When a serial killer hints that his next target is the Miss United States beauty pageant, the FBI decides to enter an undercover agent in the contest.
The pageant managers (Candice Bergen, William Shatner) are aghast about the agent appearing, but arrange a top handler (Caine) to come give her a quick makeover.
Sandra Bullock displays great comic timing as the tomboy FBI agent moulded into an international glamourpuss.
This film is a charming mix of smart and goofy comedy, with consistent laughs and outrageous characters.
Bullock is surprisingly believable as a lonely "ugly duckling". She's full of bad jokes and a giggly snort.
Benjamin Bratt plays her macho co-worker and reluctant love interest, although the film is far from a romantic comedy - it has a much broader appeal.
Michael Caine stands out as Victor Melling, the disgraced pageant trainer who changes Bullock into a beauty contestant with an absurd routine.
The film is genuinely funny and heartfelt, with well-developed characters and a plot that relys not on sex and violence, but on humour.
Refreshing, if mindless, cinema fare.
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