The Angels are back! Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is the 2003 big screen follow-up to the 2000 blockbuster adaptation of the popular 1976 TV series. Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore) and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu) were recruited by the mysterious and unseen Charlie Townsend to form a crack team of crime-fighters working in his private detective agency in Los Angeles. The women are masters of disguise, able to blend into any scenario, take down the bad guys that get in their way, and use their feminine wiles and powers of seduction as needed. It seems like there isn’t anything these women aren’t capable of!

As the film opens, the women are on assignment in Northern Mongolia, rescuing U.S. Marshal Ray Carter (Robert Patrick), who has been taken hostage. They somehow manage to rescue their target, make it out of a bar full of angry enemies, and survive plummeting hundreds of feet over a dam. However, in the process, they lose a ring belonging to the Marshall. This ring was one half of the H.A.L.O. system—the Hidden Alias List Operation consists of a two titanium rings, that when combined, can access the names of everyone in the Federal Witness Protection Program. While the women were rescuing the Marshall, the second ring was stolen. And now someone appears to be killing names off the list. At Angels HQ, John Bosley’s adoptive brother Jimmy Bosley (Bernie Mac) has taken over the duty of helping the women with their cases. The women are tasked with reclaiming the rings before anyone else ends up dead, or the list is sold to another buyer.

However, there’s a wrench in the case—it turns out that Dylan’s name is on that list. Before she was recruited for the Angels, Dylan Sanders was known as Helen Zass. She entered Witness Protection after turning on her boyfriend, Irish mob leader Seamus O’Grady (Justin Theroux). Seamus was just released from prison and is looking to get his revenge by killing Dylan and everyone she loves. Dylan is worried that she is putting her friends in danger and contemplates leaving the team. Meanwhile, things are going a bit better for the other Angels. Natalie’s boyfriend Pete (Luke Wilson) is moving in with her, while Alex’s ex, actor Jason (Matt LeBlanc), is eager to reconcile. Also, Alex’s father (John Cleese) is in town for visit.

Can the Angels find the rings, stop Seamus, and stop whomever is eliminating those on the list before it’s too late?! If anyone’s up for the task, it’s the Angels!

Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is an action-packed roller-coaster of a ride. It’s the epitome of a dumb fun action movie. The action and explosions, costumes and undercover situations are ridiculous and over-the-top, but that’s what makes the movie so much fun. This time around, the Angels find themselves undercover as motocross drivers, nuns, boat welders, burlesque dancers, and more. No matter how absurd the costume or situation, the Angels complete their mission.

While the film does have one over-arching storyline, it sometimes feels more like a series of fun undercover vignettes rather than a single deep, twisting narrative, but that didn’t bother me in the least. The point of this film is to have fun, and it delivers that in droves. The women not only deliver some amazing action and fighting sequences, but they also bring the humor. The film can be a bit cartoony and over-the-top at times, but that is part of the fun. The women have these ridiculous backstories, and we see a montage of some of their odd previous cases, which is presented in a way that pays homage to the opening of the TV series.

The supporting cast is also presented in this campy, comic-book like nature. Every time Seamus appears on screen, he gets this ominous Cape Fear-like theme, and he seems to be indestructible, like a Terminator. The film also brings back the odd, hair-sniffing Thin Man (Crispin Glover) from the first film, and even explores his backstory. And Demi Moore appears as former Angel Madison Lee, who’s got a chip on her shoulder. There’s also loads of fun cameos strewn throughout the movie (though some of these may be a bit dated 16 years later). I don’t understand why this film only has a 4.9 IMDb rating—were the folks submitting those ratings expecting Shakespeare? This is just a fun, wild ride that movies at a breakneck pace from start to finish.

Sony’s release marks the first time this 2003 sequel has been available on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray delivers quite an improved picture over the previous DVD release, providing increased detail and clarity, and richer colors. There were only a couple places, such as in the high action sequences, where things looked a tad blurry or not as sharp as they could be. While some may look a little goofy compared to today’s movies, the special effects hold up remarkably well for a 16-year-old effects-driven film. The audio track is excellent, providing clear dialogue and a great musical soundtrack, while also bringing the booming action to life in your living room. The disc offers both a theatrical and unrated versions of the film, as well as a massive assortment of bonus material—two feature commentaries (one with optional on-screen play-by-play), and over 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes/interviews and music videos. Unfortunately, all of the bonus material has been ported over from the previous DVD release, and the only thing new that’s included is a short clip from the upcoming Charlie’s Angels feature film. The disc comes packed in a standard HD keepcase with a cardboard slipcover, and an insert containing the digital copy redemption instructions.

What’s Included:

Film: (Theatrical: 1:45:34, Unrated: 1:47:05)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 1.78:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

Digital (Redemption Deadline 12/31/2020):

• Digital Copy
  Movies Anywhere compatible HD digital copy of the film.

Extras:
All of the bonus features (except the new movie sneak preview) have ported from the previous 2003 DVD release, and are presented in 4:3 format, unless noted otherwise.

• Check Out the New Charlie’s Angels! (2:16)
  Director Elizabeth Banks provides an introduction to this extended clip from the new 2019 film.
• McG’s Telestrator Commentary (1:45:34)
  While the director provides audio commentary on the theatrical version of the film, he also goes all Monday Night Football, drawing on the screen to highlight and help explain his thoughts. He shares some interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production.
• McG’s Commentary (1:45:34)
  The same commentary without the drawing on the screen.
• Writers’ Commentary (1:45:34)
  Writers John August, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley provide audio commentary on the theatrical version of the film. They share some stories about the evolution of the script, talk about some of the the alternate versions of things that were considered, and also share some fun behind-the-scenes stories of their own.
• Angel-Vision Trivia Track (1:45:34)
  During playback of the theatrical version of the film, factoids will pop up on the bottom of the screen. (This was probably created when Pop-Up Video was a big phenomenon.)
• Pussycat Dolls (4:55)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about working with the Pussycat Dolls. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director McG, Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin, Carmen Electra, and stars Cameron Diaz (“Natalie”), producer Drew Barrymore (“Dylan”) and Lucy Liu (“Alex”).
• Rolling with the Punches (6:07)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about training for and filming the stunts, fighting and action sequences. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director McG, martial arts specialist Cheung-Yan Yuen, producer Nancy Juvonen, and stars Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore (“Madison Lee”), Crispin Glover (“Thin Man”), Justin Theroux (“Seamus O’Grady”) and Drew Barrymore.
• XXX-Treme Angels (9:05)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about filming the motocross scenes. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director McG, producer Nancy Juvonen, production designer J. Michael Riva, executive producer Patrick Crowley, second unit director/stunt coordinator Mic Rodgers, motocross stunts/camera Rich Taylor, motocross stunt drivers Trevor Vines, Ryan Hughes & Johnny O’Mara, Cameron Diaz’s motocross double Mike Metzger, Lucy Liu’s motocross double Chris Gosselaar, second unit stunt coordinator Chris Tuck, and stars Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore.
• Full Throttle: The Cars (17:51)
  The filmmakers show off the various vehicles used in the movie. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director McG, car dealer Giacomo Mattioli, picture car coordinator Cyril O’Neil, transportation coordinator John Orlebeck, first assistant director Mark Cotone, second unit director/stunt coordinator Mic Rodgers, special effects supervisor Matt Sweeney, Miss Bigfoot driver Dan Runte, and star Demi Moore.
• Designing Angels: The Look (7:26)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the unique look and tone of the film, and the iconic Los Angeles filming locations. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director McG, director of photography Russell Carpenter, visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson, production designer J. Michael Riva, costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi, location manager Kenneth D. Lavet, and stars Lucy Liu and Justin Theroux.
• There’s No Such Thing as a Short Shot, Only an Overworked Producer (8:51)
  The filmmakers talk about the incredible scale of the film, and the tough job of scheduling everything properly and keeping things on budget, particularly when filming all of the short character introduction sequences. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producer Patrick Crowley, location manager Kenneth D. Lavet, first assistant director Mark Cotone, visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson and director McG.
• Angels Makeover: Hansen Dam (4:06)
  The filmmakers talk about designing, laying out and filming the movie’s massive opening dam sequence. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer J. Michael Riva, visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson, lead matte painter Ivo Horvat, matte painter Joshua Geisler-Amhowitz, and computer graphics supervisor Daniel Eaton.
• Angel Scouts (6:49)
  Join the production team on their tech scout, visiting the various filming locations. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director McG.
• Dream Duds (4:11)
  Montage of scenes from the film along with the original costume sketches and production photos. Presented in widescreen format.
• Cameo-Graphy (3:37)
  Clips of the many celebrity cameos in the film. Play All, or select from Bruce Willis, Béla Károlyi, Robert Forster, Eric Bogosian, Andrew Wilson, Pink, Eve, Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, Carrie Fisher, The Pussycat Dolls, Chris Pontius, Ed Robertson, Big Boy, and Jaclyn Smith.
• Full Throttle Jukebox (33:54)
  Director McG and music supervisor John Houlihan explain the reasoning behind each of the film’s song selections. Presented in widescreen. Play All, or select from:
  • “Sleep Now in the Fire” – Rage Against the Machine (2:19)
  • “Surfer Girl” – The Beach Boys (3:34)
  • “Feel Good Time” – Pink Featuring William Orbit (2:38)
  • “U Can’t Touch This” – MC Hammer (2:42)
  • “Danger! High Voltage” – Electric Six (2:24)
  • “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” – Dr. Dre (1:35)
  • “The Pink Panther” – Hollywood Studio Orchestra (3:34)
  • “A Girl Like You” – Edwyn Collins (4:19)
  • “Any Way You Want It” – Journey (2:44)
  • “Firestarter” – Prodigy (4:56)
  • “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” – Nickelback Featuring Kid Rock (1:57)
  • Credits (1:07)
    Outtakes with McG and John Houlihan
• Angels Film School (11:47)
  Director McG introduces various members of the crew and asks them about their roles in the production. Play All, or select from:
  • #1 – First Assistant Director (1:30)
  • #2 – Script Supervisor (1:10)
  • #3 – Storyboard Artist (:52)
  • #4 – Creative Advertising (1:34)
  • #5 – Special Effects Supervisor (2:34)
  • #6 – Visual Effects Supervisor (1:50)
  • #7 – Driver (1:01)
  • #8 – Stunts (1:13)
• “Feel Good Time” by Pink Featuring William Orbit (4:17)
  Music video that takes place at the motocross from the film.
• Trailers (4:26)
  Play All, or select from Teaser Trailer (2:00) and Theatrical Trailer (2:26). Presented in widescreen format.