 • About the ratings • Write your own review • Back to main page ![[]](http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/06/93/06/image_6936.gif){kind=small} This sequel could've been a dog, if not for its side-splitting star and just a few script sparks
By Omar L. Gallaga American-Statesman Staff Posted: July 2, 2003 This summer's most highly anticipated films have had a turgid feel -- from the weighty psychoanalysis of "Hulk" to the endless philosophizing of "Matrix: Reloaded." Even "Charlie's Angels 2" and "2 Fast 2 Furious" were weighed down by hype and overfamiliarity; they seemed like excuses for photo shoots and chatty interviews on "Entertainment Tonight." Entering into the summer fray is "Legally Blonde 2: Red White & Blonde," a sequel so slight that it could float away at any moment like flash paper. Reese Witherspoon returns as Elle Woods, the hot-pink-wearing sorority-bred fashionista of the unexpected hit "Legally Blonde." The sequel finds no new ground for its high heels to tread -- it merely sends her to Washington to act out "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" in pumps. But the film works, just barely, on the strength of its unflappable star and bright moments in its script. After an amusing opening that shows the events of the first film as a scrapbook, Elle is ready to tackle her biggest challenge: planning the perfect wedding. (Unfortunately, she's marrying a law professor, blandly played by Luke Wilson.) To make her wedding party complete, Elle insists on finding her chihuahua Bruiser's biological mother, who is a victim of cosmetics testing. Elle decides to create a law outlawing animal testing, but to do so, she needs to go to Washington, learn the legislative process and persuade Congress to pass "Bruiser's Bill." She is helped along by Sally Field as a mentor congresswoman and Bob Newhart as a wise doorman. Elle's path to self-discovery includes the revelation that her dog is gay (Bruiser falls in love with a conservative Southern senator's equally amorous dog) and that one person can make a difference. In movies, it always takes a visit to the Lincoln Memorial to figure that out. In the skewed world of "Legally Blonde," every challenge is surmountable with charm, a little bit of research (of particular importance is knowing where legislators get their hair done) and a keen fashion sense. The same goes for the film itself -- it's a cheaply made affair, badly edited and stretched across a rail-thin story. (You have to wonder how much of the film's budget went to its star and her wardrobe, given the number of times stock footage of Washington D.C. is used; "The West Wing" has higher production values.) But Witherspoon, who may be the most gifted comedic film actress of her generation (or at least the canniest in choosing bankable films) invests herself fully in the role. She's a whip-smart ditz, a buoyant charmer in pink, sailing through a sea of dark suits. She's helped along by comedic ace-in-the-hole Jennifer Coolidge, who returns as athe blowsy, hilarious hairdresser. Faring less well is Newhart, who is funny, but doesn't jell with the rest of the film. His deadpanning rubs against the absurdist, over-the-top tone. Regina King, as a lead aide to Field's congresswoman, is little more than a revamp of the priggish antagonist Selma Blair played in the first film: a brunette to be won over by Elle's considerable perkiness. It's the audience that must be won over, though, and Witherspoon's complete commitment to her role -- and a screenplay that is more clever down the stretch than you'd expect -- finally win out. "Legally Blonde 2" succeeds in spite of itself, falling upward just like Elle. | |||||||
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