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Title: Charlie's Angels: Special Edition
Region: One
Genre: Action
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Crispin Glover, Tim Curry, Kelly Lynch, Luke Wilson, Matt Le Blanc, Tom Green, L.L. Cool J., and John Forsythe as the voice of Charlie
Writers: Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August
Director: Joseph McGinty aka McG
Feature length: 99 minutes
Extras: Feature Length Director and Cinematographer, Featuettes, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Wired Angels Scene Deconstruction, Outtakes and Bloopers, Music Videos, Theatrical Trailers, Talent Files, Web Link, and Production Notes
Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English Captions and French Subtitles
Packaging: Amaray Keep Case
Chapter Stops: 28
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 2000/DVD Release: 2001
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Home Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
My brother once told me that every studio wants to be Disney in terms of animation. I am now adding my own little spin to this by stating that I think every studio wants to be MGM in terms of having a James Bond like action film franchise. Paramount has "Mission Impossible" and Fox has "True Lies" and now Columbia TriStar has "Charlie's Angels." The special edition release that will debut on DVD on March 27, 2001 is girl power meets DVD power times ten! This is one of the best DVD special editions to be released so far this year. The film is absolutely fabulous and fun. Since the TV series debut in 1976, Charlie (voiced by John Forsythe) has had a trio of super women detectives that have changed over the decades and fight crime through a combination disguise, espionage, and martial arts. Our new Angels played by Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu must defeat a devious mastermind that wants to destroy the world's individual privacy through technology. Bill Murray is Bosley and the cast includes a buffed Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Sam Rockwell, and Crispin Glover as one of the screen's most memorable villains since Darth Maul as the silent and deadly "Thin Man."
The transfer is an excellent reference quality anamorphic widescreen presentation in the original (2.35:1) aspect ratio. The music and sound effects sound positively fantastic with a choice of DVD Soundtrack options in either English Dolby Digital 5.1 or either English or French Dolby Surround 2.0. English Captions and Closed Captions as well as French Subtitles are also encoded on to the dual layered DVD. There is a feature length audio commentary with Director McG and Cinematographer Russell Carpenter that is very screen specific and goes into great vivid detail on virtually every aspect of the production so much that you might almost feel like you were there on the set too sharing the memories.
The extras include five featurettes that cover and profile the effects, the set design, the costuming, martial arts, stunts, and direction along with a detailed analysis of the Angels first confrontation with the Thin Man as depicted on chapter 10 of the DVD. All of these shorts feature behind-the-scenes videotaped footage and interviews from various stages of the production.
Three deleted and or extended scenes are included with director commentary and the films ending credit blooper reel is included without the credits obstructing the scene and the music videos by Destiny's Child's for their song "Independent Women Part 1" and Apollo Four Forty's video for "Charlie's Angels 2000" are also included.
Talents files and production notes within the insert inside the DVD keep case along with theatrical trailers for "Final Fantasy", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "The Adventures Of Joe Dirt", "My Best Friend's Wedding", "Vertical Limit", and the teaser and theatrical trailer for "Charlie's Angels" round off the DVD extras along with a direct web link for DVD-ROM users to the official website.
The main menus has great full motion animation and video as well as animated transitions to the other interactive menus and all of the menus are easy to navigate. "Charlie's Angels: Special Edition" is a great DVD of a fun film that is a must own for anyone's DVD video library.
© Copyright 2001 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.