Blonde ambitions

But the adventures of Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), the not-so ditzy blonde in girly-girl pink, are closer to those of erstwhile B-movie series of Mr. Smith‘s era—Blondie, the Mexican Spitfire, Panama Hattie, etc.—and probably all the better for it.

Witherspoon is delectably persuasive with Elle’s improbable combination of Doris Day and Erin Brockovich, and director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld maintains a light and airy balance as the proceedings frolic between airhead wisecracks and earnest politicking.

Elle is too fancifully funny to ever supplant Mr. Smith, but Legally Blonde 2 is lively entertainment in an agreeably populist vein.