Movie Review: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)

Synopsis: Ten months after going undercover at the Miss United States pageant and stopping the bad guy while finishing as the runner-up, FBI agent Gracie Hart is a published author and talk show celebrity, causing her to grow conceited and shallow. When kidnappers abduct the pageant winner, Cheryl Fraser and contest host Stan Fields, Gracie travels to Las Vegas to help with the investigation. However, she soon learns her input in the case is unwelcome and is forced to once again ignore orders and investigate the case herself.

Who's in it? The movie stars Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Heather Burns, William Shatner and Enrique Murciano.

Review: After re-watching Miss Congeniality earlier this week, my wife and I decided to watch the movie's sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, which we may had seen before but neither of us could remember. We did that last night and wound up with a mixed opinion.

The overall concept isn't terrible. I thought the mystery surrounding the kidnapping was interesting, as were the obstacles that made it difficult for Gracie (Bullock) to investigate the case, including her superiors believing her previous success was just a case of being in the right place at the right time and refused to take her seriously.

I also thought the chemistry between Gracie and her reluctant partner, Sam Fuller (King) was pretty solid. They played off each other well, making it easy to consider them frenemies throughout the film. Plus, it was honestly a bit refreshing to see a movie like this, with female leads, not suddenly turn into a rom-com (which I'm certain would be the case if she had another male partner).

My biggest problem with the movie is it was clearly a cash-grab sequel. While, as I said, the premise was OK, the story itself was a bit simple with clues that were easy to spot, people who were more than happy to talk and quite a bit of luck, including the fact there was only one Dolly Parton impersonator in all of Las Vegas or being put in the custody of seasoned FBI agents who are just childish enough to grow squeamish when a woman mentions tampons.

Also, as I told my wife, the movie honestly reminded me a lot of Rocky III. Both main characters let fame go to their heads. They both get a wake-up call that involves getting their asses kicked and both have a Black friend/rival who helps them recapture the person they once were. The only thing missing was Gracie losing a mentor to a heart attack.

Final Opinion: I didn't hate the movie and there were parts I can honestly say I enjoyed about it. However, like most sequels, it definitely isn't as good as the original.

My Grade: B

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