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 Far
be it for me to argue with a movie’s success, but if you had told
me two years ago that “Legally Blonde” would gross almost $100
million at the box office, I never would have believed it. Though
Reese Witherspoon was simply irresistible as the naïve, idealistic,
fashion-savvy Elle Woods, the rest of the film was a clunky, contrived
“Clueless” wannabe that never really came to be. But like I said,
the movie did well, so what do I know?
The following
year, Witherspoon hit paydirt yet again with “Sweet Home Alabama,”
another clumsy, hokey comedy that did even better at the box office,
grossing $127 million. Even though Witherspoon’s character wasn’t
nearly as likable as she was in “Legally Blonde,” the successful
film obviously hit home with a lot of moviegoers; so once again,
what do I know?
Now America’s
favorite blonde is back, and this time, she takes on Washington
in “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.” As expected, Witherspoon
is too cute for words, but unfortunately, the rest of the movie
is even more predictable and lightweight than its predecessor.
What was fresh and funny the first time around seems like more-of-the-same
in the sequel, and the film’s overly-optimistic, corny tone makes
it too sweet, silly and far-fetched for its own good.
Elle Woods
(Reese Witherspoon) is now a successful lawyer who’s about to
marry the man of her dreams, but when she finds out that her dog’s
parents are being used as cosmetic test subjects by one of her
firm’s clients, she loses her job after standing up for their
rights. With only her clever sensibilities, optimistic personality
and pink wardrobe to fall back on, Miss Woods goes to Washington
to take on the stuffy Feds who hold the key to their freedom.
With Elle
taking the offensive in all her perky glory, the film has a strong
animal rights message that makes it easy to embrace (especially
since it opens on the Fourth of July weekend). In addition, its
tone is so unabashedly idealistic and cheerful, you’d have to
be a real Scrooge not to get caught up in its mood. Finally, and
most importantly, Reese Witherspoon infuses her signature role
with the assurance, charm and sex appeal of a living Barbie-doll
who literally lights up the screen (in a shade of pink, of course!).
The problem
is that “Legally Blonde 2” is sugarcoated with too much sweetness
to be believed (after all, it does take place in Washington),
and that makes it an awfully hard pill to swallow (that is, if
you’re over the age of 16). The film is incredibly fabricated
and contrived, and there isn’t enough at stake to establish a
narrative hold (which is a shame coming from Charles Herman-Wurmfeld,
the director of last year’s wonderful “Kissing Jessica Stein”).
It’s all too easy for Elle and her merry band of supporters, and
even a “surprise” revelation regarding her dog only pushes the
film further into “too silly for words” territory.
Obviously,
its Witherspoon’s movie (in addition to receiving a career high
of $15 million, she’s also listed as Executive Producer), but
the supporting characters are too one-dimensional to even register.
Comic icon Bob Newhart is all but wasted as the seasoned hotel
doorman who mentors Witherspoon, while Regina King shows up from
time to time as a fellow lobbyist whose sole mission is to give
Witherspoon a hard time. Sally Field plays Witherspoon’s boss
with an all-too-predictable agenda of her own, leaving it to the
first film’s returning players (especially the spunky best friends
played by Alanna Uback and Jessica Cauffiel) to give the film
its best, but all-too-brief moments.
There’s no
doubt that Reese Witherspoon is an incredibly strong screen presence
who can charm the pants off just about anybody, but try as I might,
I just couldn’t get past all the pink outfits and group hugging
to make a connection to “Legally Blonde 2.” Having said that,
there’s no doubt that the same moviegoers who liked the first
film will turn the sequel into another huge box office hit, so
what do I know?
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