Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde

One doesn't expect deep intelligence from a warm-weather Hollywood romance, but "Legally Blonde" has enough plot holes to drive Warner's snazzy sedan through. If Elle's so smart, why does she behave like a bubblehead? If she's a bubblehead, how can she ace the law boards on a moment's notice? Why would Harvard Law School want the likes of her and Warner in the first place?

To be fair, "Legally Blonde" answers some of these questions. For example, Elle supports her Harvard application with a video essay directed by someone named Coppola and featuring Elle in a bikini. We even see the admissions committee making its decision to accept her, and here the movie has a welcome hint of satire - suggesting that the Ivy League is run by male aristocrats who are surefire suckers for a beautiful babe.

Such biting moments are few, though. Most of "Legally Blonde" is mere sitcom-style farce, culminating in a music-and-dance number that's as awkward and embarrassing as any scene I've watched in months. Witherspoon fills the screen with bright-eyed bounce, but the picture has little else to recommend it. There oughta