Stars: Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson

Director: John Pasquin

Summary: Picking up soon after the events of the first film, this inspired sequel opens with agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) back in action against a team of lady bank robbers, only to have her cover blown by her new found fame. In an effort to capitalise on the publicity - and as a result of being dumped by her boyfriend from the first film - Gracie lets herself be made into the feel-good ambassador of the FBI, helped by the staggeringly hip Joel (Dietrich Bader) and his stylists. The change is not good for the brash Ms. Hart, however, who is soon appearing on morning television and dispensing fashion tips instead of girl-power platitudes. Of course this phase doesn't last long; some goons out in Las Vegas kidnap Miss Congeniality (Heather Burns) and host Stan Fields (William Shatner), prompting Hart, with her intensely angry bodyguard, Sam Fuller (Regina King), to strap on her guns and get back in the game. Her method of operation includes beating up Dolly Parton, defying a sexist FBI bigwig (Treat Williams), and faking cramps. At one point she disguises herself as an old Jewish woman in a wheelchair, and later she's a Las Vegas showgirl doing 'Proud Mary' at a drag club. Bullock's good-natured performance recalls the old-school comedic talents of Bob Hope or Barbara Stanwyck; she effortlessly makes Gracie Hart a unique and complex woman who is capable, sarcastic, intuitive, impressionable, and a secretly lonely tomboy. Also a plus is the refreshing lack of a male romantic interest as Hart and Fuller don't need some handsome guy to ride to their rescue and they aren't going to let sexual discrimination stop them from getting the job done.

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The Miss Congenialitymovies are custom-made for Sandra Bullock's screen career persona. She plays clumsy, nerdy FBI agent Gracie Hart, who is given the horrific pseudonym Gracie Lou Freebush (one example of the movie's juvenile tendencies) when assigned to infiltrate a beauty pageant to investigate threats of a terrorist attack. Transforming Bullock from frumpy geek to stunning contestant was always going to be a piece of cake so the premise for the first Miss Congenialitytale is tenuous at best. More enjoyable is her character's uncouth disdain for pageant contestants and her mistaken perception that they're all a bunch of bimbos. The film nicely charts Gracie's realisation that her own pageant makeover provides a much-needed ego boost, although she gives pageant coach Victor, played by Michael Caine, a run for his money. In addition to Caine's effortless scene-stealing, William Shatner as pageant host and Candice Bergen as the event organiser are smart choices for comedic support, but the movie desperately needs a credible foundation for its comedy to really pay off. Bullock's bureau boss (Benjamin Bratt) is an unconvincing dimwit, and none of the plotting is as smart as, for example, Beverly Hills Copin combining procedure with laughs. That leaves Bullock to carry the burden of a comedy that barely works in her favour. Only Bullock's fans will appreciate the sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has enough perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego make a success of this sequel to a film released five years earlier. --Jeff Shannon

Aspect Ratio:	2.40 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles:	Arabic, English, German, Hebrew, Icelandic
Year:	2005
Release Date:	July 11, 2005
Runtime:	111 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 059331
Keywords:	Armed, Comedy, General, Miss, Fabulous, Congeniality
Genre:	Comedy