlie's Angels:
Full Throttle
(2003)
Singles from Charlie's Angels
  1. "Independent Women"
    Released: September 14, 2000
  2. "Charlie's Angels 2000"
    Released: November 27, 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[17]
No.TitleWriter(s)Performed byLength
1."Independent Women"
Destiny's Child3:37
2."Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel"
Tavares3:32
3."You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"
Leo Sayer3:41
4."True"Gary KempSpandau Ballet5:33
5."Dot"
  • Knowles
  • Errol "Poppi" McCalla
Destiny's Child3:50
6."Baby Got Back"Anthony L. RaySir Mix-A-Lot4:22
7."Angel's Eye"
Aerosmith3:22
8."Barracuda"
Heart4:22
9."Turning Japanese"David FentonThe Vapors3:41
10."Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"Elliot LurieLooking Glass3:22
11."Got to Give It Up"Marvin GayeMarvin Gaye4:12
12."Ya Mama"Norman CookFatboy Slim4:29
13."Groove Is in the Heart"
Deee-Lite3:53
14."Charlie's Angels 2000"
Apollo 4403:54
15."Tangerine Speedo"Caviar and DominguezCaviar3:41
Total length:58:22
Other songs are not included in the soundtrack

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] Platinum 15,000^
United States (RIAA)[19] 2× Platinum 1,660,000[20]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Sequels
Main articles: Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Charlie's Angels (2019 film)

A sequel called Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle released in 2003. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu reprised their roles, as did John Forsythe as the voice of Charlie in his last film role. Following Bill Murray departure from the franchise, Bernie Mac joined the cast as Jimmy Bosley, John's adoptive brother, while Demi Moore had a major role, and Jaclyn Smith reprised her role as Kelly Garrett from the original television series. The franchise was confirmed for a third and fourth film, but in 2004, the ideas were cancelled.

On September 15, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Sony are rebooting the film with Elizabeth Banks both producing with her producing partner and husband Max Handelman and the studio are in negotiations with her to direct the film.[21] On April 13, 2016, Sony has confirmed that Banks will direct the reboot.[22] It was later revealed that the new movie won't be a reboot or a remake of the franchise, but rather a continuation that will incorporate the events of the original TV series and the McG-directed 2000s films.[23]

The third installment stars Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as the new generation of Angels. Banks and Djimon Hounsou also star as Charlie's assistants, known as Bosleys, while Patrick Stewart replaced Bill Murray in the role of John Bosley and Jaclyn Smith reprised her role as Kelly Garrett for the second time for a cameo appearances. It is also the first installment to feature Robert Clotworthy as the voice of Charlie; replacing John Forsythe, following his death in 2010.

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References
  1. "Charlie's Angels (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 8, 2000. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  2. "Charlie's Angels (2000) – Box Office Mojo". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  3. "Charlie's Angels". Metacritic. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  4. "Charlie's Angels (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  5. "Angel Cake – Charlie's Angels delivers Hong Kong action thrills without serving the bogus spirituality. Don't let Spike Lee see Bagger Vance, but catch The Yards before it departs. By David Edelstein". January 26, 2002. Archived from the original on January 26, 2002. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  6. "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY MOVIE REVIEW – Charlie's Angels : Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz". November 10, 2000. Archived from the original on November 10, 2000. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  7. Travers, Peter; Travers, Peter (November 3, 2000). "Charlie's Angels". Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  8. "Charlie's Angels Review". Washingtonpost.com.
  9. Ebert, Roger. "Charlie's Angels Movie Review (2000) – Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  10. Dargis, Manohla (November 1, 2000). "Head Trips". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  11. LaSalle, Mick; Critic, Chronicle Staff (November 3, 2000). "FALLEN `ANGELS' / Crime-fighting women play it goofy in disastrous updating of TV show". SFGate.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  12. "Production Workshop" documentary. Blade II DVD. Roadshow Entertainment, 2002.
  13. "Past Winners Database". The Envelope at LA Times. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  14. "Charlie's Angels DVD Release Date". DVDs Release Dates. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  15. Charlie's Angels 4K Blu-ray, retrieved August 18, 2019
  16. "Charlie's Angels: Music from the Motion Picture". Amazon.com. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  17. "Charlie's Angels – Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  18. "New Zealand album certifications – Soundtrack – Charlie's Angels". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  19. "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Charlie's Angels". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  20. Basham, David (February 7, 2002). "Got Charts?". Mtv. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  21. Kit, Borys (September 15, 2015). "Elizabeth Banks in Talks to Direct New 'Charlie's Angels' Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  22. Franich, Darren (April 13, 2016). "Sony confirms Charlie's Angels reboot, Jump Street-Men in Black crossover". entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  23. Shirley Li (April 12, 2019). "Charlie's Angels first look: See Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska in Elizabeth Banks' update". ew.com. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
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