The ‘Legally Blonde’ Sequel Time Forgot (2024)

Legally Blonde is a beloved film for a reason. It’s funny, it has a strong message, the fashion is killer, and it’s full of heart. So, when it was announced during Amazon Upfront that a prequel series was in development at Prime Video, fans couldn’t have been more excited. The news was dropped by Elle Woods herself, Reese Witherspoon, and the log line which was revealed via Variety, gives a bit more insight into what the series will be about: "Elle Follows Elle Woods in high school as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first Legally Blonde film.” Despite having a 2025 release date, critics and audiences alike are already anticipating the series. But with all the excitement surrounding the new series, did we all just forget the film’s iconic sequel? No, I’m not talking about Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde. I’m talking about the 2009 film Legally Blondes, which follows Elle’s twin cousins Izzy (Becky Rosso) and Annie (Milly Rosso) as they move from England to shiny California. It’s a sequel that no one really talks about, but it deserves a second look. After all, it is the OG high school set Legally Blonde.

What Is ‘Legally Blondes’ About?

Legally Blondes follows Elle’s twin cousins, Izzy and Annie, as they move from England to California, to live in Elle’s adorably pink mansion in the hills. According to the film, which takes place after the events of the first two films, Elle has become a successful lobbyist and has moved to Washington, D.C. The girls take after Elle in just about every way; they’re blondes, they love fashion, and of course, they just love pink. But all of their joy about moving to California is thwarted when they learn they’ll be attending a preparatory school (which is also revealed to be Elle’s Alma mater) that requires uniforms that are inherently not pink, and are instead quite bland. But the uniforms are the least of their problems, because once they arrive they are immediately introduced into the world of snobby rich kids who attend the school. The ring leader is Tiffany Donohugh (Brittany Curran), whose father is a hefty donor to the school. She befriends the girls under false pretenses and soon exposes them for being scholarship students. Which, for some reason, is looked down upon at the school.

Suddenly ostracized by the popular crowd, Izzy and Annie befriend fellow scholarship students and begin to find their place at Pacific Preparatory. They even manage to find a loophole in the school’s code of conduct and refurbish their uniforms to better suit their personalities. (Elle would be so proud!) Things are seemingly going great until Izzy and another student are accused of cheating on a history test, which is strictly forbidden by the school and is grounds for expulsion. But before they can be expelled, Annie swoops in and puts her Woods blood to use, producing the school’s handbook once again and calling for an in-school trial to prove her sister’s innocence. Since this is a Legally Blonde sequel, the girls manage to clear their names and get their bullies kicked out of the prep school instead. (Seriously, Elle would be so proud!) And though the film is a bit more juvenile and silly than its predecessor, it’s still a fun addition, and it pays plenty of homage to the original.

‘Legally Blondes’ Pays Tribute to ‘Legally Blonde’

Legally Blondes isn’t quite as good as Legally Blonde, there’s no denying that, but it also doesn’t try to be. Rather than trying to separate itself from the original, it fully embraces its connection and pays homage to it constantly. It’s a little too on the nose sometimes, but who cares? It’s fun and that’s what matters. For starters, when the girls first arrive at Elle’s house, two dogs are awaiting them. The note attached explains that the dogs are Bruiser's nephews and that Elle has gifted them to Izzy and Annie. Because what’s a Legally Blonde movie without Bruiser? The dogs aren’t as big of a focus as Bruiser was in the first two films, but they’re cute nonetheless and make for sweet side characters.

The homages really start coming in though when the girls actually arrive at the school. The school’s reigning queen bee, Tiffany, is clearly meant to be a more cartoonish knockoff of Vivian (Selma Blair). Something that is proven when Tiffany invites Izzy and Annie to a school event and tells them it’s a pool party and to wear their swimsuits. It’s not, and is actually a very formal event, so when the girls arrive they are immediately humiliated in front of their peers and mentors. The same thing happened to Elle in the first movie, when Vivian told her the party she was attending was a costume party and Elle showed up in her iconic pink bunny costume. Oh, and the girls have their own version of Elle’s iconic “bend and snap”, the “flip and wave”. It’s cheesy, yes, but it’s still a fun nod to the original film and it’s just as effective on the film’s characters, so it clearly serves its purpose.

But the biggest similarity of all happens toward the end of the film, when Izzy and Annie must defend themselves to their classmates and faculty members. While not necessarily on the same scale as Elle’s case, it is still a surprisingly well-done “court” scene. The girls are being accused of breaking into the school after hours and stealing the answers to their big history test. They’re innocent, of course, but they must prove that to their peers. They manage to do so by collecting evidence that all comes back to a fancy pair of shoes worn by Tiffany’s boyfriend, Justin (Chad Broskey). They find that his shoes leave behind bright red scuff marks, and those very same scuff marks were found in the office of their history teacher. The same place in which the history test answers were stored. It’s not as jaw-dropping of a revelation as Legally Blonde’s court case, but it’s just as satisfying to see yet another Woods family member dominate in court and take down the guilty.

‘Legally Blondes’ Has Reese Witherspoon’s Stamp of Approval

Legally Blondes doesn’t have the greatest rating among critics, or fans for that matter, but it does have one major thing going for it: Reese Witherspoon was a producer on it. So if it got Reese’s stamp of approval shouldn’t it be worthy of a second watch? While it’s not a masterpiece, Legally Blondes has some solid moments throughout that make it an entertaining watch. For starters, it has an iconic makeover scene, a hallmark of any good 00s movie, the cast is solid, and it’s only 86 minutes long, making it a short and sweet pick for a nostalgic movie night. It’s no masterpiece, and it lacks an actual cameo from Reese Witherspoon as the iconic Elle Woods. But the character is all over the movie, in dialogue, in decor, in influence. Legally Blondes may not be a great movie, but it clearly loves and respects Legally Blonde, and isn’t that what you want in a sequel? All in all, it’s a fun time, and doesn’t need to be taken seriously to enjoy. So if you’re looking for something to fill the wait time ahead of Elle, give Legally Blondes a try, it may surprise you.

Legally Blondes is available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.

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