Rating: Summary: Doesn't touch the first Legally Blonde! Review: I loved Legally Blonde (2001), the original movie. Reese Witherspoon was cute, the jokes were funny, the situtations were ridiculous, and it was just a great comedy. Even those who hate chick flicks must admit that Legally Blonde is worth a look because it is so funny.This movie does not even touch the first legally blonde because it is just not funny. It appears that PeTA paid someone to write this movie for them, because everything revolves around PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). I'm all for the protection of animals, but it was not a very funny movie. Her dog ended up being gay, which I suppose is supposed to be funny. The plot is that Elle Woods wants to get Bruiser's mom out of animal testing. Quite understandable. But the plot isn't that good. I would only rent this one and buy the first movie.
Rating: Summary: Oh, the humanity Review: This is easily one of the worst movies I've seen in years, especially in comparison to its predecessor. I admire Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field and Bob Newhart, but they are entirely wasted on this sophomoric, shmaltzy script. The first Legally Blonde was good, but this is horrid, horrid, horrid. It is just NOT funny.
Rating: Summary: Reese saves this movie from doom. Review: It's an alright chick-flick that a guy can watch...so stupid, it's actually kind of funny.
Rating: Summary: light weight confection Review: Elle Woods, who turned Harvard Law School on its scholastic ear in the original "Legally Blonde," now brings her unique brand of bubbly optimism to the cynical world of Washington politics in "Legally Blonde II," the hit-or-miss sequel that skates by on the enormous and not-to-be-underestimated charm of Reese Witherspoon in the lead role. In this film, Elle has her consciousness raised when she discovers the "evil" of animal testing for beauty products. Filled with an idealistic zeal and determination, the bubbleheaded, fashion-obsessed lawyer heads off to the hallowed halls of the nation's capital to convince the powers-that-be to pass a law against this inhumane practice. In the best screwball comedy tradition, Elle, though she appears on the surface to be hopelessly ditzy and out of touch with the real world, actually turns out to be shrewder and more effective at getting things done than anyone else around her. The screenplay for "Legally Blonde II" provides little more than an endless variation on the fish-out-of-water theme that was exploited to a fare-thee-well in the previous installment. Given the rather uneven nature of the writing, the film is blessed by having Witherspoon as both its star and its saving grace. Without her, "Legally Blonde II" would be much less palatable and watchable than it is. Witherspoon has her part down perfectly, conveying a sort of naïve irrepressibility that is truly winning and infectious. With her air of determined idealism and blithe indifference to the obstacles that so often knock the rest of us down, Elle, in the person of Witherspoon, becomes a fantasy-world champion for the little guy in the audience, often turning what might have been unutterable silliness into inspired zaniness. That is the actress's impressive achievement here. With its gallery of caricatures rather than characters and its heavy emphasis on bright colors and exaggerated fashions, "Legally Blonde II" looks and plays at times like a live action cartoon. How much you'll enjoy the film will depend on both your tolerance for insipidity and your willingness to suspend your disbelief (it may also help if you lean left politically). But only the most stonehearted curmudgeon could resist the charms of this particular blonde named Reese.
Rating: Summary: This Movie Is A Crime. Review: There is a curse in the movie industry. It's name - the sequel. For some reason, trying to follow up a hit movie with a sequel is very difficult for most studios because most sequels suck eggs. I forgot about this curse when I rented Legally Blonde 2 - Red, With & Blonde recently. It's not that the first movie, Legally Blonde, was a masterpiece or anything, but it was good for what it was. It was a happy, shiny movie where you dismissed a little reality and just went with the story. Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) may be a silly character, but you go with it just to watch the character grow and mature. In addition, there were a nice assortment of memorable characters peppered throughout the story that really "kicked it up a notch". Since Legally Blonde was a big hit, you'd think that the producers wouldn't mess with the formula that made it such a success. Haven't we learned anything from New Coke? ;) Unfortunately all the elements that made the first movie such a fun guilty pleasure are absent from the sequel and all you're left with is a bitter taste in your mouth making you feel wrong for liking the first movie. The biggest problem with the movie is the script. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and this script was dead on arrival. Instead of using the original writers, Karen McCullah Lutz the studio chose Ahlert, Drake and Kondell. Again, why miss with a winning combination? Anyway, the opening sequence is a scrapbook that the friends Margot (Jessica Cauffiel) and Serena (Alanna Ubach) are looking through. The device is meant to catch the viewer up on what's been happening to Elle. This works nicely for those that didn't see the first movie and for those of us that have, it works to set us back in place in the Elle timeline. At the end of the first movie, they said that Elle married Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson). At the start of the second film, they explain that the wedding hasn't happened yet and is scheduled to happen soon. This choppy style of storytelling works well when used in this manner, unfortunately the entire movie is told in this manner. Instead of creating story arcs for the characters that can grow and lead us through the story, we're presented with chunky segments. It's almost as if you're watching "bits" from SNL or something. I can just see the writers pitching these ideas back and forth, "Hey, how about Elle goes to Washington? Yeah! And there's this mean lady that runs the office. Yeah! And the door man is really cool and helps her. Yeah! And her fiancee comes to visit. Yeah! And <i>then</i> she's on CSPAN. Yeah!" It was just scene after scene that didn't develop anything. The comedy was forced and it felt as if everyone was just walking through their scenes. Think I'm just being mean? Well, let's look at the plot and then you can tell me. "Elle is getting married and she decides that she wants her dog, Bruiser, to have his parents at the wedding. She learns that Bruiser's mother is being used for animal testing so she goes to Washington to pass a bill to outlaw animal testing." That's it. I'm not kidding. That's really the plot. I know, who would have green lighted this kind of project? As I saw the story unfold like someone dropping a sack of potatoes, I held out for the hope that the supporting characters would help redeem this movie. No such luck. Emmett the fiancee was reduced to a caricature of his former self. In the first movie Emmett helped ground the movie in reality. He wasn't a doe eyed goof, he was the smart, sensible legal hero that sees Elle as a "diamond in the rough" and what potential she holds. In this movie, he's nothing but a sycophant who does nothing more than say "Yes dear." and mug for the camera. To add insult to injury, Paulette Bonafonté (Jennifer Coolidge) the lovable manicurist who is befriended by Elle in the first film, is reduced to nothing but the eccentric goofball sidekick who makes one stupid comment after another. Even Bob Newheart couldn't keep this ship afloat. All of the actors are credible in their field and are capable of doing so much more than this. The crime in all of this is that the script shackles them down to the point where they have no room to do what they do best - act. I loved the first Legally Blonde movie. It was silly and somewhat of a farce, but the story and the characters made you just "go with it" and enjoy yourself. It wasn't high film, it was just a good time. Legally Blonde 2 is such a disaster it makes you sorry you enjoyed the first one altogether. By the end of the film, all the affection you had for the characters is gone. You just don't care about Elle anymore and you don't care where she goes from there. She gives a knowing wink to the camera at the end of the film to imply that there could be a 3rd film and I my only hope is that the studio doesn't get paroled to make it.
Rating: Summary: blondes have so much fun...still! Review: This film is not as good as the 1st one but totally still deserves 5 stats. I did have to watch it twice to understand a bit of it tho. I thought the funniest line in this movie was "God that woman wears a lot of pink" (SSSOOO funny) you have to watch it. Trust me you wont be dissapointed :-) Blondes still rule!
Rating: Summary: The magic is gone in this sequel Review: Legally Blonde was a pleasantly enjoyable film, but the sequel has none of the fun, magic or charm that made the original so much fun. In this sequel, Elle goes to Washington DC and struggles to enact a law banning cosmetic testing on animals. The jokes are stale and the plot is silly and unbelievable. Putting Elle on display in the capital might have been the problem, because in the first movie, Elle being a lawyer was at least somewhat plausible. This is one sequel that should have never been made.
Rating: Summary: Legally speaking: AWFUL Review: Oh my, oh my. Just finished watching this DVD and the first thing I have to say is I'm glad I was still in a free trial period for my DVD rentals. Even at 2.99 I would have been rather annoyed, but at the full retail movie theater prices; I would have been very upset. This movie just never takes off and never gets you into the whole premise: animal rights. This movie falls into the trap of so many that have tried to capitalize on the success of a first: No real plot, just get the same people doing the same thing and it should work. The movie drags on and by the end, you really just want to return the stupid movie to your local rental store. The "bonus" material is a joke: you get the music video (who cares) and outtakes (aren't those standard on every DVD now)? Simply put, leave this on rental shelf and grab a different movie. You'll at least have a better chance of watching something entertaining.
Rating: Summary: Apparently We ARE Stupid Enough to Rationalize This... Review: ...worthless waste of time as a mindlessly enjoyable, sassy comedy. Barf. Sitting through this hackneyed formulaic piece of garbage was almost impossible. The character aren't likeable, the jokes aren't funny, the story is ridiculous, and I feel sorry for Bob Newhart. And Sally Fields. And Luke Wilson. Oh, and Reese Witherspoon really isn't that funny, or charming, or perky. This movie is a mess of empty cultural signifiers and lame catch phrases.
Rating: Summary: Cuter than I thought Review: I went into this with very low expectations- picked up the DVD cheap- and was pleasantly surprised! Bob Newhart is sweet as her helpful doorman who guides Elle through the backstabbing of Washington. This is not a deep movie but is fun for an evening of lighthearted good feeling humor. Reese Witherspoon glides through the movie effortlessly repeating her portrayal of the ditzy smart girl. Fun, sweet movie.
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