Suppose someone tells you a story that has a shallow plot and you liked it not because of the story itself but rather because it was fresh and something you have never heard of. Now suppose that someone comes again later and says he has something to tell you again and he does and you realize that while the characters and settings have been slightly altered, it is basically the first story he told you. You would think that this guy was so impressed with his first story that he based a new one on it.
This is what it's all about. "Legally Blonde 2" starts where the first one left off: Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is now working full-time at a top law firm and is just about to marry the man of her life - Emmett (Luke Wilson). However, after learning that the mother of Bruiser, her ever-faithful chihuahua, is held captive as a test subject to the latest brands of cosmetics, Elle brings the case to her law firm which consequently fires her. Deciding to take matters into her own hands she decides to go to Washington to set on passing a bill on banning testing cosmetics on animals.
I've always thought Reese Witherspoon as an excellent actress, and I did like her enough in "Sweet Home Alabama" to save the film from its ditzy premise. But her onscreen cutesiness alone can't save this one from the jinx that sequels often have to suffer. The originality that was used in its predecessor was, well, all used up and we're left with nothing but what seem to be jokes and scenes that were edited out from the first film. This is definitely one chick movie with no attitude and falls flat. While the original movie worked because of its inventive approach which also helped Reese Witherspoon gain her "next Meg Ryan" tag, "Legally Blonde 2" on the other hand feels very much as forced as an obligatory sequel due to the commercial success of the first film. And what's next? "Legally Blonde 3: The Blonde House"?
Oh, puh-leeze.
Grade: D+
This is what it's all about. "Legally Blonde 2" starts where the first one left off: Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is now working full-time at a top law firm and is just about to marry the man of her life - Emmett (Luke Wilson). However, after learning that the mother of Bruiser, her ever-faithful chihuahua, is held captive as a test subject to the latest brands of cosmetics, Elle brings the case to her law firm which consequently fires her. Deciding to take matters into her own hands she decides to go to Washington to set on passing a bill on banning testing cosmetics on animals.
I've always thought Reese Witherspoon as an excellent actress, and I did like her enough in "Sweet Home Alabama" to save the film from its ditzy premise. But her onscreen cutesiness alone can't save this one from the jinx that sequels often have to suffer. The originality that was used in its predecessor was, well, all used up and we're left with nothing but what seem to be jokes and scenes that were edited out from the first film. This is definitely one chick movie with no attitude and falls flat. While the original movie worked because of its inventive approach which also helped Reese Witherspoon gain her "next Meg Ryan" tag, "Legally Blonde 2" on the other hand feels very much as forced as an obligatory sequel due to the commercial success of the first film. And what's next? "Legally Blonde 3: The Blonde House"?
Oh, puh-leeze.
Grade: D+