The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (G, 2004)

In this sequel set five years after the first film, Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is now a polished young woman ready to follow in her deceased father's footsteps as the heir to the throne of Genovia. Mia's grandmother, Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews), believes it's time for Mia to replace her on the throne. But the scheming Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies) pushes Parliament to enforce an old law that requires that a princess be married before she can become a queen, and positions his own nephew -- Mia's distant relative -- to become king. So, Mia has thirty days to find a husband, to win over Genovia, and to learn how to be queen. Within a week she is engaged to a sweet and slightly klutzy English duke, Andrew (Callum Blue), but has an "I detest you" type bickering attraction to Mabrey's nephew, Nicholas (Chris Pine). While capturing headlines with her gaffes, Mia wins over hearts with her goodness and down-to-earth caring. Best friend, Lily (Heather Matarazzo), returns to help her gain her stride and to give Mia a piece of normality in the decidedly unreal palace life.

Like many sequels, THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT loses some of the flavor of the first by trying too hard not to change a thing in the winning formula while telling a different story. The fantasy of being a princess is not the same as that of being a queen. This make-over is more subtle than taming hair and wearing make-up. Mia must establish a connection to the people of Genovia, while maturing and calibrating her own moral compass. The love story is stilted and missing some the quirky subtlety Hathaway showed in Ella Enchanted, as she appears to fall for a sapphire-eyed suitor with attributes as lovely as but no deeper than nacre. Finally, there is a distracting deluge of overblown characters who labor too hard to keep the movie light, from the ladies' maids to the young guardsman bellowing out orders while wooing Lily.

The scenes between Hathaway and Andrews are lovely, though, as the two are complementary souls. Grandmother Clarisse shelters Mia under the umbrella of her poise and dignity, while Mia reawakens the Queen's sense of impish fun. With Andrews singing--albeit briefly--for the first time in years, the sleep-over scene alone is worth watching this sequel.