Picturing Justice, the On-Line Journal of Law and Popular Culture



Judge J. Howard Sundermann, Jr.
First Appellate District of Ohio

 

Read other reviews:

Michael Asimow

Carrie Menkel-Meadow

Internet Movie Database

All Movie Guide

Readers' comments

 

 

In Legally Blonde Elle demonstrated a first class brain behind her superficial exterior, but she exhibits no such ability in this film. She seems to have no idea what she is doing, and by this time we don't care. Didn't she see the first movie?


Feature article

LEGALLY BLONDE 2

by Judge J. Howard Sundermann

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, the sequel to Legally Blonde, is another example of why sequels have gotten such a bad reputation. Reese Witherspoon reprises her role as Elle Woods and goes from Barbie goes to law school to Barbie goes to Congress. In my review of the first film, I said that if you could suspend belief a little, the film was good fun and Ms. Witherspoon's performance was terrific. But in this film, the plot is so silly and such a rip- off from the first film that you would have to suspend belief to a whole new level.

The plot, such as it is, has Elle graduating from law school and working for a large law firm in Boston. As she is searching for the birth mother of her dog, she stumbles upon the cause of protecting animals from being used in cosmetic testing. Because of this, she is fired from her law firm and winds up as a legislative aide for a congresswoman in Washington D.C. There she leads a fight to pass a bill outlawing such testing. She meets the other staff members of the office, and they don't take her seriously, similar to her fellow law students in the first film. In Legally Blonde Elle demonstrated a first class brain behind her superficial exterior, but she exhibits no such ability in this film. She seems to have no idea what she is doing, and by this time we don't care. Didn't she see the first movie?

The plot is loosely based on a good film, Mr. Smith goes to Washington (1939), and in case you don't get this, they work in a brief clip of the film. The film takes a view of Congress that would be taken in a bad sitcom. I was so happy that the film was finally concluding that I almost missed the most inane part. Elle gives a speech to a joint session of Congress. A legislative aide doing this, give me a break. On top of that, the speech is so stupid it looks like an outtake from the Gong Show. I kept expecting a large hook to remove her from the podium. But, of course, the congressmen cheered wildly and Elle wins the day.

In a side plot, Elle's principal political advisor, who seems to know everything about politics, is the doorman at her apartment building, well played by Bob Newhart. How did he learn all of this? It is explained that he hears things around the door. I advise you to save the eight dollars for the ticket and join me in doing everything possible to prevent Legally Blonde 3.


Posted July 28, 2003

Would you like to comment on this article? Please submit your comments here.

 Top of page

 Home | Silver Screen | Small Screen | News & Views