BY LARRY CARROLL |

EXPECTATIONS

What I'd Seen
I'd seen the first film, and been pleasantly surprised by its creativity and endearingly sweet lead character. I'd also seen the ads for this sequel, which promised to take Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) out of her legal career in Boston and instead transpose her into the political arena.

What I'd Heard
People I knew who were fans of the original Legally Blonde were looking forward to another adventure with Elle, but those who didn't see (or like) the first film weren't likely to spend their money this time around. Advance buzz on the movie was remarkably low key, with very few mentions on the Internet of the film's production. This could be good or bad.

What I Wanted
I wanted to see Elle and her friends (Luke Wilson as boyfriend Emmett, Jennifer Coolidge as beautician/confidant Paulette, Victor Garber as Professor Callahan and, of course, Bruiser the dog) develop as characters while still maintaining their comic elements. I wanted the film to be its own movie, not just a rehashing of the first one.

EXPERIENCE

What Turned Me On

Reese Witherspoon's presence
Undoubtedly one of the most purely likeable actors working today, Witherspoon has a remarkable ability to just show up and make even the lamest of scripts watchable. Her effervescent personality is perfect for this type of character.

The return of Bob Newhart
A comedic legend, Newhart has kept a criminally low profile since his misguided 1997 sitcom was put to sleep. Although he's horribly miscast as a charismatic doorman with his pulse on the capital scene, the comedian's stuttering, sly wit still helps him steal a good number of scenes for himself. Newhart's not a good "actor" -- he's always been best when playing a thinly veiled version of himself -- but it's good to see him back.

Bruiser's big revelation
I'm not going to give it away for you, but the biggest guffaws of the film focus on a surprising discovery regarding Elle's dog. As it should be, everyone still loves him anyway. Every joke that comes from this running gag is good for a laugh.

Elle versus the politicos
The juxtaposition of the brightly dressed Bel--Air princess and the cranky old politicians in gray suits opens up a giant can of comic possibilities, such as Elle thinking it a youthful compliment when people keep mistaking her for an intern, when she compliments an NRA member on his lovely gun rack, or when she refers to Connie Chung as "Mrs. Maury Povich".

What Turned Me Off

The Die Hard 2 mentality
Remember how Die Harder treated John McClane as the only worthwhile character from the original film while sticking his wife in an airplane and giving Al the cop one token scene on the other end of a telephone? This film suffers from the same lack of respect for the supporting actors. When Elle packs up and heads off in her periwinkle--colored convertible, leaving everyone behind, you can feel the air deflating from the movie. Luke Wilson's character gets reduced to a bookend, Coolidge has her complexity replaced with a handful of punch--lines, and Garber is nowhere to be found. Witherspoon's character is the star, no doubt -- but she wasn't the only person who made the first film a success.

Sally Field is Wasted
Her role as Representative Rudd is central to the story, yet she has very little to do. Field floats into the movie every now and then, just long enough for you to think, "Wow, she's getting old", and then vanishes for the next four or five scenes. Stay for the film's credits and you'll see her funniest scene, which will remind you of how badly her comedic talents were wasted.

Not Even the Wedding of the Week
Elle has spent two movies talking about how her nuptials will be "the wedding of the century". So why is the ceremony crammed into a brief, uneventful end sequence and drowned out by soundtrack music? The whole ending is a lazy mess that tries to tie up a half--dozen runaway plot points, failing miserably at every turn.

Have the Writers Even Been to Washington?
The depiction of our legislative process is laughably distorted to make way for the plot. Except for a cover version of the School House Rock song "I'm Just a Bill" that's played during a scene, the movie doesn't seem interested in teaching its teenage target audience any real information about the way Washington works.

Lines Worth Repeating

Elle, upon seeing her first legislative meeting: "It's just like C--Span, only I'm not bored!"

Doorman Sidney Post (Bob Newhart), getting stuck holding a door for people when he's trying to get into a building: "This happens every time."

Emmett, upon hearing the Elle is going to Washington: "You fall asleep during the West Wing."

Elle's response: "Yeah, but have you seen what they're wearing?"

Never Saw That Before
-- Scented bags for picking up dog poop.
-- A snowglobe model of Boston's Fenway Park baseball field, with Elle and Emmett towering figures towering above it.
-- A "Million Dog March".

Fidget Factor
On a scale of 1--10, I'd give this movie a 2. It moves along at a brief pace, keeps things lively, and won't induce much fidgeting. Except maybe by your boyfriend.

AFTERMATH

I left thinking...that it was a decent, but completely forgettable movie. I wish they had been a little more creative, and that they would get a better script if they decide to bring Elle back a third time.

I left saying... "Go see this movie only if you're a big fan of the original and have no problems with them repeating the same gags as before."

Expiration Date
It's shaping up to be a busy summer, and the weaker films are being weeded out fast (cough...cough...Charlie's Angels). I'd expect this film to make about three--fourths of the original's gross, and be largely forgotten by August. Then again, lately it seems Reese Witherspoon's presence can make anything a hundred million--dollar movie.

When it comes out on DVD, you should rent it, not buy. Only the people in the credits know why the ending to this film feels like it went through a food processor, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see the DVD come out in six months with several alternate conclusions, which I can only assume will be better.

Overall Grade: B--