Review: Charlie's Angels (2019)
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 10:00PM Box office and reviews have been tough on the new Angels. I guess today the contrarian corner is a theme here at TFE. Tony likes it! - editor.
by Tony Ruggio
We'll start with where I'm coming from: I’m no fan of the original series. The early-Aughts adaptations were mostly forgettable save a dance or two from Cameron Diaz and Sam Rockwell. But these 2019 Angels are surprisingly fresh and fun. It’s an IP brought back from irrelevant hell and updated with verve.
About the three new Angels. Elizabeth Banks is clearly in love with Kristen Stewart, and who can blame her? Stewart is a charisma machine as the weird, spunkiest Angel of the bunch. She's so good you almost wish she took movie star roles more often. You also forget there was once a time when she got gruff for playing mopey all the time. Those days are long gone...
Naomi Scott fulfills her audience surrogate role very amiably and eventually shines when given the chance to get rough and tumble. With a scrappy, clumsy, seriously funny fight scene she goes from obligatory "relatable girl" stock type to totally endearing. Ella Ballinska proves any doubters wrong and could be a future movie star herself if America would get off its ass and go to the movies for actors again. The three of them have tremendous chemistry, and Banks has figured out how to make us care about them as a unit.
The car chases and assorted action could be more exciting, sure, suffering from what seems to be a lower-than-expected budget. Banks does her best with what she's got, although the formal elements are rather inconsistent. There are moments when it looks like motion-smoothing was left on by accident or others when there’s sudden graininess in a mildly low-light setting. Strange editing choices abound as well, such as action-oriented jump cuts that recall CBS procedural stunt work. You know the kind, when a cop and star of the series (or his stuntman) leaps into the back of a dump truck to chase the big baddie and the stunt shot is repeated more than once for dramatic effect. Perhaps it’s meant as a throwback to the 60’s series, but it’s a jarring choice in a film that is otherwise concerned with updating for today.
It's difficult to whine too much about such nitpicks though when Patrick Stewart is camping it up, Sam Claflin is getting the rare opportunity to play a buffoon, and Jonathan Tucker is adding just enough depravity to make the Angels’ archnemesis, a guy just called "the assassin," more than a mere lowly henchman. Banks is phoning it in just a bit, likely the result of pulling double duty as an actor and director. No matter, because her directing duties have produced a girl power extravaganza.
2019 Charlie's Angels is a rarity, a franchise reboot that mostly works and makes you want to come back for more. The box office has been terrible so unfortunately we likely won’t be seeing these particular angels together again. Still, it’s comforting to know that people might rediscover it many years from now. Stay late for cameos. B
Reader Comments (17)
Damn, eulogizing a movie that just came out.
"Perhaps it’s meant as a throwback to the 60’s series..."
um, Charlies Angels was a 70s series. disco and roller skates and all that...
I suggest you lay off the drugs. This is the very definition of a Thanksgiving turkey.
Jesus, how you been swinging from Power Lines? 🤔
This entire post is a Hot Mess! 60s? Really? 🤔
I couldn’t make it to the movies this weekend, but this definitely would’ve been one of the things I saw if I could. It looks like a fun time and fully in-line with the spirit of the first two films (which I’m a huge fan of). I always say I’d be all in for a bunch of Charlie’s Angels films whenever I get called a “snob” for not liking the Fast & the Furious franchise, so it’s a shame that’s probably not gonna happen after this film’s performance. I do question who it’s for, though. I mean, no one was clamoring for it and this time of year seems like a weird release date, but I’m still down to check it out!
Why they can never do it right?
They keep doing it wrong and repeating, repeating...
A reboot nobody asked for.
I really hope they finally put this property to rest.
Enough is enough.
"Lay off the drugs." That's funny, cause I was on steroids while watching this.
They made it look so po faced and generic by the looks of it.Unfortunately Kristen Stewart isn't box office and I don't know who the other 2 are and in 2000 I knew all 3 leads.
Kristen Stewart was the MVP. This movie was mostly totally enjoyable except for one completely unforgivable and offensive plot point with Bosley, and erasing David Doyle, who was the heart of the original series cast.
If it's on TV, I'll check it out as I'm sure it's better than those awful films by McG.
I think there are a multitude of reasons this underperformed (another reboot no one wanted), as well as reasons it's being crucified the way it is (it's female-driven). However, I will say... you can't put out a movie like this with Kristen Stewart being the main draw, alongside two virtually unknowns. And who else was in the cast to make us want to go to the theater? Elizabeth Banks? Thank u, next (sadly, the Ariana song wasn't great either).
This will be easily forgotten.
Based on these screencaps, is this the new Charlie's Angels or the new Josie and the Pussycats?
Santy -- WELCOME BACK. havent seen you in these parts forever.
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NATHANIEL - Thanks! Been very behind on my cinephilia in 2019 post Oscar. HUSTLERS FOR EVERYTHING! :0