Believe it or not, the sequel Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle makes its (region A) Blu-ray debut 15 years after its initial theatrical release as a tie-in to the new Charlie’s Angels movie reboot.
The Production: 2/5
The Angels (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu) are back with a new Bosley (Bernie Mac, replacing Bill Murray) and a new case, this time with the United States government. Somebody has stolen two rings, which when combined, hold top government secrets, including the true identities of those in witness relocation. Along for the ride are Robert Patrick, Demi Moore (as a former Angel, Madison Lee), Justin Theroux, Shia LaBeouf, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, John Cleese (as Lucy Liu’s dad?), Crispin Glover, Carrie Fisher, and even Bruce Willis.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle makes even less sense than the original, borrowing even more heavily from other movies (the opening is sort-of an homage to the introduction of Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark), and returning director McG makes this installment feel even more like a montage of music video clips, and the stunts are so over the top that even putting your mind on hold doesn’t help suspend your disbelief. Sony has included both the theatrical and unrated cuts of the film on this release.
Video: 3/5
3D Rating: NA
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle was photographed in Super 35mm and completed as a 2K digital intermediate. It is a bit hard to believe that this release marks the movie’s debut on Blu-ray (at least for region A) some 15 years after its theatrical release. Unfortunately, it almost appears as if the transfer used on this release was created around that time. This is an overly bright presentation, with blown out highlights and colors, which leads me to believe as such. Detail is also slightly soft, although that may be intentional, as it is more obvious in close-ups of the leading actresses.
Audio: 4.5/5
Full Throttle arrives on Blu-ray with a loud and active DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. Music is spread across all 5 channels, getting a nice low-end boost from the LFE channel. Surrounds are active and used unsparingly, again with a generous low-end boost. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: 3/5
Check Out the New “Charlie’s Angels!” (1080p; 2:16): Director Elizabeth Banks introduces a “sneak peak” at her new Charlie’s Angels reboot hitting theaters soon.
Audio Commentary with Director McG: The director discusses various technical aspects of the film. Available with or without “Telestrator” options, and only on the theatrical cut of the movie.
Writers’ Commentary: John August and Cormac Wibberley & Marianne Wibberley discuss various revisions the script went through prior to and during production. This track is only accessible on the theatrical cut.
Angel-Vision Trivia: Subtitle trivia track.
Pussycat Dolls (upscaled 1080i; 4:55): A look at the dance sequence performed by the then-popular Los Angeles dance troupe Pussycat Dolls.
Rolling with the Punches (upscaled 1080i; 6:07): A look at the stunts from the film.
XXX-treme Angels (upsclaed 1080i; 9:05): A look at the motor cross sequence.
Full Throttle: The Cars (upscaled 1080i; 17:51): A look at the various vehicles in the film.
Designing Angels: The Look (upsclaed 1080i; 7:26): A look at the movie’s production design.
There’s No Such Thing as a Short Shot, Just an Overworked Producer (upscaled 1080i; 8:51): Executive Producer Patrick Crowley discusses his involvement in the film and the challenges of keeping it on schedule and on budget.
Angels Makeover: Hansen Dam (upscaled 1080i; 4:06): A look at the opening escape sequence.
Angel Scouts (upscaled 1080i; 6:49): A look at some of the practical locations used in the film.
Dream Duds (upscaled 1080i; 4:11): A look at the movie’s costume designs.
Cameo-Graphy (upscaled 1080i; 3:37): Brief clips of the various cameos featured in the movie.
Full Throttle Jukebox (upscaled 1080i; 33:54): Director McG and Music Supervisor John Houlihan introduce clips of many musical moments from the film.
Angels Film School (upscaled 1080i; 11:47): A look at various jobs on a movie set, including First Assistant Director, Script Supervisor, Storyboard Artist, Creative Advertising, Special Effects Supervisor, Visual Effects Supervisor, Driver and Stunts.
Music Video: Feel Good Time performed by Pink featuring William Orbit (upscaled 1080i; 4:17)
Teaser Trailer (1080p; 2:00)
Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:26)
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy on Movies Anywhere.
Overall: 2.5/5
In its Blu-ray debut, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle suffers from what appears to be a dated transfer and, let’s face it, an even more incomprehensible movie than the previous entry.
Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads