Charlie’s Angels

Former MTV video director McG makes a pretty darn good big screen debut with this yet-another-TV-show adaptation. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu play Natalie, Dylan and Alex, respectively; three hot-shot, kung fu-pitching, weapons-wielding women all working out of the Charles Townsend Detective Agency, the owner of which is the practically disembodied voice of Charlie (John Forsythe). Their liaison with their voice-on-the-phone boss is Bosley (Bill Murray). Here, Murray plays the type of smart-ass, mugging character he first made famous in films like Stripes and Ghostbusters, to good effect. All three of the ladies acquit themselves well as future action film stars, with Barrymore getting a particular nod. The plot deals with the kidnapping of a high-tech computer whiz and the theft of his latest and potentially globe-threatening design. There’s a lot of sly referential winks to other ‘70s shows and phenomena, Matrix-style “rotoscoped” fight freeze-frames, plus booms, babes and big action film bliss. Best enjoyed if your predilection for “art” or “depth” is left at the ticket booth.