Face of Nation : The latest reboot of the iconic 1970s detective series starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith marks the second time actress Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) does double-duty, following her feature directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2 in 2015.
However, fans of the previous films in the franchise — Charlie’s Angels in 2000 and its sequel, 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle — are today voicing their displeasure at an element that’s been added to the reboot: Guns.
In those two noughties films, the Angels — played by Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu — didn’t use guns, instead relying on their smarts and a bit of kung-fu to defeat the bad guys. Cut to 2019, and the Angels are seen firing a variety of high-powered weapons in the trailer for the new film.
In the 2019 version of Charlie’s Angels, which Banks also co-wrote and produced, she plays Bosley — the Angels’ point of contact for the unseeable Charles “Charlie” Townsend. The part of Bosley was originated by David Doyle for the original series run from 1976 to 1981 and recreated by Bill Murray in the 2000 revamp starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu.
This time around, the Angels are played by Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Naomi Scott (Aladdin) and British newcomer Ella Balinska who set off on a globetrotting adventure to protect the creators of a new technological advancement that could revolutionise the energy industry — but is also highly useful to the world’s criminal syndicates.
The raucous trailer is filled with everything you’d expect from an Angels flick — luxurious locations, hi-tech weaponry, combat acrobatics and, of course, gorgeous girls in short skirts — set to a thumping new track by music industry femme fatales Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Banks says having a woman at the helm of a film about kick-ass women was crucial.
“It was important to me to make a movie about women working together and supporting each other, and not make a movie about their romantic entanglements or their mother they don’t call enough. When I’m at work, I don’t talk about those things. I get on with my job,” she says. “It felt important to do that for the Angels, to treat them with the respect their skill set demands.”
Charlie’s Angels hits theatres this November.
