Charlie’s Angels is a reboot of a reboot! Yet, it stands out as director and actress Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) promotes the power of united women who can face any obstacle, even international enemies. Banks plays Bosley but not the Bosley of TV fame, past movies, or even the only Bosley. In this updated movie Bosley is a rank in Charlie’s organization against crime, and there are many Bosleys.
The movie opens, following an action sequence, John Bosley (Patrick Stewart) and he is retiring from the Angels and Townsend organization. By the way, there are many Angels too, although this movie focuses on three of them-Sabina (Kristen Stewart), Jane (Ella Balinska), and a recruit (although she doesn’t know she’s a recruit) named Elena (Naomi Scott). Elena is the wide-eyed ingenue, but by the time Sabina and Jane are finished teaching her and showing her their abilities, including wildly energetic martial arts moves, Elena will be a different woman.
Elena is an extremely intelligent woman who is a computer systems whiz. She helped to create a device named Calisto, which is able to sustain technological energy but can also be used as a weapon. Suddenly, Elena is targeted for death and she doesn’t know why. But the bad guys are after Calisto. One particular baddie, an assassin, seems to be totally evil and just wants to end the life of Elena and anyone who gets in his way. This, along with the Angels’ antics, results in explosions, shootings, a vehicle being run into a river, and an ever-increasing body bag count. There is a lot of action and violence in the film. Also, several sexual innuendos and the Angels wear skimpy clothing and short shorts, while revealing a fair amount of cleavage at times.
Sam Claflin (also of The Hunger Games) is the comic relief, getting into close-call jams and yelling with a high-pitched school-girl scream more than once. It is funny. But most of the movie is not funny-it’s not supposed to be-and some attempts at humor in various spots fail. However, Elizabeth Banks has done a solid job in bringing a unique plot and updates to this current reboot.
The characters are memorable and there’s plenty of on-the-edge-of-your-seat action and close-call images. The movie is effective overall, with a few surprises regarding the characters and revelations of who is really the good guys and bad guys.
The Dove Take
This newest reboot is definitely not for the kiddies, and features several women wearing little, along with innuendos and explosive violence throughout much of the film. Regrettably, this one is not Dove-approved.
