Charlie’s Angels—a continuation of the classic TV series and the first film in a trilogy—marks the 25th anniversary of its theatrical release.

Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu) are the “Angels,” a trio of elite private investigators who work for the unseen millionaire Charlie Townsend (voiced by John Forsythe). Communicating only through a speakerphone, Charlie directs missions from afar while his eccentric assistant, Bosley (Bill Murray), serves as the Angels’ on-the-ground support. Their latest case involves tracking down missing software genius Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell), the head of Knox Enterprises, whose revolutionary voice-recognition system makes him a prime target for rival mogul Roger Corwin (Tim Curry), owner of the communications giant Redstar.

Infiltrating one of Corwin’s lavish parties, the Angels encounter a mysterious, silent assassin known only as the Thin Man (Crispin Glover). After an intense chase and fight, the trio manages to recover Knox, who is found tied up but unharmed, and reunite him with his partner, Vivian Wood (Kelly Lynch). Charlie then warns that Knox’s stolen software may be in play, prompting the Angels to break into Redstar’s high-security headquarters. Using charm, disguise, and technical prowess, they plant a device in the company’s main computer to trace the breach before calling it a night.

That night, Dylan accepts Knox’s invitation to spend the evening at his home, where their flirtation turns into a betrayal. Knox reveals he staged his own kidnapping to use the Angels in his scheme to gain access to Redstar’s satellite network. As simultaneous attacks target Natalie, Alex, and Bosley, Knox murders Corwin and exposes his real plan: to locate and kill Charlie, whom he believes murdered his father during the Vietnam War. Dylan narrowly escapes and reunites with her teammates, who quickly regroup to save Bosley and stop Knox before it’s too late.

The Angels trace Bosley’s signal to an abandoned lighthouse and, with help from Dylan’s surfer friend Chad (Tom Green), approach by sea for a daring rescue. Though they save Bosley and defeat Vivian and the Thin Man, Knox escapes in a helicopter to strike Charlie’s hidden beach house. In a thrilling climax, Alex reprograms Knox’s missile, turning it back on him and destroying the chopper. The Angels survive and finally approach the beach house, only to find Charlie gone once again. Speaking through another speaker, he congratulates them and clarifies that Knox’s father was a double agent, not his victim. As the Angels toast to Charlie on the beach, their unseen boss watches from afar.

Where the original 1976–81 TV series was primarily a crime drama, this film version of Charlie’s Angels leans fully into spy-comedy territory. The humor doesn’t always land, but it’s part of what gives the movie its charm—and why I still have a certain nostalgia for it twenty years later. Working at a movie theater back then, I saw those closing credits countless times, and the film’s bright, candy-coated energy stuck with me. It’s not Oscar material, but it’s undeniably entertaining. The production design pops with color, and Russell Carpenter’s cinematography makes the alternating reds and blues practically glow on screen.

It’s been ages since I last revisited Charlie’s Angels or its 2003 sequel, and I’d nearly forgotten that Luke Wilson appears as Natalie’s love interest, Pete Kominsky, or that Friends star Matt LeBlanc plays Alex’s boyfriend, Jason Gibbons. Seeing Sam Rockwell as the villain was also a surprise—though, in hindsight, he plays morally slippery men with such ease that it fits perfectly. I didn’t really start following his career until Iron Man 2, but this earlier performance already hints at that signature mix of charm and menace he’s known for today.

I’m also somewhat partial to the movies because of the role they played in my coming out as transgender. My dysphoria manifested itself through my writing—in 2015, I was writing something between a novella and a novel. Think Charlie’s Angels meets 21 Jump Street. It’s unfinished ten years later, but that’s what I was working on when I had the OMG, I’m trans moment ten years ago on this day. Wow, I didn’t even consider it was the 15th anniversary of Charlie’s Angels that day because I’ve long associated it with Kentucky’s statewide general election.

That said, watching Charlie’s Angels today, it’s impossible to ignore how deeply it’s framed through the male gaze. Thandiwe Newton’s decision to decline the role of Alex makes perfect sense given the objectifying tone of certain scenes. It’s not just the costuming or fight choreography—even the editing of the Redstar break-in walkthrough plays into that perspective. Nostalgia aside, revisiting the film now comes with the awareness of how much its visual style reflects a different era of Hollywood, one that treated empowerment and objectification as if they were interchangeable.

Twenty-five years later, Charlie’s Angels remains a product of its time—fun, flashy, and knowingly ridiculous, but also a reminder of how much Hollywood’s idea of “female empowerment” has evolved since 2000.

DIRECTOR: McG
SCREENWRITERS: Ryan Rowe & Ed Solomon and John August
CAST: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Tim Curry, Kelly Lynch, Crispin Glover

Sony Pictures released Charlie’s Angels in theaters on November 3, 2000. Grade: 3.5/5

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