Director: McG
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore, Bernie Mac, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Crispin Glover, John Cleese
Certificate: 12A
Running time: minutes

One of the recent cinema trends has been the big-screen update of some popular television series, so after the success of Charlie’s Angels it was somewhat inevitable that a sequel would soon be making an appearance.

Probably the best thing about the first film was the chemistry between the three leads (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu), and this has been re-created in the follow-up. Diaz and Liu are particularly welcome on-screen, the former for her comic talent, and the latter for her fighting skills, which are all put to good use.

The plot, if you can call it that, is rather thin, but there is always lots going on to keep the attention, with some nice action sequences and some rather revealing outfits too. With a newly-improved Demi Moore playing a former Angel (or should that be a “fallen angel”?), and now nemesis of Charlie’s bunch, there is even more eye-candy on show for the male patrons.

The inclusion of Bernie Mac as Bosley (replacing Bill Murray from the first film, and explained in a rather bizarre fashion too) is welcome, as he always seems to have some sort of comical input into his scenes. With smaller roles for the likes of John Cleese, Luke Wilson, and Matt Le Blanc (Joey in TV’s “Friends”), there is a fair amount of comedy backup. Add in the odd cameo from the likes of Bruce Willis, pop-star Pink (who contributes to the very enjoyable soundtrack), and even Chris “Party Boy” Pontius from Jackass, there are lots of recognisable faces on show.

The only unfortunate thing is the director, McG. A former pop-video director, he does not seem to have grasped the concept of having to make a full-length feature, and it does seem rather bitty, very much a film with models and guns, which is probably a fair enough reflection of the original TV series.

The film has rather poor direction, a weak script, and some truly preposterous actions sequences, but is still very enjoyable. The main redeeming factor is that the cast, in particular the three leads, all seem to be having a very good time, and that enjoyment factor is infectious. This is not more noticeable than in the outtakes in the end credits.

Overall the film is an enjoyable waste of a couple of hours, with some nice action, and some truly wonderful outfits. Just don’t expect to have to think about the script too much.