"Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" - Movie Review

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: PG-13 (for action violence, sensuality, and language/innuendo)

Release Date: June 27, 2003

Actors: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore, Robert Patrick, Luke Wilson, Bernie Mac, Matt LeBlanc, Justin Theroux, Crispin Glover, Jaclyn Smith (cameo), Mary-Kate Olsen (cameo), Ashley Olsen (cameo), John Cleese, Tommy Flanagan, Pink (cameo), Bruce Willis (cameo), Carrie Fisher

Director: McG

Special Notes: McG has directed almost 50 music videos and is developing the "Superman" franchise for Warner Brothers.

Plot: The Angels (Barrymore, Diaz, Liu) are after two silver rings that contain valuable encrypted information that reveals the new identities of every person in the federal Witness Protection Program. The women battle a legion of enemies who try to steal the ring, but the angelic trio does whatever it takes to protect them, including battling one of their own angels (Moore).

Good: From the opening frame to the closing credits, this movie is non-stop action, loud music, incredible special effects, breath-taking stunts and beautiful women (not necessarily in that order). "Full Throttle" blatantly steals numerous songs, themes and ideas from other movies which in turn, lets the audience in on the laugh. There are so many cool scenes and special effects filling the screen with each frame, that it doesn't really matter what the plot is; it's just fun to see what outfits the girls will wear and how they defeat the bad guys. For folks who have never been to Hollywood, this movie incorporates a lot of the local tourist spots, and gives you a nice idea what L.A. looks like. And as for indulging in extreme sports, the girls go surfing, try some motocross, and even stage a "CSI" spoof on investigating a crime scene. Another wonderful surprise are the numerous cameos from famous celebrities like Jaclyn Smith (she appears as an angel to Barrymore), Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, John Cleese, Tommy Flanagan, Pink and Bruce Willis. Director McG is most known for his music videos, but clearly his eye for action will quickly earn him a great reputation in Hollywood. And how about Moore's comeback? All I can say is … Moore power to her! She looks incredible and holds her own with all of the 30-year olds on screen.

Bad: There's a lot of partial nudity (due to skimpy costumes), as well as violence and sexual innuendoes being tossed around in almost every scene. Whether it's questionable clothing, foul language or deadly assassins, the content is definitely for mature audiences only. There's even a scene at a club where Diaz pours water over her bikini body to distract the men. The premise is so weak, it's not really worth following. But I suspect no one really comes for the plot anyway.

Bottom Line: Once I let go and gave myself permission to enjoy this movie, I laughed and had a good time thinking, "how did they DO that?" while watching most of the scenes. Some of the special effects are almost unbelievable and the action is so fast paced that it doesn't feel real (because it's not). Due to the abundance of adult themes, issues and sexual innuendoes, this is NOT a movie for little ones under 13. Parents will have to decide if it's appropriate for their mature teens to see this movie.