Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Bernie Mac
Director: McG
Category: IIB
Walk into the cinema to see the second in the Drew Barrymore-produced Charlie's Angels franchise and you should know exactly what you are getting - a bigger budget means more tricks, more stars lining up to cash in that cameo cheque, and a little more to sink our teeth into. Right, then, on the first two counts. But it is strange that we are witness to such a lack of creativity in modern cinema that we can be presented with a sequel to a poor film version of an even poorer TV show that at one stage makes fun of a film that makes fun of other films. So it is when Full Throttle mocks Austin Powers. And we are supposed to laugh at how clever it all is? The joke is on us, we can suppose.
Full Throttle sees the Angels chasing after some rings that hold the encoded names of everyone on the US Witness Protection Programme. Director McG makes use of his bigger budget with impressive action sequences, but it is telling that a feeling of sameness creeps in after the first 30 minutes. Same too with the fight sequences; the Matrix style is fast losing its lustre.