Director Soars With 'Charlie's Angels'
McG Understands Meaning Of Escapism
Sure, the big-screen version of "Charlie's Angels" may lack the kind depth that makes critics drool all over themselves, but that's hardly a concern for director McG (aka Joseph McGinty Nichol). After all, the objective of any filmmaker is to entertain their audiences (and don't let them tell you any differently).
And McG corners the market on that concept of entertainment with the release of the film, new on video and DVD. Without question, it is one of the most action-packed, breath-taking, knock-your-socks-off, kick-butt pieces of cinema in the last year.
In other words, it's an incredible amount of fun to watch.
If anybody knows how to entertain at the speed of sound, it's McG. Although "Charlie's Angels" is his film debut, he's certainly no stranger to the business. He's directed several commercials for major companies, and over 50 music videos for such heavyweights as Smash Mouth, Barenaked Ladies and Sugar Ray.
And aside from being a director, he's a musician, too. But perhaps his greatest skill comes with his inherent knowledge of what should be done with the material he's working with.
"We realized early on that this wasn't going to be Shakespeare ? it's 'Charlie's Angels,'" McG told me in a recent interview. "I was of the opinion that if we took it too seriously, we'd really be shooting ourselves in the foot. This is a popcorn movie, this is a drive-in movie, and it's escapism and entertainment in its purest form."
"Look, I love movies that contemplate the human condition, but at the same time, I like to have a great time and forget about how difficult life can be for two hours every now and then."
In this big-screen adaptation of the popular '70s TV series, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu star as Dylan, Natalie and Alex -- three women from decidedly different backgrounds who are recruited by millionaire private investigator Charlie Townsend (John Forsythe reprises his voice role from the series) to become expertly trained crime-fighting super agents. Comic genius Bill Murray assumes the role of Bosley.
The assignment in this new, big-screen chapter is for the Angels to find kidnapped computer programmer Knox (Sam Rockwell ? "Galaxy Quest"), a tech wiz who invented voice-recognition software that will revolutionize the industry. But Knox is just as complex as the technology he creates--and his mysterious past may include a tie to Charlie himself, which puts the Angel boss in danger.
Oddly enough, McG relied on as little computer technology as possible for "Charlie's Angels." The explosions are real, and the high-flying martial arts work and stunt work on the film is almost all Barrymore, Diaz and Liu.
"You wouldn't believe what these girls had to deal with on this thing," said the filmmaker, who was inspired by such visual wizards as Sam Raimi. "That was the whole joy of bringing in Cheung-Yan Yuen from Hong Kong, who is a master of martial-arts choreography. We also had legendary stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong and all the other big hitters to make it look credible and have the Angels in there as often as possible."
And, McG said, the realism didn't happen without a price. But Barrymore, Diaz and Liu didn't seem to mind.
"They got hurt, bumped and bruised," said McG, "But it was so charming to see them strung up in these harnesses and getting these impossible wedgies that are very uncomfortable. Then they're also getting flipped around and banging their heads against the wires and the crane, but they hung in there to get the job done. It pays off nicely when you watch the finished product."
When you look at the completed product, you'll realize the incorporation of the martial arts into the film is an absolute necessity. The bulk of the action of "Charlie's Angels" is reliant upon hand-to-hand combat, which was a conscious decision of Barrymore, who also produced the film. Basically, she wanted as little gunplay in the film as possible.
"Drew is very anti-gun," McG said. "At first I was very concerned about that, thinking, 'How do I keep the film entertaining and real hot for today's audiences?' So then I just wrapped my head around the idea of using the female form being a lethal weapon. It's sexy and a platform for a lot of fun. So, we decided to take that route.
"Guns are in other people's hands, so the end result is pretty balanced. Not having guns made the girls become a lot more imaginative when it came to getting out of tight spots."
Deciding on the amount of gunplay wasn't the only producer's input Barrymore had in the film, said McG. She was very involved throughout, casting aside the any negative connotations that the "producer" title was a vanity credit for the already successful film star.
"People have to realize that she is really a skilled filmmaker," praised McG. "She's been in the business her whole life. She makes great choices and was completely hands-on in the story development, costuming, set design--every conceivable element she was there and was a leader, and I certainly benefited from her expertise.
"I was delighted to have her put her arm around me and shepherd me through this labyrinth of landmines and challenges. She was definitely a producer ? she earned her stripes. The epicenter of the film is Drew Barrymore."
But what makes Barrymore even more engrossing, said McG, is that she really is just an ordinary person.
"I remember when I was just getting to know Drew in the early days, and one time, we were in the same convenience store together," recalled McG. "She was buying toiletries or some very un-sexy day-to-day shopping item, and this girl comes up to her crying, and said, 'I love you,' to her. And Drew just looked at her and said, 'I love you too.' They immediately started to embrace each other.
"I was standing there, thinking, 'What an amazing woman Drew is.' I was so totally disarmed and charmed by the way she handled the situation. That's the way she is. She is of the people, for the people. She's got her own challenges and her own personal life, and she's just like you and me."
Since Barrymore relates to her audience, let's hope she grants their wishes and produces more big screen installments of "Charlie's Angels." McG is already looking into the possibility.
"We're starting to talk about it to see if it's in the cards," said McG. "For me it's a critical that we get Drew, Cameron and Lucy excited about it. If they're into it, it's something I would very seriously consider. We all would love to tell an even more engaging story next time, and have all the excitement, color and laughs and explosiveness of the first one."
"Red Planet" isn't a bad movie. It's just that much like the baked Martian surface that our protagonists gallivant upon, the sci-fi space genre has been way overdone. The recent, ill-fated "Mission To Mars" is of course the most recent reminder of a trip to the planet, although there are several other secondary plot elements (some vaguely familiar, some more forthright) that hearken the heyday of science fiction films past. And whether fans of the genre want to call it a homage or merely just arip-off of previous efforts, at least they will be satisfied to know that "Red Planet" at least has the look of a good sci-fi movie.
The year is 2050, and Earth's resources are near obliteration. Headed up by Commander Kate Bowman (Carrie-Anne Moss), a mechanical science engineer, Robby Gallagher (Kilmer) and a team consisting of scientists and civilians (Benjamin Bratt, Simon Baker, Terrance Stamp and Tom Sizemore) are sent to investigate the Mars Terraforming Project, the experiment that will hopefully result in the Earth's plan for eventual colonization of Mars.
But in a flash storm that blasts the mothership as the approach the surface of the red planet, the crew must hastily depart in an explorer module if there's any hope of completing the mission. With Bowman left behind to commandeer the main rig, Gallagher and company crash land on the rough and rocky surface (somebody finally realized it made sense to equip spaceships with airbags), only to find themselves with no communication means or equipment to get back off the planet. The only thing working is AMEE, an exploration robot that resembles and acts like a well-trained dog that even follows orders to kill. And her circuitry has gone haywire.
With a crew of experienced actors on board, there's no question that "Red Planet" has an ample amount of credibility going in. Unfortunately, like the vessel that carries the crew on its journey, the film floats aimlessly for much of the first hour of the film. That's in part due the filmmakers' decision to abandon any deep sort of character development -- and instead choosing to run us through the pointless ritual of male-bonding activities (doing shots of moonshine ? no pun intended -- and telling drunken stories) and sexual flirtations while the crew floats closer and closer to confronting its mission.
When you consider the motivation, the mission is supposed to be one to save mankind -- and not meant to be some sort of high-tech road trip. Sure, there are occasional bits of philosophical thought that seep in, but the overall lack of complexity is sorely missed. "Red Planet" just can't decide what it wants to be. --Tim Lammers
"Rugrats In Paris: The Movie" (PG)
Sure, the film is peppered with enough mild-mannered toilet humor to keep the kids rolling, but at the heart of "Rugrats in Paris" is a smart script for adults to enjoy (its pop culture menagerie includes howling references to such film classics as "The Godfather," "Lady and the Tramp" and "King Kong"). But for the whole family, there's a deeply affecting storyline (lonesome Rugrat Chuckie and his widowed dad Chas seeking a new mommy and wife) with plenty of heart. It's smart, rollicking fun. --Tim Lammers
"The Sixth Day" (PG-13)
The film has a storyline close to Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall." Some scenes "recall" elements of that film, even certain props (check out the taxicabs). Thankfully the storyline is also as complex, but loses its focus with too much hyper-kinetic action. Even the clones get confusing toward the conclusion of the film, which is too drawn out. Schwarzenegger fans will still want to see a film with the usual action-packed format, but the general public may want to think twice, even if it is a movie about a person with two minds. --Jon Stone
Catch up with Tim Lammers on these recent @ The Movies interviews:
Also New On Video
'Red Planet' (PG-13)
There's a scene near the conclusion of the new sci-fi action thriller, "Red Planet," where astronaut Val Kilmer gives a one-fingered salute to the planet accompanied by the customary F-word. The next time somebody comes up with an idea for a Mars movie, perhaps Hollywood should consider doing the same.
If you're wondering why it's so wildly popular on cable TV's Nickelodeon, this
second big-screen adventure of "The Rugrats" -- Tommy and Angelica Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Phil and Lil DeVille and company -- is another shining example why. In this adventure, the 'rats and families go to France because Dad Pickles' mega-invention (a cybernetic Reptar) has gone awry at Euroreptarland, a Paris theme park. Suddenly, though, the group finds itself caught up in a scheme of the park's manager (deliciously voiced by Susan Sarandon) and her right-hand man (John Lithgow).
As a film about cloning, it shouldn't come as a surprise that "The Sixth Day" is like a clone of another Arnold Schwarzenegger film. In the movie, set in the near future where household appliances are a Microsoft dream, Schwarzenegger plays Adam Gibson, a helicopter pilot who comes home from a shopping trip to find that he has been cloned. In a future world where law prohibits human cloning, Gibson must try to collect his thoughts to get a grip on this drastic change. He must also deal with the clone creator's thugs, who are chasing him down because of a mistaken identity.
