The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

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.