Lately, Sandra Bullock is principally Hollywood royalty. She’s an Academy Award winner who’s been nominated for the Greatest Actress Oscar twice, makes pretty consistently good movies, often pops up in buzzy initiatives like “The Misplaced Metropolis” and “Ocean’s Eight,” and is without doubt one of the most recognizable performers in all the trade. Again within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, although, Bullock was just about recognized for one style: romantic comedies. Now, considered one of her funniest, breeziest movies is making waves on Netflix after touchdown within the quantity 4 spot on the streamer’s prime 10 motion pictures on February 10, 2025 (as reported by FlixPatrol).
“Miss Congeniality,” which hit theaters in 2000, casts Bullock as Gracie Hart, a tough-as-nails particular agent for the FBI who by no means makes a lot of an effort to look “ladylike” or “fairly.” This method is not inflicting any issues for her typically, however when a case surfaces that entails a bomb menace at a Texas magnificence pageant, the bureau decides to gussy up Gracie, set up her as Miss New Jersey (since that contestant is about to get disqualified anyway), and make her go undercover to determine who’s behind the menace. Although she’s resistant at first and actually places up a combat along with her pageant coach Victor Melling (a divinely humorous Michael Caine), Gracie finally ends up unexpectedly making pals on the pageant and finally learns that sisterhood is essential … and that her new pals aren’t as superficial as she initially thought.
Actually, “Miss Congeniality” is a captivating, humorous film elevated by its performances — however what did critics consider it when it first got here out? Not a lot, apparently.
Miss Congeniality was a important miss, but it surely’s considered one of Sandra Bullock’s most beloved motion pictures
Critics have been harsh about “Miss Congeniality” when it first got here out. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie solely has a 41% ranking on the Tomatometer — formally making it “rotten” — and the important consensus declares, “Although critics say [Sandra] Bullock is humorous and charming, she will’t overcome a foul script that makes the film really feel an excessive amount of like a fluffy, unoriginal sitcom.” Roger Ebert apparently had the same thought; as he wrote in his review, “It is not dangerous a lot because it lacks any ambition to be greater than it so clearly is.” Writing for The Washington Post, Michael O’Sullivan was a lot meaner: “The jokes are lame, the set-up is silly and Bullock, often a winsome comedienne and right here a co-producer, is annoying as heck.”
Regardless of the tough general ranking, a handful of critics really had good issues to say about “Miss Congeniality.” For Time Out, Derek Adams merely wrote, “Whereas there might not be many surprises, there’s little to dislike both.” Elsewhere, William Thomas at Empire Magazine appeared to genuinely take pleasure in it, writing, “A real crowdpleaser boasting a captivating star flip, ‘Miss Congeniality’ is certainly tough to dislike, however hey, generally it is well worth the effort.” Mark Savlov, reviewing the film for The Austin Chronicle, even gave a shoutout to Bullock particularly: “It is a measure of [Bullock’s] comedian expertise that she makes this creamy slip of a movie as genuinely participating as it’s.”
It doesn’t matter what critics stated about “Miss Congeniality” when it got here out, it is nonetheless a staple of Bullock’s filmography; simply take note of social media yearly when, on April 25, everybody posts the clip of Heather Burns’ Miss Rhode Island, Cheryl Frasier, misunderstanding a query a few “excellent date.” (As she says, April 25 is the proper date as a result of “it isn’t too chilly” and “not too sizzling,” and “all you want is a lightweight jacket.”)
Sadly, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous was a complete misfire
Sometimes, a sequel is just a terrible idea. Sadly, this was positively true for the sequel to “Miss Congeniality,” which bears the subtitle “Armed and Fabulous” and brings Sandra Bullock, Ernie Hudson, and Heather Burns again alongside newcomers Regina King and Diedrich Bader. This time, Gracie’s secret id as an FBI agent is blown after she tries returning to the sector (what along with her prior magnificence pageant escapades having made her considerably notorious), which results in her changing into a “spokeswoman” for the FBI underneath some duress and getting her personal bodyguard, Sam Fuller (King). When Cheryl and the pageant’s host from the primary movie, Stan Fields (a returning William Shatner), are kidnapped for ransom, Gracie and Sam should go to Las Vegas to rescue them.
“Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous” only has a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is notably dangerous, and critics did not maintain again. Writing for RogerEbert.com, Richard Roeper most likely put it greatest when he said, “This, to me, is a traditional instance of a sequel that was simply made as a result of the primary one made cash. I did not even like the primary one.” Wesley Morris, writing for The Boston Globe, made the proper assertion that “nothing with so many individuals in drag ought to really feel this draggy,” whereas Roger Ebert was equally blunt in his evaluate for the Chicago Sun-Times: “There isn’t any good motive to go and truly see it.”
The critics have been proper, sadly; “Miss Congeniality 2” type of stinks. (Poor King, years earlier than she scored an Emmy for “Watchmen” and an Oscar for “If Beale Road May Speak,” ended up on this and “Legally Blonde 2: Pink, White & Blonde,” saddling her with two dangerous sequels that by no means match the heights of their predecessors.) The primary film, which is really enjoyable, is crushing it on Netflix now.
Lately, Sandra Bullock is principally Hollywood royalty. She’s an Academy Award winner who’s been nominated for the Greatest Actress Oscar twice, makes pretty consistently good movies, often pops up in buzzy initiatives like “The Misplaced Metropolis” and “Ocean’s Eight,” and is without doubt one of the most recognizable performers in all the trade. Again within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, although, Bullock was just about recognized for one style: romantic comedies. Now, considered one of her funniest, breeziest movies is making waves on Netflix after touchdown within the quantity 4 spot on the streamer’s prime 10 motion pictures on February 10, 2025 (as reported by FlixPatrol).
“Miss Congeniality,” which hit theaters in 2000, casts Bullock as Gracie Hart, a tough-as-nails particular agent for the FBI who by no means makes a lot of an effort to look “ladylike” or “fairly.” This method is not inflicting any issues for her typically, however when a case surfaces that entails a bomb menace at a Texas magnificence pageant, the bureau decides to gussy up Gracie, set up her as Miss New Jersey (since that contestant is about to get disqualified anyway), and make her go undercover to determine who’s behind the menace. Although she’s resistant at first and actually places up a combat along with her pageant coach Victor Melling (a divinely humorous Michael Caine), Gracie finally ends up unexpectedly making pals on the pageant and finally learns that sisterhood is essential … and that her new pals aren’t as superficial as she initially thought.
Actually, “Miss Congeniality” is a captivating, humorous film elevated by its performances — however what did critics consider it when it first got here out? Not a lot, apparently.
Miss Congeniality was a important miss, but it surely’s considered one of Sandra Bullock’s most beloved motion pictures
Critics have been harsh about “Miss Congeniality” when it first got here out. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie solely has a 41% ranking on the Tomatometer — formally making it “rotten” — and the important consensus declares, “Although critics say [Sandra] Bullock is humorous and charming, she will’t overcome a foul script that makes the film really feel an excessive amount of like a fluffy, unoriginal sitcom.” Roger Ebert apparently had the same thought; as he wrote in his review, “It is not dangerous a lot because it lacks any ambition to be greater than it so clearly is.” Writing for The Washington Post, Michael O’Sullivan was a lot meaner: “The jokes are lame, the set-up is silly and Bullock, often a winsome comedienne and right here a co-producer, is annoying as heck.”
Regardless of the tough general ranking, a handful of critics really had good issues to say about “Miss Congeniality.” For Time Out, Derek Adams merely wrote, “Whereas there might not be many surprises, there’s little to dislike both.” Elsewhere, William Thomas at Empire Magazine appeared to genuinely take pleasure in it, writing, “A real crowdpleaser boasting a captivating star flip, ‘Miss Congeniality’ is certainly tough to dislike, however hey, generally it is well worth the effort.” Mark Savlov, reviewing the film for The Austin Chronicle, even gave a shoutout to Bullock particularly: “It is a measure of [Bullock’s] comedian expertise that she makes this creamy slip of a movie as genuinely participating as it’s.”
It doesn’t matter what critics stated about “Miss Congeniality” when it got here out, it is nonetheless a staple of Bullock’s filmography; simply take note of social media yearly when, on April 25, everybody posts the clip of Heather Burns’ Miss Rhode Island, Cheryl Frasier, misunderstanding a query a few “excellent date.” (As she says, April 25 is the proper date as a result of “it isn’t too chilly” and “not too sizzling,” and “all you want is a lightweight jacket.”)
Sadly, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous was a complete misfire
Sometimes, a sequel is just a terrible idea. Sadly, this was positively true for the sequel to “Miss Congeniality,” which bears the subtitle “Armed and Fabulous” and brings Sandra Bullock, Ernie Hudson, and Heather Burns again alongside newcomers Regina King and Diedrich Bader. This time, Gracie’s secret id as an FBI agent is blown after she tries returning to the sector (what along with her prior magnificence pageant escapades having made her considerably notorious), which results in her changing into a “spokeswoman” for the FBI underneath some duress and getting her personal bodyguard, Sam Fuller (King). When Cheryl and the pageant’s host from the primary movie, Stan Fields (a returning William Shatner), are kidnapped for ransom, Gracie and Sam should go to Las Vegas to rescue them.
“Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous” only has a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is notably dangerous, and critics did not maintain again. Writing for RogerEbert.com, Richard Roeper most likely put it greatest when he said, “This, to me, is a traditional instance of a sequel that was simply made as a result of the primary one made cash. I did not even like the primary one.” Wesley Morris, writing for The Boston Globe, made the proper assertion that “nothing with so many individuals in drag ought to really feel this draggy,” whereas Roger Ebert was equally blunt in his evaluate for the Chicago Sun-Times: “There isn’t any good motive to go and truly see it.”
The critics have been proper, sadly; “Miss Congeniality 2” type of stinks. (Poor King, years earlier than she scored an Emmy for “Watchmen” and an Oscar for “If Beale Road May Speak,” ended up on this and “Legally Blonde 2: Pink, White & Blonde,” saddling her with two dangerous sequels that by no means match the heights of their predecessors.) The primary film, which is really enjoyable, is crushing it on Netflix now.
