Ms. Congeniality 2: Unarmed and Not fabulous!

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Title:
Ms. Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (C+)
Actors:
Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns, Diedrich Bader
Director:
John Pasquin
Story and Screenplay:
Marc Lawrence
Editor / Music:
Garth Craven / John Houlihan
Design / Photography:
Mahem Ahmed / Peter Menzies
Producer:
Sandra Bullock
Studio:
Castle Rock Entertainment and Warner Bros.


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"It’s the first time you open your heart to someone and what do they do, they wreck it up" (or something to that effect)

Perhaps this line could have saved the movie but too bad it wasn’t enough. I was surprised that it was shown earlier here compared to the US so I immediately grabbed the opportunity to see it. Knowing that it’ll line up on my list of superfluous sequels. During the first few scenes of the movie, there was a shed of hope that it won’t be the next Legally Blonde or Charlie’s Angels but that only lasted for a couple of minutes then we’re off to the never-ending consolidations between its characters.

In case you haven’t figured it out, the plot of the movie is that we follow Gracie (Bullock) weeks after her world peace moments as she begins to get her life back as a field agent. However, fame, as so predictably felt, will have a way to catch up on her. Where else but on her very first mission. Now, she has no choice but to live the life she never wanted to have --- as a spokesperson for the FBI.


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She’s not your ordinary FBI representative; she’s not in black suit and leather shoes. She’s on hills. Now what’s the catch? Well, remember Ms. Rhode Island (Burns)? She’s been kidnapped together with Stan (Shatner), the pageant’s emcee. Due to her lack of friends and unwavering issue against crime she tries (operative term is tries--- as if!) to save her with the help and obstruction of her shadow (King)—literally and figuratively (shoot me now!).

Sandra Bullock didn’t appear in any movie last year. Don’t get me wrong I adore her especially after she donated a million dollars to the tsunami victims, but if she devoted her entire time in making this movie (she’s the producer as well—as always!) I guess it was not time well spent or she simply needed more.


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Gracie Hart is such a loveable character. She’s Grace Adler without the gay confidante but in this one she has one. It was refreshing though, to know that her character didn’t have a happy ending, something very bold to do or simply the last thing they resorted to since they can’t hire Benjamin Bratt again. Whatever the reason is, I love that fact. The pain was kinda real, sometimes people do things that make you think they truly care about you, at times you’re right but sometimes they’re simply doing their job or returning the favor. Why the sudden melancholy? I dunno… it was just the right moment. Ha! Ha!

Having said that, I thought that the story was not the main problem of this movie. It’s more of the direction and the strenuous pacing. The whole middle to the end part was kinda in a limbo. It was way too long for me. The jokes were there, ancient at times but somehow still effective but it loses the impact because of the arduous moments the audience spent watching these two characters hit and console one another time and time again.


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I was really routing for this movie cuz I do love Sandra and she rarely do movies and she knows that she’s a movie star and she capitalizes on that (4 shes in one sentence). But people deserve better than this. The attempt to be good was really there, but the script and direction just didn’t follow.

I was kinda surprised that Regina King would take such a role, I guess she also want to be a movie star ha? I did love the Tina Turner but more of Oprah-gone-wild look. And Sandra well, she plays these kind of parts so well that I’m actually starting to think these will be the only roles she’ll be doing for the rest of her movie career.


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The first Ms. Congeniality was a laugh-out-loud, in-your-face slapstick ridicule towards the fanciful world of beauty pageants. This one is more about the daily struggle of a brokenhearted middle-aged agent whom accidentally happens to be the savior of the titleholder. If this is a real beauty pageant, the runner-up may have been the perpetrator.

If you’re a fan of the first and will not be stopped from seeing it, I do not blame you, but I pity you. If you’re watching this out of pity towards Bullock, then go ahead, make your donation. Whatever is your reason for watching this movie, there’s one thing you’ll wish after seeing it, no, not world peace but peace of mind.

Grading Sheet:
Story – 12%
Screenplay – 12%
Direction / Execution – 12%
Acting – 16%
Technical Aspect – 15%
Total: 67% = C+