"Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the Police Academy..."

With that opening line, ABC launched the powerhouse franchise CHARLIE'S ANGELS in 1976. It ran for 5 seasons, was rebooted for two blockbuster films in 2000 and 2003, rebooted again for TV in 2011, not to mention a failed male-version spinoff when the original series ran and several knock-offs and emulators from all around the world.

The original TV show was branded as 'Jiggle TV' or 'T&A TV' back in the 70s alongside WONDER WOMAN (1975-1979) and THREE'S COMPANY (1977-1984). Both of the latter shows began on ABC as well, but were later picked up by CBS. CHARLIE'S ANGELS was ABC all the way and led the jiggle pack until its cancellation in 1981. Looking back on it now, 'jiggle' was an unfair label. Sure, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith were sexy, but the original CHARLIE'S ANGELS wasn't an overly gratuitous show, especially by today's loosened standards. If anything, the trio pf ladies were a class act. Of course there were occasional bikinis, some short skirts and plunging necklines, but for the most part, the Angels wore high fashion. They were the epitome of chic style for women of the 70s. And their crime-solving methods were always upright and clever, outwitting LA's villains with a certain posh panache. Despite its controversies, the original show was an early expression of liberation and empowerment. In retrospect, the 'Jiggle' label was more of a way for the media to keep role model heroines boxed in so that their only defined value was their sex appeal, nevermind they could think, tackle extraordinary life-threatening situations, and fight for themselves.

Today, in the wake of WONDER WOMAN's triumphant box office results in 2017, it's clear that female empowerment films sell well. Under the wise direction of Patty Jenkins, the titular Amazon didn't succumb to any jiggle boxing. Instead, Wonder Woman has risen a symbol of hope and inspiration for women, and Hollywood is trying to cash in on Female-Strong films, eager to replicate her box office success. Now, the latest reboot of CHARLIE'S ANGELS has the ever-outspoken Elizabeth Banks directing, producing, writing the screenplay and even starring as the Angel's handler Bosley. Banks made her theatrical directorial debut in 2015 with a story of singing sisterhood, PITCH PERFECT 2, demonstrating her ability to portray women's issues in a funny and entertaining way without being too preachy. Under Banks, this new take on CHARLIE'S ANGELS is as woke as it gets. Those 'three little girls' have grown up.

 

"And they were each assigned very hazardous duties..."

In Season Four of the original series, the 'three little girls' shifted to 'three beautiful girls' and the ex-cops added a graduate 'from a top school for models' - the final Angel of the original show, Tanya Roberts. This effectively opened the door to the film reboots. The Angels were no longer police officers, disgruntled because of their sexist treatment in the force. They could be anything. When Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu (the first Angel of color) became Angels for that first theatrical reboot, they made the first steps from private investigators to espionage agents. In the latest reboot, the Townsend Agency has expanded to be a full on international spy agency. Bosley is now a title for Angel Handlers, akin to M or Q in the Bond franchise. Beyond Banks, there are other Bosleys, including the ever-commanding Sir Patrick Stewart in a delightfully different role for him, and Michael Strahan in an amusing cameo (this film is full of cameos, especially during the end credit scenes - more on that later).

The new Angels are Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinski, with a new potential recruit, the wide-eyed doe-eyed 'adorable' Naomi Scott. Scott plays Elena Houghlin, a computer whiz because every spy movie needs a hacker nowadays. She's the common women, thrust into the super spy world of Angels reluctantly and yet intrigued by their power. Stewart plays Sabina Wilson, a rebellious ex-con who serves as a lot of comedic relief with all the best quips. It's Stewart's best performance in years, demonstrating that in the wake of the TWILIGHT franchise (2008-2012) she is capable of keen self-deprecation, skewering herself by confessing how she 'annoying' she can be, and thus redeeming herself with humor and charm. Balinska is Jane Kano, an ex-MI6 agent, who towers over the rest of the cast at 5'10" and handles the bulk of the action. She's an athlete in real life who competed in track and field on the National level in her native United Kingdom, and a graduate from Academy of Performance Combat, a UK-based school which teaches stage combat for theater and film. This is Balinska's first major film role (she's been in several independent films previously) and she is a revelation, a gorgeous and strong ingenue with dazzling potential for future action film, earning her wings despite some tepid action choreography.

CHARLIE'S ANGELS has had a Martial Arts angle from the very beginning. Who can forget the martial expertise of Kelly Garrett, Jaclyn Smith's character and the only Angel that survived every season of the original series? In the opening title scene, Kelly tosses a fellow Police Cadet with a flamboyant Judo flip while dressed in frumpy grey cadet sweats, and when the iconic action silhouette title appears, it's clearly Kelly with Karate-chop hands. It stands to reason for the times. Even today, pop culture doesn't imagine that woman are able to fight so they must use martial arts magic to take down the baddies.

When the first theatrical reboots happened, they snatched scenes from Kung Fu movie action, enlisting the talents of veteran Hong Kong Kung Fu movie action director Cheung-Yan Yuen. The Barrymore, Diaz and Liu Angels added a healthy dose of comedy and campiness, both of which were amplified by Yuen's hyper-ballistic fight choreography. For this 2019 version, Tolga Degirmen is credited as Fight Choreographer/Coordinator and Kai Fung Rieck as Assistant Fight Choreographer on IMDB. Degirmen started doing film stunts in 2011 and has been choreographing fights since 2013. Rieck has been a stuntman since 2012 and was first credited as an Assistant Fight Coordinator in 2013. That was for HITMAN: AGENT 47 where Degirmen also worked as a stuntman. That film also had tepid fight choreography. There are several fight scenes in CHARLIE'S ANGELS, but none of them are exemplary. It's typical one-action-one-cut choreography which can easily hide sloppy work on behalf of the actors or stunt people. Sometimes this isn't the fault of the fight choreographers. The cinematographers are often to blame because they just don't know how to shoot fights. Whatever the case, it's a disappointment. CHARLIE'S ANGELS carries a unique torch for women warriors and hand-to-hand combat so letting that burn out in this installment is a considerable let down for action fans. The same year that CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE came out, Hong Kong action cinema took a pass at the Angels concept with SO CLOSE (2003). The film starred a trio of Hong Kong's top leading ladies, Karen Mok, Shu Qi, and Zhao Wei, and was directed by veteran Fight choreographer Corey Yuen. For action fans, that film was the inheritor of the Angels legacy even though it stood completely outside of the franchise.

Overlooking that fail, Banks knows how to relaunch a franchise. A lot hinges on the shout outs and call backs to the original series. A franchise is only worth rebooting due to love of its fanbase, so reminders of that love are keys to success. The film begins with the retirement of Patrick Stewart's Bosley, and a retirement party slideshow photoshops him in with the original Angels both from the small screen and the silver screen, along with an explanation that effectively wraps all of the Angel iterations neatly into this new canon. There are other quick easter eggs like the heart lederhosen dress in the costume closet and the Charlie's classic speaker phone. The second closet, the armory, steals a spy cliche from the Bond franchise with an M-like candy shop of lethal toys. There's some impressive product placement there too, because Angels always need fresh breath. Like the previous films, this 2019 reboot gets absurd really quickly with all the international super spy stuff, flagrantly caricature with unapologetic logic leaps and questionable segues as it speeds full throttle through a parade of action scenes, so common for action movies nowadays. The end credit scenes are the best part with a slew of great cameos, identifying many real-life champions as Angels, including one of most beloved leading ladies of the martial world.

"And they each reaped the rewards of their exciting careers..."

Despite its unevenness and mediocre fight scenes, CHARLIE'S ANGELS is poised to rekindle the franchise once again. Balinski, Scott and Stewart had decent chemistry, and under the watchful hand of Banks, this film champions the cause for women. The film establishes a new world for the Angels, complete with a new symbol - an Angel Wing tattoo that serves like a com-badge from STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION (1987-1994), which is only slightly ironic with Sir Patrick Stewart just about to go boldly again into that franchise with STAR TREK: PICARD. That Angel Wing symbol has the potential to be a new banner of empowerment and fandom, akin to the Wonder Woman double W emblem or the Mockingjay. If this movie succeeds, it's not hard to imagine young women getting it inked permanently to show their loyalty to the franchise and what it represents. Additionally, an Angels-themed fashion line through JUSTFAB is part of the film's merchandising, with signature apparel themed as REBEL (Savina), SCIENTIST (Elena) or SOLDIER (Jane). As always, Box Office results will determine the viability of a sequel, but beyond that, Bank's CHARLIE'S ANGELS aspires to inspire woke women worldwide.

CHARLIE'S ANGELS opens nationwide on Friday November 15, 2019.