'Princess Diaries 2': Sweet but schmaltzy
Once upon a time, director Garry Marshall set out to make a sequel to his mildly charming 2001 romantic teen comedy, "The Princess Diaries."

And so a decree went out to all the girl-power cliches in the land, summoning them to his script, the result being the sweet but schmaltzy "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (Disney).

For those who missed the first film, Anne Hathaway plays Mia, a nerdy American teenager who learned that she is next in line for the throne of Genovia, a Monaco-like realm somewhere in Europe whose national anthem sounds surprisingly similar to that of Freedonia's in the Marx Brothers' "Duck Soup."

In the original, Mia -- under the tutelage of her regal grandmother, Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) -- was transformed from the proverbial ugly duckling into a graceful royal swan.

Now five years and one Princeton degree later, Mia is turning 21 and, with her grandma stepping down, is ready to assume her role as ruler of Genovia. But there is one major speed bump on the way to the castle: Genovian law forbids an unmarried woman to be crowned queen; the same stricture does not apply to male heirs.

Faced with the coronation conundrum, Genovia's parliament is left with two options: Either Mia finds a suitable monarchical mate in 30 days, or the crown passes to her royal rival, Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine), a dashing homegrown prince whose claim is championed by his Machiavellian uncle (John Rhys-Davies).

In the quest for a groom, it is arranged for Mia to marry Lord Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue), a handsome young British blueblood. The only problem is she finds herself falling for Devereaux.

Will Mia choose true love or duty? Or, will she have her royal wedding cake and eat it too?

As in the first "Diaries," the mediocre material is elevated somewhat by the buoyant and beautiful Hathaway, whose sunny smile could light up a small kingdom or two. As always, Andrews adds a touch of elegance to an otherwise graceless and clumsy affair. Also returning are Heather Matarazzo as Mia's old high school gal-pal, Lilly, and Hector Elizondo as Queen Clarisse's head of security.

At least the original film had a cute Pygmalion premise with Andrews playing Prof. Higgins to Hathaway's goofy Eliza Doolittle. This time around, the derivative humor is spread thin and much more forced. The film also lacks the freshness of the first installment, a common malady among sequels -- unless, of course, the protagonist is a green ogre, spins webs or has the surname Corleone.

Pre-pubescent princess-wannabes will undoubtedly find the Cinderella-like ball gowns and tiaras enchanting, but older viewers may find themselves pulling a Sleeping Beauty for much of the film.

"The Princess Diaries 2" is the most recent example of an emerging subgenre, the feminist fairy tale. Along with other recent wish-fulfillment fantasies like "The Prince & Me" and "Ella Enchanted" (which also starred Hathaway), "Diaries 2" freights the traditional storybook formula with preachy dollops of gender politics pap.

With Hollywood serving up a steady stream of toxically violent and hypersexualized fare, you would think that it would be easy to give a G-rated film -- with recognizable stars, glossy production values and a name director -- an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Sadly, that is not the case. Still, in this day and age, Marshall deserves credit for making a movie that eschews "edginess" in favor of a more wholesome tone and has a positive, family-friendly message.

For that reason alone, this is one "Engagement" you may want to keep.

In spite of some thematic elements and a few brief kissing scenes, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences, all ages admitted.

-- David DiCerto

David DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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