Set to coincide with the theatrical release of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Columbia-Tristar releases the highly successful Charlie’s Angels as the latest Superbit Deluxe DVD. This film is wildly enjoyable… with a wonderful mix of action and comedy. I cannot imagine another trio pulling this film off as well as Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. Their acting chemistry, along with the direction of McG, has made this a film that can be enjoyed over and over again.
”They’re beautiful, th…y’re brilliant, and they work for Charlie. In the sexy, high-octane comedy update of the ’70s television phenomenon, bookworm Natalie (Diaz), tough girl Dylan (Barrymore) and tech-savvy Alex (Liu), alongside faithful lieutenant Bosley (Bill Murray – Rushmore), must foil an elaborate murder-revenge plot that could not only destroy individual privacy and corporate security worldwide, but spell the end of Charlie and his Angels.” – Columbia-Tristar
Video
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer on this disc looks quite good. The colors, for the most case, are very vibrant and clean. There are a few instances where some colors appear a little washed out… but this is not overly distracting. The blacks are deep and create a nice contrast level. The transfer is marred by some debris (mostly dust particles), but the overall look was quite clean. Those of you who were expecting a substantial increase in quality from the original release may be disappointed… this transfer looks identical to the previous DVD release.
Audio
The one major improvement that this Superbit Deluxe release has over its predecessor is the audio. The Dolby Digital 5.1, which is the same mix as in the first release, is still very good… but it is the DTS track that amazes. This DTS track is substantially more lively then the Dolby Digital mix. The surrounds are more active, the base is much deeper, and the dialog is much clearer. To get the most out of this disc, you must take advantage of this new DTS mix.
Special Features
Those of you who already own the original Special Edition of Charlie’s Angels will be very familiar with the extras included in this set… other then the exclusion of the audio commentary, the set of extras are identical. The extras included on this disc are:
- Getting G’d Up: This six-and-a-half minute featurette explores the direction of McG, the films director. This feature shows the directors energy, and shows how his actors all adore his style. This is quite a fluffy piece… you might not get much out of it.
- The Master and the Angels: This seven-and-a-half minute feature shows the extensive training that the actresses went through to prepare for the rigorous action sequences. We are introduced to master of these fighting sequences, Cheung-Yan Yuen, and his training techniques. This is a good extra, worth checking out.
- Welcome to Angel World: This five-minute featurette explores, through a number of interviews, the look and feel of the film. This is your average extra… some will enjoy, some will skip through.
- Angelic Effects: This seven-minute feature explores the special effects that made the film so enjoyable to watch. This extra covers areas such as explosions, stunt sequences, etc. This is a fun little extra.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes: As you can expect, this section include deleted scenes… three in total; all of which include a director intro. These scenes are good, but will not be missed in the final cut.
Also included on this disc are a two more short featurettes: Angelic Attire: Dressing Cameron, Drew and Lucy (costume featurette) and Wired Angels (wire work featurette). Lastly, this disc includes outtakes & bloopers, music videos, talent files, production notes, and trailers (including a short trailer/featurette for Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle).
Final Thoughts
This is a fun film, and a very good DVD. The only main reason to upgrade from the original Special Edition release would be to get the wonderful DTS audio track included on this Superbit release… the extras are the same, as is the video quality. I would gladly trade the original audio commentary for this DTS track in a heartbeat.
Special Features List
- Set design, fashion, martial arts and stunts, special effects, and director McG featurettes
- Deleted and extended scenes
- Multi-angle scene deconstruction
- Outtakes and bloopers
- Music videos
- Exclusive sneak peek at Charlie’s Angels II: Full Throttle
- More…
Screenshots
