What made the first movie work was that it was completely unexpected and it was just a fun ride. The second time through is never as much fun, though admittedly the original is nearly as good on subsequent viewings.

It’s difficult to put your finger on exactly what goes wrong in this one, as nothing really deviates from the formula of the first movie, but something just doesn’t fit the same mold. As Elle realizes that she needs to save Buster’s mom from the animal testing facility and she can’t do it at her big law firm, she walks out (well, she gets fired), and that’s okay. You would expect nothing less.

That she takes off to Washington and no one likes her as she arrives is not surprising, or that she decorates her desk and then initiates something as bizarre as the snap cup doesn’t surprise.

When Sally Field welcomes Elle and expects great things or you see Regina King positioned as the bad guy, you aren’t surprised. It’s just standard fare.

The only decent performance in the movie is Bob Newhart as Sid, the doorman at the hotel. That he figures prominently in helping Elle get things done should come as no surprise, nor should it be a shock that things are not quite as they seem.

It’s just that everything fits too neatly into place and though there are hurdles it’s not ever expected that she won’t overcome them. In order for the underdog to be an underdog, you have to believe that they won’t win, and that moment never comes in this movie. As such, it’s just not as enjoyable this time around.

Rated PG-13 for adult content, but you probably won’t have any problem keeping the kids away from this one. There isn’t much they’ll want to see.

Starring Sean Connery and Ed Harris, the film is set almost entirely on Alcatraz island, currently taken over by Harris’ band of Marines, intent on securing honor for their fallen comrades who have managed to miss out on military recognition because of the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Oh yeah, and they’d like $100 million too.

It’s the job of Connery, a political prisoner for 33 years, to infiltrate The Rock with a band of counter-commandos (and a chemical expert, played by Nicolas Cage) and make sure that the city of San Francisco isn’t ground zero for the release of a deadly nerve gas (that’s why they have Cage along – he isn’t especially good at much else, being a scientist-type).

As you may surmise, there’s lots of action to be had, and with Connery and Harris, there’s a fair amount of decent acting to be seen too, but make no mistake – this is a Bruckheimer production, so you won’t see any awards won along the way, unless it’s for blowing stuff up. It’s a full-speed, non-stop thrill ride, nothing more. That doesn’t make it bad, it just means that you aren’t likely to find it playing in any art houses anytime. Ever. And that’s okay, as long as you know what to expect.

Rated R for strong violence, language and a sex scene.