Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle: Friendship made in Heaven

Full Throttle is bound to leave you filled with exhilaration as you exit the theater. Two hours of blasting music and Matrix-like fighting is enough to knock you off your seat. Yet, after digging through the brutal action, what remains is the crazy, true-blue friendship among three girls. This underlying emotional aspect overshadows the hollow plot and repetitive slow motion contortions, making the film a worthwhile 105 minutes.

The Angels, Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz) and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu), are wilder and crazier in Full Throttle, directed by McG. As a result, the film resembles an extended music video, but with more fighting and dialogue. The music endlessly throbs in the background, and the dance moves can easily be spotted in an MTV rap video. The plot, too, borders on music video shallowness and sophistication.

Charlie's Angels accept a new mission with the assistance of the comically clumsy Bosley (Bernie Mac). They must retrieve two rings which contain crucial information about the current status of everyone in the Federal Witness Protection Plan. However, the Angels face the dilemma of separation when they begin to focus more on their own lives rather than their duties. Although they are threatening to flee the coop, they trace the rings to ex-Angel Madison Lee (Demi Moore). Lee, who has embraced the dark-side, gathers notorious gangsters anxious to buy the rings in order to retaliate against those who betrayed them. Ever since Lee left Charlie, her need for power, money, and minions has been fulfilled. During the final showdown between good and bad, the Angels prove that Lee has been missing a crucial crutch in her life – friendship.

We learn from this movie that the strength of friendship is strong enough to overcome all evils. Although the Angels' lives will eventually be void of the omniscient Charlie, that time will definitely not come soon. Scenes ooze the pleasant warm feelings of three girls simply enjoying their time together as best friends. It is almost like the children's show Powerpuff Girls, which strives to show the significance of friendship. Instead of fighting the boys, however, it is more like falling for them in this justly rated PG-13 action flick.

Full Throttle is pop-culture references, famous cameos (ranging from the Olsen twins to past Angels), and sex appeal warped together with a bit of CGI magic. In fact, most of the action scenes so clearly defy gravity that it might as well be a cartoon. For instance, jumping off a bridge to miraculously land on the driver's seat of a helicopter is something that should not be tried at home. In another scene, crazed criminal Seamus O'Grady (Justin Theroux) walks through a wall of fire – twice.

The aftereffect of the movie is happiness on the verge of giddiness. As three girls build their friendship while fighting enemies, we pass through an imaginary land full of glamour and fashion. Full Throttle is almost the same as the first Charlie's Angels: Once again, the Angels accomplish their mission by kicking major butt and getting away with fresh mascara and high heels intact. If you thought the first one offered a delicious platter of eye candy, the sequel will not fail to please.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (110 minutes), is rated PG-13 for action violence, sensuality, and language/innuendo. The official site is located here.