Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous...

[fajrdrako]

Today I watched Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Yes, it's a comedy. No, I don't like comedies. But I rather like Sandra Bullock and I did like the first Miss Congeniality movie, which was (at a stretch) romantic comedy, which I do like. Both are the misadventures of reluctant femme FBI agent, Gracie Hart, who is forced to play a role as a Barbie doll type on orders from her superiors.

This wasn't as good as the first movie, but it was pleasant enough. Two things I particularly liked: It was a buddy movie with female characters, Gracie and her FBI bodyguard, Sam Fuller, a woman with attitude. The banter, the fighting, the love/hate friendship between them - I've never seen quite that theme with female protagonists before. By the end, when they both decide men are a write-off and they're happy together, is downright slashy.

Cool. And passes the Bechdel test with flying colours.

The other thing I liked was at the beginning of the movie, when Gracie is (with the best grace possible) trying to play a pretty but stupid ladylike role for the media, she is approached by a little girl who is doing a project for school on her book. The little girl asks her to come to her school to speak to the class, and Gracie brushes her off. At the end of the movie - after the villains are apprehended and the story is over - Gracie goes to the school and tells the kids they don't need to play a role to be accepted. I liked the message, but I really liked the sense of framework it gave the movie.

I also liked William Shatner as a kidnapping victim. His role is small, but funny. His best line: "I can be convincing. I'm a actor. I played Iago in Twelfth Night."