Review Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003

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"Oh my God, it's Capitol Barbie." -- Tim CASS' CLIP (WARNING: **spoilers below**) In Legally Blonde, if you checked Elle Woods' (Reese Witherspoon) college yearbook, she was probably voted "Least Likely to Graduate From Harvard Law School." Not because she was a dumb blonde, but because, at the time, her 'major' was Warner Huntington (Matthew Davis), her beloved and self-centered boyfriend. But, what Elle didn't know at the time, and soon learned the hard way, was that Warner believed in bedding a dumb blonde, not wedding one. In the end, justice prevailed when Warner got his comeuppance and Elle not only received a law degree, but also fell in love with handsome law professor, Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson). All's well, that ends well. Well, that's until Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. After graduating from Harvard, Elle's future looks bright. Elle is up for a partnership at one of Boston's prestigious law firms, and she's also planning her fairy-tail wedding ceremony with Emmett. Included on the guest list is Elle's "beloved" Chihuahua, Bruiser's biological mother. Since Bruiser is adopted, Elle hires an investigator to locate his mother, so she can attend the nupitals. When Elle learns that Bruiser's mom, along with many other helpless animals, are test subjects at Versace, a cosmetics lab facility, she tries to convince her law firm to take legal action against the company to force them to release these animals. But Versace is one of the firm's biggest clients, which means Versace stays and Elle's pink slip is an accessory she didn't bargain for. Ever the optimist, Elle packs up her principles and goes to Washington, D.C., to crusade against companies using animals as cosmetic guinea pigs. With the help of her underground Delta Nu sorority network, Elle gets a seemingly perfect job, as a legislative aide, with a seemingly perfect boss, Representative Victoria Rudd (Sally Field). Elle's objective is to get the Bruiser's Bill passed to ban cosmetic testing on animals. At first glance, several unforeseen obstacles stand in Elle's way. First, there's Grace Rossiter (Regina King), Rep. Rudd's no-nonsense-type, chief of staff, with a big chip on her shoulder. Grace's philosophy is, "Since I've worked my ass off and paid my dues to get where I'm here at, Mizz Sorority Barbie will have to do the same thing." Second, someone Elle least expects will undermine her every move. But Elle has a secret weapon, Washington insider/doorman, Sidney Post (Bob Newhart). Is Elle barking up the wrong tree with her idealistic views that the government is "for the people," and that elected officials really care about their constituents? Or, will Elle compromise her principles and sleep with the President to get the Bruiser's Bill passed? DA 411 The one good thing about the 2001 Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2, is Reese Witherspoon's brilliant portrayal of Elle Woods. One can't help but enjoy Reese's bubbly performance and her ability to stay true to the concept of her character. Her wardrobe alone was another character in itself. Because I'm a dog owner, I must admit that the canine actor playing Bruiser, Moonie, is also quite lovable. There are a few funny jokes about interns and corrupt elected officials, but that's where the buck stops for me. Since the storyline is so absurd, I don't blame Sally Field, Bob Newhart and other cast members, for their unenthusiastic performances. Poor Luke Wilson, the loveable proverbial boyfriend character, has starred in four brainless movies this year -- Old School, Alex and Emma, Charlie's Angels 2 and Legally Blonde 2. I'm a big Regina King fan. In this particular instance, however, her eye rolling, neck swerving, and evil Black bitch portrayal of Grace really worked on my last nerve. Jessica Cauffiel and Alanna Ubach reprise their roles as Elle's Delta Nu entourage, and Jennifer Coolidge returns as the ditzy beautician friend. CASS' CONCLUSION The creators really stepped in some dog doo-doo if they expected this sequel to be another surprise hit. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde is sentenced to DYE without the possibility of becoming a sitcom. LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE & BLONDE:   back to top Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003 EMAIL: cass@3blackchicks.com