(Easy on the glitter and lip gloss, Gracie… you don‘t want to look like a common Vegas whore…)
CAST: Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, Diedrich Bader, Treat Williams, Heather Burns, Elisabeth Rohn, Ernie Hudson.
DIRECTOR: John Pasquin
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and more tomboy-into-girlie-girl transformations straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: It’s a couple of years after the events of MISS CONGENIALITY, when tomboy FBI Agent Gracie Hart had to put up with hairspray, rouge, and high heels to go undercover at the Miss United States pageant to ferret out a terrorist. Well, she saved the day so well that the whole world recognizes her now. So much so that her ability to go undercover in other FBI operations is now compromised. Nothing like you and your team of agents trying to snare a drug lord, only to have the schmuck turn to you and say, “Hey, weren’t you the chick at the Miss United States pageant who tossed that exploding tiara?” Needless to say: awkward.
Anyhow, SAC (Special Agent in Charge) Harry MacDonald (Ernie Hudson) finds a perfect use for Gracie’s newfound notoriety, er, fame: she is going to become the “Face of the FBI.” In other words, bye-bye to undercover ops - and hello to public relations. After another makeover courtesy of super-fairy Queen Joel Myers (Diedrich Bader), Gracie turns into… well, Ivana Trump and Paris Hilton combined, by the looks of it. Anyhow, two things seriously dampen Gracie’s new career as the Poster Girl for the bureau: (1) her new bodyguard, Agent Sam Fuller (Regina King), whom she hates more than a 4 AM wake-up calll; and (2) the sudden kidnapping of old pageant pals Stan Fields (William Shatner) and Cheryl Frasier (Heather Burns) in Las Vegas. Before you know it, Gracie and Sam are enroute to Sin City to find out what’s what. Bitching and moaning the whole way, of course…
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Gracie and Sam. These chicks have more testosterone than the entire male cast. Must explain those butch shoes…
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: I’m very loyal to my gal Sandy, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to cheat on her a little here and go with Enrique Murciano as doofus Vegas agent Jeff Foreman, whose job it is to keep an eye on Gracie. Lucky bitch…
MOST INTENTIONALLY FUNNY SCENE: Gracie and Sam going undercover at a Drag Queen Burlesque Show as, respectively, Big Bird from Sesame Street and Tina Turner. Wow, ladies….Wow.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNY SCENE: Uber-fairy swish-queen Joel telling uptight Vegas SAC Walter Collins (Treat Williams), that he’d like to, um, debrief him. Well, Joel, what if he wears boxers?
HOTTEST SCENE: Joel telling Walter he’d like to debrief him. Don’t worry, Joel. I’m right there with you.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Who is behind Stan and Cheryl’s kidnapping? What do they want? And will Gracie and Sam be able to track them down in time? Or will Gracie and Sam kill each other first? Can these two actually work together? And the most burning, burning, burning question of all: will Walter finally give in and let Joel, um, debrief him? Come on, Walter… Joel looks like he could suck the paint off a fire hydrant, man!
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “MISS CONGENIALITY 2”: If you liked MISS CONGENIALITY. And if you want to see sequels to popular comedies that are not afraid to strike in a new direction. And if you love Sandy and Regina King. If so, you’ve come to the right place.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “MISS CONGENIALITY 2”: If you didn’t like the first one. Or if you liked the first one so much that you want to see more of the same in the sequel. If so, forget it. This one is as different from the first one as a nun is from a prostitute. Well, you get the idea…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In 2000, MISS CONGENIALITY took the box office by storm and grossed over $100 million. Buoyed by Sandra Bullock’s effervescent charm and a supporting cast aiming to please, the movie was a prime example of a funny, talented star and her solid support overcoming a thin script. Indeed, MISS CONGENIALITY would have been a very different movie without Bullock and her co-stars. Given the film’s huge success, it was inevitable that a sequel would follow. The question was simple: (1) follow the formula of the first movie and set the sequel in the middle of another contest, or (2) strike out in a new, different direction?
Anyone who’s seen the movie or the trailers knows that the creators of MISS CONGENIALITY 2 decided to tread a different avenue for Gracie’s second adventure. I remember the rash of disappointing reviews that greeted this film when it first came out. I have to admit that I myself felt the same way at first. Primarily because, at first glance, it is so different from its hugely popular predecessor.
Upon repeat viewings of MISS CONGENIALITY 2, though, it kind of grows on you. The thing to remember about this movie, though, is that it is more of a “buddy” movie than an “undercover fish out of water” one like the first. Once you accept that, its pretty much smooth sailing until the end. This isn’t to say that this movie is as good as the first one, however. Gracie has less of a colorful gallery of supporting players this time around. But the few that she does have are pretty entertaining. Michael Caine as her exasperated gay mentor, Victor Melling, from the first movie is sorely missing. Diedrich Bader sort of makes up for this with his light turn as Joel, who is basically the same character as Victor, but much younger and more carefree. I kind of wish Bader’s role would’ve been expanded.
Enrique Murciano is also quite appealing as Jeff Foreman, the screw-up Vegas agent who is given the thankless task of babysitting Gracie, Sam, and Joel. One of the reasons I think this movie didn’t fare as well as the first is the lack of a male love interest. Although it looks like Jeff is being positioned as a potential replacement for Benjamin Bratt’s Agent Matthews from MISS CONGENIALITY, he never becomes more than a very helpful friend to Gracie. I, for one, like this angle because it is more unexpected. Besides, this is a buddy movie that should be focused on Gracie and Sam.
Speaking of Sam, Regina King makes her both a formidable foil and a compatible ally to Gracie Hart. Plus, King and Bullock have the right kind of comic/adversarial/sisterly chemistry required for their roles. The best thing about MISS CONGENIALITY 2 is watching these two tough broads, so alike, slowly let their hackles down and meet each other halfway. I personally would like to see King and Bullock paired together again - whether in MISS CONGENIALITY 3 or another film.
In the end, MISS CONGENIALITY 2 is a very different film from MISS CONGENIALITY. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie. Once you accept this is more of a “buddy” film between Sandra Bullock and Regina King’s characters, it’s an above-average comedic experience….
