In the beginning of 2019's "Charlie's Angels," one character says "women can do anything." Another in response retorts with "just because they can doesn't mean they should."
Two people can have the same discussion about this film. So was rebooting a beloved franchise worth it?
The movie is an entertaining and empowering action chick flick, but the mediocre script, unmemorable moments and are hard to ignore.
Directed by Elizabeth Banks, this modern version of Charlie's Angels takes viewers into a globally-expanded Townsend Agency with the toughest women on each team. After an engineer named Elena (Naomi Scott) discovers a deadly flaw in smart device technology, it's up to angels Jane (Ella Balinska) and Sabina (Kristen Stewart) to figure out why an assassin (Jonathan Tucker) is trying to kill her. Meanwhile things seem suspicious after John Bosley (Patrick Stewart) retires and another Bosley (Banks) takes over.
Similar to other female-cast reboots like 2016's "Ghostbusters" and 2018's "Ocean's 8," this movie is oozing with empowering feminism. After the title card, a sequence of happy, confident girls and women are living their best life by skydiving, surfing or simply riding a bike. Those clips present a blunt point, but a metaphor in smashing the patriarchy is well-represented in spoiler-ridden scenes and in the fact that a majority of "good guys" are women. Fans of the older "Charlie's Angels" could appreciate the modern take in this film.
CHARLIE'S ANGELS - Official Trailer (HD)www.youtube.com
But the girl power isn't enough to elevate the script. Decent plot twists happen often at breakneck speed, but that's characteristic of most action-adventures. Aside from a couple of gruesome deaths, chase scenes and gadget jokes are overused if compared to other mindless action movies with shiny cars and bright disguises. At least there are a couple of funny bits in there, including a self-deprecating Sabina joke and an off-topic "Batman" squabble.
The characters can outweigh the bumpy script, but the three leading characters are a little confusing and annoying. Jane is a confident woman with little time for emotions and plenty of focus on the mission. But in a very off-brand notion, she flirts with Langston (Noah Centineo) who is surprisingly irrelevant to the plot. Sabina is supposedly from a wealthy family, and she gives off that entitled rich girl mood. And Elena is smart, but she's also annoying with every outcry about the violence around her. Even though she sees more action after the first encounter, she still screeches when a target leaves the room. These flaws are passable if there is enough emotional baggage to fully empathize with their struggles, but unfortunately, it leaves a hole waiting to be filled.
The visual effects can be improved a bit too. When a chair flies through a window or when Sabina takes a helicopter ride out of a scene, viewers deserve to watch a higher quality image than the blocky two-second graphic image they see.
It's surely not a perfect movie, but it leaves some people proudly claiming they work for Charlie --- or rather, they love this movie.
P.S. The movie is one giant look-and-find experience that's littered with familiar celebrity faces, especially as the credits roll.
"Charlie's Angels" (2019) gets 6/10 stars.
Follow Samantha on Twitter at @_SamI520.
