The world didn’t ask for a stripped-down, three-chords Charlie’s Angels reboot, but we got one anyway. The results aren’t nearly as bad as they could’ve been, all things considered. While it’s lacking the effervescence of the original ‘70s TV show and the pop culture bubble gum aesthetic of the previous big-screen iterations, it has its own distinct groove. It also surprisingly honors the previous versions in ways I won’t spoil, and because of that, it feels less like another cash-grab retread, and more like an honest continuation of what came before.
The inspiration seems to come from the Christopher McQuarrie-directed Mission: Impossible movies, with its muted colors, close-quarters fights, and modest, but capable action sequences. It was not a hit, so who’s to say if we will get another one any time soon. At any rate, this Charlie’s Angels makes for perfectly acceptable lazy afternoon entertainment.
A corporate whistleblower named Elena (Naomi Scott) is about to go public with knowledge that her Alexa-esque device can be weaponized and turns to The Townsend Agency for help. At the rendezvous, Bosley (Djimon Hounsou) is killed by a gunman, and the Angels Sabina (Kristen Stewart) and Jane (Ella Balinska) are left in the wind. Another Bosley (Elizabeth Banks, who also directed) steps in to help the Angels, but she may or may not be the one behind the set-up.
There are only two Angels in this one, which is a bit odd. I know Elena winds up being slowly groomed into the role, but I guess that just goes back to the whole stripped-down approach Banks was going for. Stewart and Balinska play off each other pretty well as they make an ideal mismatched pair. Stewart in particular seems to be having a blast. After so many painfully serious dramatic roles, she looks like she’s relishing the opportunity to let her hair (or at least her wig) down and have some fun.
Banks does an admirable job with the action scenes. Unlike her male counterparts, she doesn’t rely on a bunch of shaky-cam nonsense during the shootouts, fight scenes, and car chases. In fact, she probably holds back just a touch too much as things never really kick into overdrive. (The finale is curiously low on fireworks.) The film honestly needed at least one big action sequence to put it over the top into *** territory. I for one was missing the bombastic exuberance of the McG movies. Still, for Charlie’s Angels fans who absolutely positively have to have more Charlie’s Angels, this should fit the bill.
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