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Charlie's Angels: Angels Under Cover

List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Gil Jawetz | posted November 19, 2000 | E-mail the Author
THE STRAIGHT DOPE:
Well, with the new Charlie's Angels movie raking in the dough at the box-office I'm guessing that a lot of people will be reading this review in an attempt to get their fox fix. Those who are familiar with the original 70's show will know what to expect from Columbia's new disc Charlie's Angels: Angels Under Cover. Others will be surprised at how different the original show is from the new frenetically paced film. I was surprised at the episodes Columbia chose to match up. From the title I was expecting a two parter that could function more like a feature. Instead I got two completely unrelated episodes. Not even two of the more famous ones, like the one set in a rollerderby rink or the one where the Angels had to go undercover in prison AND as prostitutes all in one show. The two episodes presented here, both starring original Angels Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith, are "To Kill an Angel," a really lame episode that prominently features an autistic kid and barely shows all three Angels together, and "Night of the Strangler," a yawner with the Angels going undercover (imagine that!) as fashion models. "To Kill an Angel" did feature one big shock: Smith getting shot point-blank in the head. "Night of the Strangler," however, is mostly notable for featuring Richard Mulligan (Soap, Empty Nest) and for putting me straight to sleep. Oh yeah, and for the Angels' faithful assistant Bosley exclaiming "Now wait... just... one minute! None of this makes any sense!" Amen, brother!

Overall Charlie's Angels still holds plenty of appeal for those who are fans of the show but better episodes are out there and this weak selection makes Angels Under Cover something of a disappointment.

PICTURE:
The picture on this disc is pretty good. There are some flaws on the original film elements, but the colors are mostly distinct and the image is pretty sharp.

AUDIO:
The sound is fine, but the sound in the bonus trailer for the Charlie's Angels 2000 feature is much more dynamic, pointing out the limitations of the original material. Still, the music is always fun. There is also a Spanish audio track.

EXTRAS:
The disc includes a terrific short featurette "Angels Forever" that is actually much funnier and more lively than the two episodes included. "Angels Forever" mostly features interviews with fans (identified with such titles as "Former President of Kate Jackson Fan Club" and "Joint Owners of Farrah Fawcett Swimsuit Poster") describing what they liked best about the Angels. There are also a lot of great montages stringing together similar clips from different episodes, like a long sequence of Angels rifling through file cabinets. This sort of winking silliness is perfect for a show that, as one of the fans says, "had no content other than the content of what was in their bras."

There is also a section for talent files and a teaser trailer for the new feature film.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you are aching for the jiggle n' giggle of the original Angels check out this disc. It may not be heavy on action but it certainly has a charm all its own.

Gil Jawetz is a graphic designer, video director, and t-shirt designer. He lives in Brooklyn.

E-mail Gil at [email protected]
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