Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)

RATING (0 TO ****):  * 1/2

Sometimes movies surprise you in very positive ways.  Three years ago, going
into THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, I figured that the movie, based
on one of Ann Brashares's popular novels, would be only for tweener girls
who were fans of the Brashares books.  I was very pleasantly surprised at
how much I was touched by the story and the acting.

I was, however, equally surprised with the very unimaginatively titled
sequel, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2.  The first movie created
wonderful characters, well worth caring about, but its sequel certainly
didn't.

How could they have gone so wrong, since the film follows a similar formula
and features the same four characters and actresses, Lena (Alexis Bledel,
"Gilmore Girls"), Carmen (America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"), Bridget (Blake
Lively, "Gossip Girl") and Tibby (Amber Tamblyn, "Joan of Arcadia")?

Maybe it's because they felt the need to handle more mature themes, with one
subplot having to do with a leaking condom causing a possible pregnancy.
Certainly the biggest laugh from our audience, filled to the rafters with
tweener girls, came when a male model stripped to pose nude for a class of
budding artists.

The main characters this time are off to college -- all very upscale ones of
course: NYU, Brown, Yale and the Rhode Island School of Design.  The very
slow film did have our audience giggling a lot, which proves that there is a
built-in audience for the movie, even if the script is extremely thin and
the acting less than compelling.  The plot can be summarized by saying that
the four girls have now grown apart but -- shock! -- will be back as best
buds by the time the ending credits roll.

One possible explanation for how a character-driven film like the first one
is turned into a lame sitcom is that there is a different director this
time.  The first movie was helmed by television director Ken Kwapis ("The
Office" and "Malcolm in the Middle").  All of the young actresses in the
movie have found television as their chief source of success, so Kwapis
probably worked very naturally with them.

Rather than using Kwapis's talents for the sequel, the producers turned
instead to Sanaa Hamri, whose background is as a video music director.  One
might expect that she could at least have brought a little punch to the
production, but the movie is remarkably flat from beginning to end.  And,
while Kwapis was able to get moving performances from each of his stars in
the original, Hamri can barely wake up her actors, all of whom appear to
just be going through the motions.  The hearts of the four leads don't
appear to be in it, as if they are only performing because of a prior
contractual agreement.

The good news is that the movie tries as hard as possible to suggest that
there will not be a sequel.  If you look carefully, you can see in the eyes
of the four leads that they probably welcome that news.

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 runs a long 1:57.  It is rated PG-13
for "mature material and sensuality" and would be acceptable for teenagers.

The film opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday, August 6, 2008.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.

Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: Steve.Rho...@InternetReviews.com

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