Charlie's Angels review: Kristen Stewart excels in fun and energetic action-comedy
Heading into the cinema for Charlie's Angels, it's almost impossible not to feel a sense of trepidation. Like so many movies recently, it is a reboot of a long-beloved – if slightly problematic – franchise that has been part of pop culture since the 1970s.
Not to mention the all-women spy teams have been updated for the modern era once already and that iteration has not aged well. Charlie's Angels, as envisioned by Elizabeth Banks, doesn't ignore its predecessors but instead simply moves forward from there, not casting shade on what came before but simply existing on its own two feet.
Or six feet. The starring trio is Kristen Stewart as Sabina Wilson, Ella Balinska as Jane Kano and Naomi Scott as Elena Houghlin. The premise of Charlie's Angels is the same as it's always been: the Townsend Agency is now international, with multiple teams of Angels guided by multiple Bosleys.
In the 2019 edition, a young systems engineer, Elena, blows the whistle on a dangerous technology that she helped build. With the help of Jane and Sabina, and guided by Elizabeth Banks' Bosley, they jump into action.
And oh boy, is it a lot of action. The fights are fun, distinct, and seemingly choreographed for women in particular. The same absurdity and suspension of disbelief necessary for any action film is similarly needed in Charlie's Angels – but if we can believe that Dwayne Johnson can hold down a flying helicopter, well, we can believe anything.
Charlie's Angels is carried mostly by the dynamic between Jane and Sabina. Neither are particularly nuanced, but their banter and growing affection are enjoyable to watch. Feminism is part of the fabric of the film because it is by and stars women, and though some moments are eye-roll inducing, others are sweet and sincere.
The MacGuffin, in this case a technologically advanced device that can be weaponised, leads us all over the world from Istanbul to Berlin. It's a movie replete with gorgeous houses, beautiful clothes and sparkling jewels. It's energetic and unabashed in its gaudiness and you'll find yourself laughing along, even if you groan a bit too.
Where Charlie's Angels surpasses other films of its ilk is in its villains. Some verge on comical, but mostly they're entertaining and ever-so-slightly complicated, which pushes them from being dull to compelling.
Sometimes the uneven pace pulls you up, but earnest and dedicated performances from all of its cast make up for it. The story isn't overcomplicated, comes to a neat bow, and after you've watched Stewart and Balinska beat up that many people you're undeniably entertained.
If any single part were missing – be it Stewart's humour, Balinska's edge, Scott's eagerness, or Banks' guiding hand – the film would fall apart. But luckily, they're all in it together and thus it's a fun watch, which is exactly what Charlie's Angels is meant to be.
Charlie's Angels now playing in cinemas.
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