CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: sensuality, nudity

Rated:

Clear the guys out of the room. Charlie's Angels are back kicking bootie and flashing skin in the sequel to the surprise blockbuster starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Lui. The first movie was nothing short of fun; the sequel delivers more of the same but gets a bit edgier with a scene in a strip bar. The first film had a so-so plot. It was pretty much nonexistent and wrapped around the special effects the girls wanted to include. But that peek-a-boo plot seems like Oscar-worthy material compared to the sequel. There are a few good surprises, but for the most part it's a no-brainer. But who cares? The whole point is the action sequences and they more than deliver. The Federal Government has called the angelic trio in to take out a former Charlie's Angel who is now in possession of top-secret information. The Federal Witness Program has been newly encrypted so that the identities of everyone under government protection can only be accessed by uniting two silver rings full of information. Naturally the rings have been stolen.

The new case calls in Natalie, who is happily living with Pete, her oh-so-fine date from the first film, Alex, who is still struggling to get over her bootie-kicking abilities where her love life is concerned, and Dylan, who has a secret of her own... it appears she's deeply involved with this case. Why? Because she watched a former boyfriend murder someone in cold blood a few years back and he'd like nothing more than to dig her grave personally. Throw in some emotional problems, lots of kick-boxing, some super-cool special effects, and a surprise appearance by Alex's dad, and you have Charlie's Angels 2.

I don't mind some skin. That's a given considering these are three beautiful actresses and Charlie's Angels has always been about playing up their sex appeal. But this one goes a little too far by involving a strip bar, several "nearly nude" shots, and blatant innuendo. The girls need to steal a pass so they approach their prey in the midst of a sexually-charged nightclub, dressed in tiny outfits. They dance, wriggle, and slink their way across the floor. One guy playfully slaps Dylan on the backside; the first time she ignores it. The second time she slams him into the jukebox. Alex's dad, confused about her career choice, believes she's a bisexual due to her boyfriend's attempts to explain what she does for a living. The scene turns out more embarrassing than funny. Some of her loaded remarks doesn't help clear the confusion. Natalie, in her usual sweet way, shoots innocent (in her mind) but obvious innuendoes toward a hunky surfer on the beach.

Throw in a lot of bikinis, skimpy garments, and a nude silhouette of the girls breaking out of a statue, and you have a definite no-no with guys in the room. Add to this a bunch of stylized violence (this time the Angels resort to fists as well as feet) and some profanity (including one or two uses of GD), and you need to think twice before allowing these girls into your living room. It sends all the wrong messages about sexuality to impressionable girls and will be far too titillating for guys. It packs a big wallop at the box office, but doesn't stand for anything Christians should be proud of. 

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