CHARLIE’S ANGELS

Back in the 1970s, there was a trend in network television called T&A. Because the meaning behind those words is a bit obscene, to say the least, the pundits invented another term called “jiggle.” This was a reference to the supple bodies of female stars in such shows as CHARLIE’S ANGELS, which starred Farah Fawcett, an actress who, at the time, became the best-selling pinup poster all across the United States. Her poster became so popular that it started a hairstyling trend for women which is still somewhat popular even today. Mind you, all this was before the term “hard bodies” came into vogue. Of course, two modern versions of this kind of TV show is the ever-popular BAYWATCH and the violent BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

This fall, Sony Pictures Entertainment has made a campy movie based on Farah’s old TV show, but starring contemporary sex symbols Drew Barrymore of E.T. fame, Lucy Liu of this summer’s SHANGHAI NOON and Cameron Diaz of THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. The gimmick of CHARLIE’S ANGELS is that a mysterious, reclusive, unseen millionaire named Charlie (the voice of John Forsythe who also starred in an even older TV series called BACHELOR FATHER) has a detective agency with three beautiful women as the detectives. The women often go undercover for the clients who hire the agency. A male go-between named Bosley assists the girls. In the movie, Bosley is played by Bill Murray, arguably the funniest American actor of our day.

The story of the CHARLIE’S ANGELS movie is not really all that important. Suffice it to say that it involves kidnapping, stolen software, satellite technology, industrial espionage, violation of individual privacy, and a nefarious revenge plot. The girls, Natalie (Diaz), Dylan (Barrymore) and Alex (Liu), go undercover in one computer firm to stop one evil plot, only to find themselves repeatedly battling a mysterious kung-fu expert played by Crispin Glover while uncovering other villainous plots within plots.

CHARLIE’S ANGELS is a fairly entertaining, amusing action flick. It’s a cartoon caper that doesn’t take itself too seriously. For instance, at one point, the movie shows the heroines dressed undercover as Japanese massage experts, to the tune of the jaunty 80s hit, “I Think I’m Turning Japanese.” In these respects, CHARLIE’S ANGELS may remind many viewers of the classic 1960s spy movie OUR MAN FLINT, starring the venerable James Coburn.

Although the action violence in CHARLIE’S ANGELS occurs mostly at a medium level, there is some foul language, including a couple strong profanities, some sexual innuendo, some implied fornication (Drew Barrymore’s Dylan character beds two different men, ala James Bond), and some implied nudity (in one shot the women take off their shirts while their backs are turned and, in another scene, a naked Dylan tumbles down a hill with the most revealing parts of her body blurred or obscured).

Despite the foul language and sexual content described above, CHARLIE’S ANGELS is a good guy/bad guy popcorn movie, so there really isn’t anything else that might be morally objectionable. The movie’s heroines mostly use the cartoon violence to defeat the evil schemes of the villains. As such, CHARLIE’S ANGELS is primarily geared to young teenage boys entering puberty and young teenage girls who fantasize about being beautiful, sexy and action-oriented.

It has a slightly humanist worldview with some slightly feminist, politically-correct ideals. Mitigating this content is some moral values about fighting evil and protecting the ones you love. In that light, it is interesting to note that the movie often makes puns about angels. One of the final puns mentions the importance of having faith in a father-figure, i.e., the mysterious Charlie. CHARLIE’S ANGELS indeed!

The bottom line of all this, however, is that parents must be cautious about letting their older children see this PG-13 movie, especially if their child is a precocious teenage boy with raging hormones and an undeveloped biblical worldview.