by MARK SLUTSKY

If ever the fate of a movie rested on the shoulders of its star, that movie would be Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. If you want to talk about plot, script, direction, cinematography, wardrobe (okay, maybe not wardrobe), and every other element that make up a movie, Legally Blonde 2 is pretty mediocre. But Reese Witherspoon, here reprising her role as Elle Woods from the first Legally Blonde movie, almost makes it all worthwhile, or at least pleasantly watchable whenever she's on screen. She's got real skill as a comedienne and the super-perkiness of the character is a perfect fit for her talents.

The movie starts at some point shortly after the events of the first movie, with Witherspoon having graduated from Harvard Law and working in a big corporate firm. She's planning her wedding to Luke Wilson (playing her sweet and ultra-supportive boyfriend, the kind of role he seems to have a lock on these days), and decides that her dog's mother should be invited to the wedding. Yes, it's ridiculous - it's a Legally Blonde movie.

Anyway, she tracks down the doggie-mama in a cosmetics testing facility, which leads our intrepid Ms. Woods to start an anti-animal-testing campaign. This gets her fired from her law firm, so she heads to Washington D.C., joins Sally Fields' staff (Fields plays a congresswoman), and tries to get a law against animal testing passed. Light intrigue ensues.

It's pretty silly. And honestly, crappy - it even looks pretty cheap for a big summer movie, and it really outstays its welcome, being a good 20 minutes too long. But still, I laughed out loud at least a few times, and it was always thanks to Witherspoon, who's really funny and sympathetic at the same time. Credit is also due to Bob Newhart, who plays Witherspoon's concierge, and comes across amusing and (as always) pleasantly genial. Final verdict: dumb and cute, precisely as expected.

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde is now playing

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