Sunday, August 10, 2008
A+E, Movies, Reviews

Sisterhood can’t save long ‘Pants’

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Maybe young women are more interesting at 16 than 19, but “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” isn’t as engaging as its 2005 predecessor. While it’s the same length as the first film, it feels considerably longer.

The four gal pals of Ann Brashares' novels take different directions for the summer after their freshman year at various colleges. Carmen (America Ferrera) follows a classmate to a Vermont theater, where director Kyle MacLachlan gives her a major role in “The Winter’s Tale.” (Note to Ferrera: Don’t give up “Ugly Betty” for Shakespeare.) Bridget (Blake Lively) summers in Turkey on an archaeological dig.

Lena (Alexis Bledel), rebounding from a relationship with a married man, falls for a nude model in her art class. And Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), attending NYU, freaks out after her first sexual experience with Brian (Leonardo Nam). The titular jeans keep traveling from one to another, although most have lost their enthusiasm for the magic pants.

The screenplay includes at least three scenes of people traveling halfway around the world and showing up unannounced. The movie may be trying to incorporate too much of the source material, or perhaps director Sanaa Hamri (“Something New”) hasn’t quite got the right touch. She certainly favors her actresses, young and middle-aged. The young men are treated like pieces of meat; the older male roles are poorly cast and performed accordingly.
 
“Sisterhood 2” was made for teenage girls who like to ogle hot guys, and perhaps are looking for someone among the four main characters whose life is as screwed up as their own. 2.5 STARS—Steve Warren