MovieFreak.com - "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" Special Unrated Widescreen Edition DVD Review by John Teves

DVD REVIEW

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - Special Unrated Widescreen Ed. (2003)

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu

Director: McG

Rating: PG-13

Distributor: Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Release Date: October 21, 2003
Review posted: October 23, 2003

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by John Teves

Synopsis

Prepare for full-throttle action (as well as some good ol' throttling) when your favorite earthbound angels are reunited in this sequel to the hit film Charlie's Angels. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu return as the indomitable crime-fighting heroines. In the Angels' new adventure, the trio once again demonstrate their expertise in espionage techniques, martial arts and disguise. Crispin Glover and Bernie Mac co-star.

Critique

HOLY CHICK FLICK! After seeing the first "Charlie's Angels" I was really looking forward to the second one. And after seeing it I have to say that I was a little disappointed. How can one movie stand for so much girl power and yet be so demeaning towards women? Don't get me wrong, the girls in this movie symbolize all girls partially or in the whole; one is kick ass while the other is goody two shoes and the third is extremely clever and can think her way out of anything. I think any girl can relate to part of if not every one of these characters.

But there are other ways to distract men than prouncing around half-naked riding a mechanical horse and making "ooh" sounds while your partners sneak out a government official from a Mongolian prison. Trust me, this is "been there done that". But that is a story for another day.

The special effects in this movie were totally done up as they appeared super fake. I can understand the "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" flying in the air kicks, but I really cannot understand diving in the air to land and hang off a helicopter as it zooms off in break neck speeds. Add to that, all while your French manicure stays perfectly in tact your luminous hair blows in the wind as if you were walking in central park on a windy day. Not realistic at all.

The bottom line to this flick is there is plenty of girl power to go around for all, plenty of short shorts and wonder bra's for all the guys, as well as enough sexuality to keep it away from girls under 10, or maybe even under 12.

The Video

FULL THROTTLE appears in an aspect ration of 2.35:1; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. For the most part the picture displayed a somewhat jumbled visual presentation that left me wondering which video transfer did the studio anticipate to use in this presentation? For the most part when the palette was chosen, the film demonstrated a nice detailed and crisp presentation, however the film at times, appeared soft, bright, “yellowish”, “redish” and ill defined, causing some minor distractions. I noticed no problems with jagged edges, however I did notice some edge enhancement during the wider shots. Colors were vivid and bright. As noted before, the only problems with colors were the presentation of certain scenes that looked “redish” and or ‘yellowish” displaying a heavy and messy presentation at times. Blacks were deep and low-light shots were well developed. For the most part a frequently changing video presentation, but for the most part the film remained crisp and clear of any print flaws.

The Audio

FULL THROTTLE is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. For the most part the soundtrack offered a strong presentation. Audio quality was consistently excellent. Speech remained natural, with no issues related to edginess. Effects were also terrific and they often packed a substantial punch. All of the effects seemed clear and crisp at all times; I detected no signs of distortion no matter how loud the track became. Ultimately, the mix offered a terrific auditory experience. Music sounded clean and distinct, and the soundtrack also boasted nice range and punch. Effects provided the track’s most prominent elements, especially during the action sequences. These effects always appeared clear and accurate, and the louder elements came across deep and prevailing. The movie featured solid bass response across the board.

The Extras

Exclusive to the unrated DVD:
Unedited material not seen in theaters
Turning Angels into Pussycat Dolls
Rolling with the Punches
XXX-Treme Angels
Full Throttle Jukebox
Also on the DVD:
Telestrator commentary with Director McG
Angel-Vision Trivia Track
Writer's Commentary
Full Throttle: The Cars of Charlie's Angels
Dream Duds: Costuming an Angel
Angels Makeover: Hansen Dam
Designing Angels: The Look of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Learn why: There's no such thing as a "short shot," only an overworked producer
Music video: Pink featuring William Orbit "Feel Good Time"
Cameo-graphy
DVD-ROM: Animated Webisodes, Sony's exclusive Charlie's Angels X Online Game

Overall

This is a mindless rental when you had a long day at work and want some light humor while lying on the couch eating Ben and Jerry's, or perfect for when the significant other is out with the boys and you are looking for something as airy and light as a rice cake.

John Teves rates the film 3 out of 4.

Review originally appeared on DVDFreak.net

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

DVD REVIEWS BY JOHN TEVES:

- In-Laws, The (2003)

- Down with Love

- Daddy Day Care (Special Edition)

- Gone in 60 Seconds: 2 / Deadline Auto Theft

- Holes

- Anger Management (Special Edition)

- Bulletproof Monk (Special Edition)

- Identity (Special Edition)