To paraphrase Sally Field's second Oscar acceptance speech, we like Reese Witherspoon — we really like her.

That's an important asset for this somewhat spotty sequel to the surprise 2001 hit. "Legally Blonde 2" coasts on the considerable charms of its star before it finally improves over the course of its second half. And thanks to her rather effervescent performance, this forgettably silly bit of fluff goes down more easily than it probably should.

This sequel finds the spunky — and some would say clueless — Elle Woods (Witherspoon) working as an attorney for a prestigious Boston law firm. She's also preparing to marry her college sweetheart, Emmett (Luke Wilson).

But when she discovers that the mother of her dog Bruiser is being held by an animal testing lab, she drops everything to try and free the canine. Easier said than done.

So Elle heads off to Washington, D.C., to work with a sympathetic congresswoman (Field) on a bill to stop animal testing. Unfortunately, she finds that her peculiar way of doing things doesn't quite fit in at our nation's capital.

Still, she does receive lots of help from friends, including a hotel doorman (Bob Newhart) with some surprising insights into the political process.

Witherspoon more or less carries the entire film on her shoulders, relying on her ability to be ingratiating — but hey, if it works, why knock it?

The supporting cast is underutilized, though. Wilson isn't given much to do, while Field has rarely looked as unflattering as she does here. But the dry-witted Newhart appears to be having fun.

The photography is pretty shoddy for a studio film; at times, the second-unit work appears to be better than the principal footage. And with director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld in charge, few of the scenes have the energy of the original film.

On a local note, some scenes in the movie were shot at the Utah State Capitol, which will be quite recognizable to Utah audiences. And it showcases a show-stopping, albeit goofy musical number.

"Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" is rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor (innuendo and some references), some lewd dancing and scattered use of profanity. Running time: 94 minutes.

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