Satisfying Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sequel follows footsteps of prequel, characters

By Jackie Ammons     8/21/08 7:00pm

Audience reaction to the big screen is usually a good prediction of the success of a movie because the audience - not the critic - is the ultimate judge. If the audience screams with laughter, instead of fright, at a poorly choreographed war scene, the film is probably a flop. If the audience collectively laughs in the right places, sighs in understanding of a character's disappointment or cries at a touching scene, the movie is probably a winner that will rightfully hold its place in the box office and in the hearts of moviegoers.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is no exception to this rule. Its audience - consisting of an overwhelming majority of girls - did just that: They laughed, cried and sighed in all of the right places, awarding the film a thumbs-up as a touching, sentimental movie that is worth noting during this summer's film season.

Based on the book series by Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 follows where its 2005 film predecessor left off and tracks the experiences of four friends during their summer breaks from college. Carmen (Ugly Betty's America Ferrera) finds confidence as a lead in the Village Theater's Shakespeare play; Lena (Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel) goes to art school where she dates a male model; Bridget (Gossip Girls' Blake Lively) works at an archaeological dig in Turkey and then reconnects with her past and Tibby (The Russell Girl's Amber Tamblyn) writes a romantic comedy screenplay while facing her own fears of relationships.

Brashares already held a captive audience with her book series, and filmmakers retained such audience attention with the first Sisterhood film in 2005. Thus, the makers of this second Sisterhood movie simply needed to maintain its more mature audience of three years ago. To achieve this goal, Sisterhood 2 involves more complex themes and looks at its four main characters as they grow up in college, such as Tibby facing a pregnancy scare and Bridget understanding her parents' shaky relationship.

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The actresses playing the four friends also maintain the film's hip edge with audiences, for all of the main actresses are well-known television stars, notably Lively with her recent stardom on the hit series ,Gossip Girls and Ferrera with her Emmy for Ugly Betty. Each young actress's sharp wit and individual character in the film makes her believable and easy to relate to.

The characters in Sisterhood 2 find complements to their unique personalities in the scenery and settings of the movie. The adventurous Bridget finds herself in the dusty archaeological fields of Turkey; artistic Lena by the beautiful waters of Greece; creative Carmen on the set of a Shakespeare production and eclectic Tibby in the heart of Manhattan.

Sisterhood 2 does not attempt to set itself up as an Oscar-winner, instead genuinely presenting itself for what it is: a chick flick, and an enjoyable one at that. Thus, by refraining from seeking prestigious superlatives, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 serves the basic function that audiences crave: entertainment and a few girly giggles along the way.

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