CHARLIE’S ANGELS (12)
AFTER 40 years of dedicated service, John Bosley (Sir Patrick Stewart) retires as senior controller of the Los Angeles-based Townsend Agency, which operates under the aegis of the enigmatic Charlie (voiced by Robert Clotworthy).
In his absence, another Bosley (Djimon Hounsou) assumes control of a
Hamburg rendezvous with whistleblower Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott).
She has evidence that the Calisto energy conservation project pioneered by philanthropist Alexander Brok (Sam Claflin) can be hacked for nefarious means.
The meeting descends into bullet-riddled chaos and two plucky Angels – former MI6 agent Jane Kano (Ella Balinska) and heiress jailbird Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart) – intervene to save Elena from tattooed assassin Hodak (Jonathan Tucker).
The ladies regroup with a third Bosley (Elizabeth Banks), who tasks the trio with infiltrating Brok’s offices to steal the remaining Calisto devices.
Charlie’s Angels is an outlandish globe-trotting escapade based on the popular 1970s TV series
Core messages of female empowerment and sisterly solidarity thrum in every frame, augmented with copious costume changes, hand-to-hand combat and a sequin-studded dance routine to a groovy remix of Donna Summer’s disco anthem Bad Girls.
Writer-director Banks’ reboot blends a familiar
cocktail of explosive stunts and wry humour with minimum characterisation and narrative outlay.
Stewart, Balinska and Scott are appealingly feisty and imprint distinct personalities on to their characters but their on-screen camaraderie is disappointingly undernourished.
Throwaway cameos by former Angels kindle sparks of nostalgia over the end credits.