Charlie's Angels II - Full Throttle

Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Harmless popcorn fun of the highest water. In its bullheaded, polished, something-for-everyone directness, it's ruthlessly successful..."

Much like the soundtrack to the first Charlie's Angels movie, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle features a nearly irresistible mix of old and new rock, pop, and disco that's equally kitschy and stylish. Within its first four songs, the soundtrack includes two of 2003's most infectious singles. Pink's Beck-penned "Feel Good Time" recalls the funky pop of Prince, War, and, of course, his own Midnite Vultures work; it may be her sexiest and most self-assured performance yet. Electric Six's "Danger! High Voltage," meanwhile, remains one of the year's most unabashedly fun singles, as well as the perfect segue to some of the soundtrack's guiltier pleasures, such as Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," Journey's "Any Way You Want It," and MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This." Nas featuring Pharrell's "Nas' Angels...The Flyest" is also something of a guilty pleasure: Equal parts silly and sexy, it's another clever Neptunes production, fusing belly dancing music with Nas and Pharrell's swaggering rap. Nickelback and Kid Rock's collaboration on Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" doesn't fare quite as well, however; the track feels heavy and uninspired where the original was nimble and clever (and just as much of a "rock" song). The disco preoccupation of the first soundtrack continues on the sequel, particularly on Andy Gibb's "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything" and Donna Summer's "Last Dance," although it also finds room for sleek pop like Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You," as well as a recent version of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" that's intriguingly moody but lacks the immediate impact of the original. Overall, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a fun, summery collection of music from a fun summer movie; like all things connected with the Charlie's Angels movies, it works best when you don't think about it too much. ~ Heather Phares|