The doors roll open for a new term at St. Trinians; the boarding school for wayward girls. Original head girl and all round hellraiser Kelly Jones (Atherton) might have turned in her badge, but returning pupil Annabelle (Riley) is soon installed as her replacement by her aunt and headmistress, Camilla Fritton (Everett).
While her initial attempts to win over her classmates prove fruitless, Annabelle is soon given the perfect opportunity to prove herself when the dastardly Pierce Pomfrey (Tennant) begins sniffing around for a priceless heirloom from the Fritton archives.
When Headmistress Fritton learns of this, she tells the girls of a centuries old legend; the legend of Frittons gold, and the misogynistic secret sect that has long since sought it. Soon, the girls of St. Trinians are at war with Pomfrey and his rabble of women hating minions; desperate to be the first to lay their hands on the bounty.
A succession of farcical jaunts follows, as the schoolgirls try to stay one step ahead of the villainous Pomfrey. After indulging in a bit of grave-robbing and battling with a bout of spirit possession, the girls are forced to defend their beloved school, taking notes from Macaulay Culkins book of defensive strategy. Later, they take Rupert Everetts lead and drag up to infiltrate an all boy boarding school, before finally crashing the Globe Theatre as the hunt for Frittons gold reaches its climax.
St. Trinians 2 is what it is; an innocent enough comic romp with few pretentions. The more risqué notes of the previous film are dropped, aiming this sequel more directly at a pre-pubescent audience. And they should love it. Theres plenty of action and lively set pieces, an undemanding but playful storyline and a colourful ensemble of stock characters played by a host of familiar faces.
While the humour is pretty basic, the biggest gags are reserved for Rupert Everetts dragged up alter-ego, Camilla Fritton. Everett tends to steal the show from his less established co-stars, but both David Tennant and Colin Firth turn in pleasing performances. New additions to the cast of 20-something schoolgirls include Ashes to Ashes Montserrat Lombard and Girls Alouds Sarah Harding who, so focused on delivering her lines, comes across like shes oblivious to the kind of film shes in.
For a family friendly farce, you could do worse than St. Trinians 2. Its colourful, energetic and boasts some pretty impressive set pieces; just dont enter it expecting too much.
Overall Verdict: An enjoyable enough comic romp, this DVD release should make for solid family viewing and comes packaged with a healthy batch of extras.
Special Features:
Cast and Crew Interviews
Meet the Tribes Featurette
Meet the Banned Featurette
Learn the St. Trinians Dance Featurette
Music Videos
Deleted Scenes
Bloopers
Trailer
Reviewer: David Steele