Rating: Summary: Just A Good, Fun and HALARIOUS movie. Review: As I only rented the first "Legally Blonde" movie, I immediately fell in love with actress Reese Witherspoon, who portrays the ultra-stereotype California Valley Girl blonde girl all too well. So well she has been just a little bit "type casted" (resulting in poorer sales with "Sweet Home Alabama" Nonethless a great film). Reese is an actress on the rise and "Legally Blonde II: Red White And Blonde" she doesn't fail to live up to the first part of the "Legally Blonde" movie series (I'm hoping they'll be other sequels?). In keeping with it's "you can do it if you try" theme, we find our heroine Elle Woods in yet another dilemma. Here she finds out that her dog, Bruiser's mother is a subject to animal testing at a local cosmetics company. Determined to make a change, she heads to Washington, working as an aide to a Congresswoman. Just like Law School at Harvard she has to win over the co-workers already there with her brains as well as her charm, and as time goes on the co-workers become impressed with her strong ambition and intelligence. Writing a bill to ban all animal testing (appropriately titled Bruiser's Bill), Elle persuades Congress to vote for it. Of course there are the typical cliche parts where someone tries to stop the bill and what not, but Elle gets the job done. It's also very educational in terms of learning how our government system works, and I'm hoping it will inspire many young viewers to become activists and participate in the government in some way, shape or form. In a world where it seems nothing can be done by one person in these times of war and greed, "Legally Blonde II" reminds us that if we try hard enough and have a plan, we can succeed. In terms of humor I found the "Legally Blonde" sequel to be funnier then the first, but script-wise it left something to be desired. It may not be exactly "The Pelican Brief" or "The Long Walk Home" but don't let the bad reviews deter you from seeing this fun and HALARIOUS movie.
Rating: Summary: Not as funny (or smart or sexy or anything) as the original. Review: As far as political films go, there isn't a shred a realism in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde." I mean not one shred. A ripoff of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and the Eddie Murphy vehicle "The Distinguished Gentleman," the second helping of pink-loving, dog-toting Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon with considerable face-miming and exuberance, is an appallingly naïve rendering of Capitol Hill.But then the original "Legally Blonde" was appallingly naïve, and deliberately so, about Harvard, and the court of law. And yet the first movie had breezy, spoofy charm about it while managing to use Elle's endless beauty knowledge in a clever, useful way. The sequel doesn't. The shift in locales, from college to Congress, probably has something to do with it, but there's a little less of everything in "Red, White & Blonde:" humor, warmth, romance, sex appeal. Witherspoon has this character down cold; it takes talent to sell both the smart and ditzy side of Elle, and the actress blends them. But she's come to the pageant alone. Elle arrives in DC after she discovers the mother of her dog is part of a chemical study. She hooks up with a congresswoman and a hotel doorman to pitch a testing ban, using her feminine fashion wiles and Mr. Magoo luck to manipulate the House of Representatives. In an entirely unrelated subplot meant to capture the half of the crowd uninterested in the bulk of the movie, Elle plans her wedding to Emmett (Luke Wilson, who literally phones in most of his role). Sally Field is the congresswoman, and Bob Newhart is the dog walker/doorman, who has gained political insider status after decades of eavesdropping; he knows, for example, which representative had a dog named "Jelly" as a boy, and what color lipstick another wears. In a drama this kind of recon would all be a little insulting, but the avalanche of Elle's well-lookee-here! evidence drags the movie beyond farce. "Legally Blonde 2" seems to demand an investment in its animal crusade without having to play at all on the level about how any such legislation is conceived. Sorry, but doormen don't know how to write legislative bills. If they did, well, they wouldn't be doormen.
Rating: Summary: awful Review: Now, I enjoyed the first one, it was energetic, original and fun. This one stunk. It seemed they just rushed it out and didn't think about the script at all. Embarresing.
Rating: Summary: Red, White, And Bleech Review: Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, is a prime example of what happens when movie producers and the studio, take an idea beat it into the ground for all it's worth. While the first film was entertaing lighthearted fluff, the sequel takes the fish out of water plot, uses some of the same jokes and just changes the setting. As the film opens, Elle woods is juggling a demanding career as a rising young lawyer as well as making preparations for her dream wedding to Emmett (Luke Wilson). But when she stands up for the rights of Bruiser, her pet chihuahua - Elle is fired from her job. Since you can't keep an optimist down, Elle decides to go to Washington DC, to take matters into her own hands. Trying to learn the political ropes, and win over self-serving politicians, is a challenge. But with her clever and sassy blend of spunk and intelligence, she is determined to win everyone over, and to make them see things her way. Legally Blonde 2 may have the likes of icons Sally Field and Bob Newheart hanging around, and while it's great to see them, their talents are wasted. Poor Luke Wilson fares even worse. His role is greatly reduced, over that of the first film, to nothing more than a glorified cameo. Sure Witherspoon lights up a room when she enters, but this character, once new and fresh, now seems like she's following her own footsteps in the same pair of trendy shoes. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, stepping in as director for Robert Luketic, offers nothing new. He just lets Witherspoon do her thing. Not only is the plot of LB 2 similar to the first film, but it also borrows heavily from The Distinguished Gentleman, starring Eddie Murphy--Sheesh. The DVD bonus material is also a disappointment. The audio commentary by co stars Jennifer Coolidge, Jessica Cauffiel, and Alanna Ubach, is really a waste. These three gals don't offer anything in the way of behind the scenes insight. No offense to the ladies intended--why would you let cast members with limited roles in the movie do the track in the first place? There's also a fluffy featurette called "Blonde Ambition", with the usual cast and crew interviews, and a few nuggets of trivia. As far as the deleted scenes, a few of them would have worked, had they been left in the film. Topping off the extras on the disc are: an almost three minute long gag reel, the music video from LeAnn Rimes for "We Can" (from the soundtrack), an interactive quiz, the theatrical trailer, and a photo gallery. LB 2 offers very little in the way of anything "new" or "fun" It's a real disaponitment. Stick with the original
Rating: Summary: Sorry Reese, but this movie is yucky. Review: I felt embarassed watching it. It's like a movie for little kiddies, who are charmed my bright colors, glitter, lot's of smiles and really bad acting. I loved the first Legally Blonde movie, but this one is very hard to watch. I felt the urge to turn it off, at least 15 times. This movie isn't even funny. It is trully stupid. It is a waste of time and money. I think all that Elle Woods was missing was a Barney costume.
Rating: Summary: Review for Legally Blond Review: Legally Blond (2001) has it all. It has humor, romance, and the determination for Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) to win back the love of her life, Warner Huntington III(Matthew Davis). This hilarious comedy in color is directed by Robert Luketic at the MGM/Ua Studio and has a running time of 96 minutes. Elle is expecting for Warner to propose to her, but instead he dumps his Pooh Bear because she is "too blond." He leaves California and heads to Harvard Law School where hereunites with an old prep school sweetheart. Elle is determined to win the love of her life back, so uses her resources and amazingly enough gets accepted to Harvard. She travels to Harvard with one thing on her mind, Warner. However, law school is not quite what she had in mind, it's not like her life back in California where she was president of her sorority and a Hawaiian Tropic Girl. Elle fights the battle of her life for herself and blonds everywhere and most of all, for her guy. This movie is funny with a bit of a corny blend, but is definitely worth watching although not receiving any awards or nominations. A soundtrack is also available.
Rating: Summary: It's okay.... Review: Being the complete opposite of the beauty-obsessed, cheery 'ditzy' blonde that Elle Woods is myself, I somehow manages to find the original "Legally Blonde" to be a really good, cute, funny movie. After all, at least Elle Woods is an animal-loving vegetarian animal rights activist. So am I. So naturally, I bought this movie. The idea behind it is great: Elle Woods wants to save her dog's mother from an animal testing facility and end cruel animal research in the cosmetic industry for good using her new status in the legal profession. So it carries a great message. Sadly, the movie isn't much of a comedy at all. It isn't even all that entertaining. I probably wouldn't want to see it more than once, especially because Elle's constant "preppy blonde" antics are really starting to get annoying. Sure, the movies are cute, but let's face it: they're entirely unrealistic. No such person as Elle Woods could ever make it as a lawyer, let alone make it very far in the real world. Sally Field and Bob Newhart aren't in this as much as you may be led to believe, either. It focuses on Bruiser, the dog. Somehow, a serious subject like animal rights gets Elle's comments on shoes, clothes, make-up, etc., thrown in every few minutes to really grate on your nerves and wonder how someone so superficial could also be so good, caring, and deep. There you go, deep: Not the best word to use for this film. More like "fluffy." It's definite fluff. Like her quote: "In this case, the price of beauty is too high....I can't believe I said that!" Ugh. Still, if this is the only way to get across to people the problems with animal testing, it'll do. One woman Elle runs into says, "I don't think about it, that does the trick!" when asked to consider the horrible ways some animals get treated and abused. This shows the ignorance that so many people have that needs to change. A serious lesson in a movie that involves a Chihuahua falling in love with a Rottweiler. For corns' sake. So while Elle's political views are right-on, the movie itself isn't exactly the greatest. Still, it's worth a see.
Rating: Summary: Yep, she's back! It's Elle Woods! Review: Our favorite blonde from the big screen is back, and this time she's ready to take on Washington D.C.! Reese Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, the girl in pink who now has her Harvard degree and works for a respectable law firm. And on top of everything, she's planning to marry the man she loves, Emett (Luke Wilson). But when she finds out that her chihuahua's mother is being used as a test animal for a cosmetics company, she decides she has to stop the atrocities of testing on animals. But things won't be that easy. But with lots of spirit and spunk and help from all her friends, both old and new, no one will be able to stop Elle! Washington, here she comes! Terrific movie, I totally enjoyed myself at the movie theaters on it's opening day! If you loved the first "Legally Blonde" movie, I'm absolutely sure you'll love "Legally Blond: Red, White, and Blonde". The plot is cute and fun, which is to be expected from a Reese Witherspoon movie (Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama). At times it's a bit too fluffy and mushy to be taken really seriously, but that's how it's supposed to be! A chick flick with lots of fun and fluff! It's not at all disappointing. All the actresses and actors did a marvelous job with their characters, giving each on a personality. We have friends from the first movie including hairdresser Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge), and the two Delta NU Margot and Serena (Jessica Cauffiel and Alanna Ubach). And we also get new friends, including Sidney Post (Bob Newhart), Timothy McGinn (J Barton) and Renna (Mary Lynn Rajskub). All of them are tons of fun and added lots of color to the whole film! The movie is rated PG-13 for mostly sexual innuendos but nothing as bad as the first movie. Still, I think parents would like to check this movie out first before letting really young kids to watch. Overall, I must say that "Legally Blonde" I'm sure will be as big of a hit as the first movie was! Fun and fluffy, a great chick flick. Plus, chihuahua fans will find Bruiser totally adorable!
Rating: Summary: Fun, entertaining, and its heart is in the right place Review: A bit of fluff, this movie nonetheless shows a great intelligence in the ongoing moral and spiritual evolution of Elle Woods. Most guys like me naturally consider upper class blondes (of whom Reese Witherspoon is an example: she is a lineal descendant of the great Puritan divine John Witherspoon and she went to Princeton) to be belle dames sans merci and many specimens are indeed. But there is also that stunning blonde who is nice with it and kind to the lower orders. I have long had a soft spot for Lady Diana and Evita Peron, two blondes (one courtesy of Clairol) whose radiance was complemented by spiritual growth, albeit from a low level. The screenwriters had enough brains to realize that to be attractive, Elle has to have both innocence, and strength. Thus when put down at the office she preserveres. Of course, informed by the unhealed epistemological wounds of American society, the film collapses towards the end of its own weight. But, it covers us all in pink chiffon and in these dark days it is a genuine diversion, which is all the screenwriters wanted to produce. Of course, to be safe, the movie takes the side of small animals, in that Blakean gesture which asks l'homme arme, just how far his rapacity goes today. But for me, an interest in marginal fluff and pocket lint is at this stage a revolutionary gesture. Especially attractive is an aging Bob Newhart's star turn as the doorman of an ill-disguised Watergate Hotel. His martini-dry humor dates from the Silent Generation of the 1950s but it is coupled with a sobriety and moral seriousness one would expect from a doorman. Kant tells us that all we can know to be good is purity of heart and perhaps the screenwriters realized this instinctively. On the downside it is unfortunate that the production chose an excellent African-American actress (who played Ron Tigwell's feisty wife in Jerry Maguire) as a foil to Elle, for it color-codes the situation. But it would take a William Blake to work out how to represent white on black in contemporary America, where the younger generation is so anxious to avoid simplifying assumptions that it winds up in Jim Crow territory.
Rating: Summary: A Bit More Preposterous Than The First, But Still Not Bad! Review: The irrepressible and undefeatable Elle Woods (the glorious Reese Witherspoon) is back in all her hot-pinkness in this quickly put-together 2003 sequel to the original LEGALLY BLONDE (2001). That movie was a fun fantasy romp with Elle in the halls of Harvard Law School, showing up her snooty ex-boyfriend who had dumped her for being "too blonde." Kinetically directed by first-time feature director from Down Under, Robert Luketic (now enjoying his second big hit in a row with this year's WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON!), LEGALLY BLONDE created a new kind of comic hero improbably triumphing through adversity. LEGALLY BLOND 2: RED, WHITE & BLONDE carries this character and the story to the next level, as Elle pursues the whereabouts of the mother of her Chihuaha, Bruiser. Finding that Bruiser's Mom is a test subject for cosmetics, an outraged Elle decides to get her law firm involved. They present no interest to the subject, and when pressed on the subject, ignobly fire her. As in the first film where she loses her boyfriend early on, she breaks down into tears; after all, she's scheduled to be married to her Law School beau Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson) before long, and she can't be out of a job when that happens! Ah, but as in the first film, she doesn't stay downtrodden for long: she'll take her case to Washington, where she already has a friend in Rep. Victoria Rudd (Sally Field). She joins her staff (leading to a seemingly-interminable number of scenes in which Elle gets mistaken for an intern), and proceeds to turn her office upside-down. Of course, it's required that she have an enemy right away, and she finds one quickly in Grace Rossiter (Regina King) who is incredibly put-off by Elle's sunny demeanor and "snap-box" ideas. Elle finds that battling against animal testing is not as simple as it should be, as she tries to make "Bruiser's Law" a reality in the face of Congressional deal-making and back-stabbing. Her one believer is her fiance Emmett, who just *knows* that Elle Can Do Anything. Inspired by his supportiveness, Elle slowly begins to make friends in her office and on Capitol Hill, improbably bonding with frigid Congresswoman Libby Hauser (veteran character actress Dana Ivey) over their shared Delta Nu background. Her biggest ally turns out to be her own apartment building doorman, Sid Post (the always-welcome Bob Newhart). However, even with her new-found political friendships, including a hilarious scene in which she bonds with conservative Texas Congressman Stanford Marks (Bruce McGill) over the newly-found gayness of their dogs (you read that right), Elle realizes that not all her political friends are what they seem to be. Let's face it: The LEGALLY BLONDE series is never going to win any Academy Awards for anything. But, somehow they provide an effective escape and are fun movies to watch. I like the occasional subtle references in LEGALLY BLONDE 2, the best one being the one in which Elle is first shown walking up the U.S. Capitol steps from overhead, a bright pink dot in a sea of black & white; this is very reminiscient of the Ascot scene in MY FAIR LADY (1964), in which Audrey Hepburn comes out in her brightly-colored outfit in the midst of all the gray-colored Ascot suits. Reese Witherspoon may be a fair lady herself, however, LEGALLY BLONDE 2; RED, WHITE & BLONDE becomes too ludicrous for its own good. You know Elle is going to eventually triumph sooner or later, and while some scenes are highly watchable, as a whole this film doesn't retain the same level of charm as the first. It didn't help that a different director, Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, took the helm of this project; Robert Luketic seemed to have a better grasp of comedic editing in the first film. But for mindless entertainment, one could definitely do worse. MODERATELY RECOMMENDED FOR REESE WITHERSPOON FANS; AGES 12 & UP
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