‘Charlie’s Angels’ turns 20

"Good morning Charlie!" Yes, dear readers, I welcome you with this much-heard dialogue so that you can recall Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu kicking the hell out of the villains, with their fierce but smooth high-lifting punches in "Charlie's Angels" (2000).

The movie is an adaptation of the 1976 television show "Charlie's Angels," which ran till 1981. The series starred Jaclyn Smith, Farah Fawcett, and Kate Jackson as three powerful ladies who became the ultimate crime-fighting force.

"Charlie's Angels" (2000) has completed 20 years and the Drew Barrymore produced film continues to hold a special place in the hearts of the fans. 

Watch the trailer of "Charlie's Angels" (2000) here 

The 2019 reboot version of "Charlie's Angels" fell flat at the box office due to its boring and overstretched plotline. With no proper story- line and zero chemistry between the actors, the rebooted version failed to attract the audience. 

So what makes the 2000 version oh-so-amazing? Well, for starters, the amazing chemistry between the awesome trio for sure. While Drew Barrymore was searching for her fellow angels, she called up Diaz telling her that she is acting in Charlie's Angels and wants Diaz to be part of it. "It will be girls jumping out of helicopters, driving fast boats, performing kung -fu, and wearing tons of appealing attires." 

The trio became complete after they found Lucy Liu after a ton of auditions. 20 years later, Liu, Barrymore, and Diaz are still friends and close with one another. 

"Charlie's Angels" which was made with a hefty budget of $93 million became a big success at the box office due to its high voltage action and high octane drama. 

The beginning scene starts off with a superb action scene when Barrymore jumps off the plane and Lucy Liu has to defuse the bomb in air while fighting off the bad guy. The scene keeps the audience at the edge of their seats till today. 

Diaz's adrenaline infused racetrack and high-lifting jumps gives the movie some powerful kung-fu vibe. The power packed action of the trio as they thrashed and beat the hell out of "The Thin Man" inspired a lot of girls to have a female group just like them.
Although, the movie paved way for female-led action flicks in Hollywood, "Charlie's Angels" is a movie which was made keeping in mind the male audience.  

The actors were required to look seductive and their costumes were made bold to appeal to men's gaze.  Many critics have pointed out that the representation of the 'angels' and their wardrobe were highly influenced by male fantasy. 

Despite the criticism, "Charlie's Angels" is a film that showcases that women can be tough and strong without having to give up on their femininity. The casting of Lucy Liu paved way for more Asian-American representation onscreen and the movie's song "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child became the ultimate empowering female anthem. The anthem which spoke to a generation of young women, "I depend on me." 

Watch "Independent Women" music video here 

"Charlie's Angels" might not be perfect but its sheer emphasis on female bonding and thrilling action made it one of the most memorable movies of the franchise.