Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

So I mentioned on my review of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants that I was tempted to do the sequel. Well, I did and… uh… it’s a film. I suppose the inevitable risk of making a sequel some years later, but still aiming to tell a similar story is that there’s only so many ways you can push the characters, although a strong part of this is the limitations on creative design and imagination on the part of the writers. Carmen, Tibby, Bridgette, and Lena face a longer time apart than ever before as they all head off to difference colleges and then pursue other paths over the summer. Carmen hopes that the Traveling Pants will keep them magically reunited, but as new dramas happen to each member of the sisterhood, it becomes apparent that their friendship and love for each other may have to take the place of the ‘magic’ pants. 

I feel like the writers had the base ingredients, but really didn’t know what they were trying to make with them. Structurally, this movie is more or less identical to the first, however the tone is changed as the girls don’t start off together, thus there’s a complete lack of connection. 

Then the entire movie falls into the boring and clichéd trap of clinging to catalyst elements and themes from the first and trying to expand on them, which just does not work. Carmen’s probably the best as she at least retains some of that angry hurt of turnover and neglect except this time it’s towards her newly-remarried and pregnant mother. Family is the driving force of Bridget’s ‘story’ as she discovers her father has circumvented letters from her grandmother for years and then travels to visit her and talk about her mum’s depression and suicide. Lena is put in a piss-weak love triangle between her first love, Kostas, and a new love when she discovers Kostas got married. And Tibby gets hit with a pregnancy scare… oh how dramatic. 

All of these themes and character paths I felt were just weak and practically pointless and they didn’t really do anything to help the collective story of the sisterhood. 

Also, why is it that the only themes that the writers could think to attach to these young, freshman-year college girls revolved around family, home, and babies?! A little bit annoying and conservative to my taste, so no thank you. 

I guess the shakiness of the story was felt by the cast too because, while performances were actually ok, I didn’t find myself attaching to any one of them… just sort of wishing they’d get off my screen. 

Although it ends of a nice note, I honestly felt that this movie did not need to be in existence. I felt disconnected and annoyed while watching the majority of it and to be honest, it actually tarnished my enjoyment of the first one a little bit. 

Starring: America Ferrera, Amber Tamlyn, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, Tom Wisdom, Rachel Ticotin, Leonardo Nam, Michael Rady, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jesse Williams, Lucy Hale, and Blythe Danner 

Rating: M