Elle Woods: "Hello, patriots!"
Staffer 1: "Oh my God, it's Capitol Barbie."
Staffer 2: "She's so shiny."
- A scene from Legally Blonde 2 where Elle Woods pops in on her first day of work at a Congresswoman's Washington office.
Like many fans of the first Legally Blonde, I've been looking forward to the sequel with a sense of eager anticipation usually reserved for fashionistas on the wait list for the next limited edition Hermes handbag.
Once again featuring the irrepressible Reese Witherspoon as the Bambi-eyed Elle Woods in yet another goldfish-out-of-Evian scenario, Legally Blonde 2: Red, Blue and Blonde is directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld (Kissing Jessica Stein) and written by first time screenwriter Kate Kondell.
In Legally Blonde 2, always sunny Elle is now a Boston lawyer preparing for her upcoming wedding to her boyfriend Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson in yet another boyfriend-in-the-background role).
To make her wedding perfect, Elle insists on inviting all her in-laws - including the missing mother of her beloved gay Chihuahua, Bruiser, who is perpetually decked out like a taste-blind transvestite on a Pride float.
When Elle discovers that Bruiser's mother is being used as a cosmetics test subject by one of her law firm's major clients, she becomes a spokeswoman for PETA and as a result, gets fired for not being a "serious" lawyer.
Bouncing back faster than a curl on a roller, Elle sashays off (in to-die-for Jimmy Choo heels, what else!) to Washington D. C. to work as an assistant to Congresswoman Rudd (Sally Field), a respected animal-rights advocate - with nary a clue on how she got the job in the first place.
A novice political neophyte in neon pink, Elle is soon caught off-guard by all the back-stabbing and double-dealing that goes behind the closed doors of Washington's Capitol. Faced with a congressional aide (Regina King) who is determined to make things difficult and a mentor (Congresswoman Rudd) who turns out to be a self-serving back-stabbing bitch, Elle finds herself losing faith in the system and in herself.
Fortunately, she is befriended by Sid Post (Bob Newhart), a shriveled eavesdropping doorman who gives her a crash course on Political Bureaucracy 101. And faster than you can do a finger-snap, Elle is advocating for "Bruiser's Bill", organizing a Million Dog March (with help from her Delta Nu sorority sisters) and later, addressing a joint session of Congress where she urges every legislator to "speak up for the Land of Free Gift with a Purchase".
Thankfully, despite the mentally deficient and chiffon-thin plot, Reese Witherspoon remains a joy to watch by proving once again that no current comedy actress can carry off the fully accessorized Barbie-with-brains routine so well. However, the biggest laughs in the movie come from Elle's best friend - beauty school dropout Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge) who is a scene-stealer with her truly dim-witted but hilarious lines.
In the final analysis, if you enjoy lighthearted comedies where a sorority sister with impeccable fashion sense can truly transform America into a better and fashion-coordinated nation or if you are a drag queen in dire need of some fashion advice and a makeover, then Legally Blonde 2 is the movie for you.
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