No surprises in store for predictable, yet pleasing 'Legally blonde 2'

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

Legally blonde 2: Red White & Blonde Rated PG-13 Stars: The charm of the character and that first film caught moviegoers by surprise. Now the bloom is off the rose, and we're wise to the joke. Still, Witherspoon's kewpie-doll charisma goes a long way. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Bob Newhart. Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. MGM, 94 minutes.

In "LB2," she arrives in Washington just in time for some Independence Day laughs. As a friend tells her, "You look like the Fourth of July. Makes me want a hot dog real bad."

Witherspoon first brought the character to life in "Legally blonde," one of the surprise hits of 2000. She stunningly demonstrated how we shouldn't judge a book by its frilly pink cover. Elle may look and act like Barbie, but she graduates with high marks from Harvard Law school and lands a job with a prestigious Boston legal firm.

The charm of the character and that first film caught moviegoers by surprise. Now the bloom is off the rose, and we're wise to the joke. We know Elle is bright, even if she's culturally challenged. That knowledge puts the sequel at a disadvantage, which it doesn't completely overcome. Still, Witherspoon's kewpie-doll charisma goes a long way.

As "LB2" opens, Elle is preparing for her wedding with Emmett (Luke Wilson), her boyfriend from the end of the first film. But she also makes a horrifying discovery — the cosmetics she loves dearly are created with the help of animal testing. Lovable little creatures, just like her beloved pet Chihuahua, Bruiser, come to harm.

"I have to say in this case, the cost of beauty if way too high," Elle says. "I can't believe I said that, but it's true."

Vowing to take action, Elle heads for Washington, where she gets a job as an assistant to a congresswoman (Sally Field). There Elle begins efforts to submit to Congress "Bruiser's Bill," opposing animal testing. Once again, she confronts a hostile group that gives her no credit for intelligence or political savvy. We, of course, know better.

To aid her cause, Elle secures support from a powerful committee member (Dana Ivey) because she's a sorority sister. Even more amazingly, she gets a conservative opposition congressman (Bruce McGill) on her side through the silliest of reasons: His dog and Bruiser meet in the park and spark up a relationship. The silliness continues, though Witherspoon elevates the game with the sheer determination of her bright-eyed performance. Thanks to Witherspoon, Elle is gumption personified.

In a shallow but amiable way, "LB2" offers a dumbing down of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," the classic Frank Capra movie that Elle and her boyfriend watch one night on TV. Another voice of the people arrives on Capitol Hill, just in time to teach a lesson or two to the veteran politicos. (Elle even has a heart-to-heart with Honest Abe himself during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial.)

Familiar faces return from the film, including Elle's California buddies (Jennifer Coolidge, Alanna Ubach and Jessica Cauffiel). Newcomers include a reserved Sally Field as Elle's congresswoman-boss and a warm Bob Newhart as the veteran doorman who knows all the ins and outs inside the beltway.

In a summer of popcorn encores, Elle Wood seems a natural. It's just that filmgoers will definitely recognize the pink sugar coating on this particular brand of corn.

Rated PG-13 for sexual references.