Le journal d'une princesse 2: Les fiançailles royales

The sequel to the highly successful Princess Diaries has come. This time, Mia who is slowly but surely adapting in her life as a princess is faced with a dilemma wherein she has to according to an obscure law must marry before she can ascend to the throne of Genovia. She must no chose between her duty to her new homeland or the affairs of her heart. In the background, lurks characters that are to benefit should she choose not to take the crown.

My very first reaction after watching the film was that I did not really enjoy the humour that the film had. There were a lot of elements that was taken from the first film. Whereas in the first film, it proved to be funny and quite charming, in this film it was the complete opposite. It's just like you listening to a joke that you have already heard before; it just doesn't have the same effect on you unlike the first time. It really looked quite silly that Anne Hathaway, who obviously has matured since the last PD movie, would come up with the same clumsy moves. In the past she could have gotten away with it but not this time around. I sincerely hope this is the last time she goes and does a movie like this because she has definitely outgrown this type of roles.

The story I also thought was rather dull and boring. It's pretty much a run of the mill story, which is really one of the weaker points of this movie. Yes it was rather predictable.

Overall this movie was a weak sequel and rather one to forget. I really hope that this franchise be put to rest as I really think a third film would really harm the franchise in the end. Then again this movie did make almost $100 Million and Disney might just try to squeeze a little more from the film.

The thing that disappointed me about this movie was the title. I have read most of the Princess Diaries books and I really like them. So the fact that the movie is called the same thing is annoying since it has absolutely nothing to do with the books. If you have read the books and want to see the movie just go in knowing that there is no relation between the two whatsoever. They are two completely different things. Once you know and accept this, you can enjoy the movie. It is pretty nice, with good acting. There is also a scene where we listen to Julie Andrews singing again! It is definitely a cute movie to watch and enjoy with the family!

Disney have proved yet again why they are a head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to producing movies that aren't admittedly brain food, but are "good clean fun", (if you'll forgive the cliché), for kids. For every little girl who ever dreamed of becoming a princess, this film is the perfect way to spend two hours.

True, it was grossly unfaithful to Meg Cabot's original novels, but still managed to convey the charm and slick veneer that has come to be associated with Disney, and the valuable message of independence for little princesses everywhere.

For the more mature audience, this is a happy chance to revisit childhood, or simply breathe a sigh of relief that what your child is watching is not in any way compromising or damaging, and will not have to be explained later.

Good message. Solid performances. Sweet (if bland and predictable at times) story line. Great movie!

Highly recommended for two hours of escapism on a summer's afternoon.

Anyone who liked the first Princess Diaries movie will like this. It's sweet, it's funny, and there are gorgeous men and gorgeous clothes. My best friend and I are in our late 20's and although it was predictable as any chick flick is...it was well worth our 9 dollar admissions. We loved it, and left feeling happy.

Mia arrives back in Genovia only to discover that due to a old law still on the books, she has to marry in order to rule her country. Unfortunately there is another candidate. Mia proceeds to deal with her life with her usual mix of clumsiness and sarcasm, with best friend Lily along for the ride. Memorable scenes include the ball, the parade, the wooden leg, and the continuing romance between Joe and Queen Clarice.

The sequel to a quite charming predecessor, isn't too bad, but like the predecessor it does have a number of failings that let the film down considerably. I will say that there are some lovely locations, a nice soundtrack and very spirited performances from Anne Hathaway as Mia and Julie Andrews as Clarisse. Another big treat was hearing Andrews sing at the pyjama party. Even seven years of not being able to sing at all, her voice is not too bad, even if it lacks the angelic quality that made her so memorable in Mary Poppins and Sound of Music. However, had he had some better material to work with, John Rhys Davies could have been really entertaining. Because that wasn't to be, he was merely good, as we didn't learn very much from his character. Other failings include a rather contrived plot- then again the predecessor wasn't entirely successful at that either-, an underdeveloped romance and some uneven scripting. Overall, not bad at all, but could have been better. 6/10 Bethany Cox.