|
|
  
Back Shelf Beauties
|
Miss Congeniality 2: You don't have to wait all the way until Friday to see this "gem." Miss Congeniality 2 opens on a Thursday because the world can't wait one more day for the magic of Sandra Bullock with frosted highlights. Guess what? It didn't stink as much as I thought it would! Even though the original Miss Congeniality came out 5 years ago, which forces writer Marc Lawrence to avoid any pop culture or current events mentions, Miss Congeniality 2 takes us to THREE WEEKS after the events of the original. FBI Agent Gracie Hart is back on the job, but it's a little tough for her. Now, she is a world famous, recognizable face because she saved the day at the Miss Unites States Pageant, which makes working undercover quite difficult. After being dumped by her boyfriend (explaining why Benjamin Bratt is nowhere to be found), Gracie is reassigned to a public relations position for the FBI, and gets herself a princess makeover in the process. Ten months later, her pal from the pageant, Miss United States Cheryl Frasier (the lovely Heather Burns) and Master of Ceremonies Stan Fields (William Shatner) have been kidnapped, and Gracie wants to help solve the case. Can Gracie save her friend and Captain Kirk (I couldn't resist)? Damn that Sandra Bullock! I was ready to get a strong hate and rage worked up against Miss Congeniality 2(AKA The Most Unnecessary Sequel since Weekend at Bernie's 2), but Bullock is so funny and charming throughout most of the film, I can only loathe it just a little bit. Don't get me wrong. I have plenty of reasons to hate the movie, so let us list our grievances here. It all starts with Director John Pasquin's drawn out comedy sequences that end up causing pain instead of laughter halfway through each one (have fun recognizing the moment when giggles turn into rolling of the eyes, just like when we watch Saturday Night Live). After starting off on a positive note, Miss Congeniality 2 loses steam and lacks enough material to keep the energy up, so these comic moments are milked for everything they are worth, and most of what isn't worth it. Of course, the story calls for Gracie to solve the case by easily coming across important clues and information because Lawrence has to spend time on those comedy moments instead of creating a web of intrigue around the police/FBI work (It's set in Vegas, but it ain't CSI). Finally, Pasquin has a great deal of difficulty matching the comic tone of Bullock's scenes with the nasty crime drama of a kidnapping. If Lawrence had written the entire movie like a farce, it might have worked, but the kidnapping is too dangerous and the villains too scary to make you feel like laughing as they carry out the dastardly plot. Somehow, through all of this, Bullock and cast make you laugh almost enough for me to recommend you buy a ticket. Almost. In a testament to the cast's professionalism and talent, they find some moments to make us laugh by forming strong personalities for the characters. Bullock, even though the Jersey accent comes and goes, maximizes her clumsy swan routine while forming a nice partnership with Regina King, who plays a fellow FBI Agent, Sam Fuller, with a bad attitude and no need for feminine frilly trappings. The two are traditional, buddy movie opposites who might discover they have more in common than they realized (You think so?). Meanwhile, Diedrich "Oswald from The Drew Carey Show" Bader keeps us laughing as Grace's stylist, Joel. Bader makes the character flamboyant, but not so over the top The Gay and Lesbian Alliance will be protesting in front of the theater. Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous is not one you want to rush out to see, but anyone dragged to it will find the experience to be less painful than a trip to the dentist, or a blind date with me. 2 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
|
