Miss Congeniality is one of those movies that, from viewing the trailer, you either cringe or smile. It's also one of those movies carried along by the sheer charisma of its star, Sandra Bullock. Coming at a time when Bullock needed a big hit (so big, in fact, as to warrant this year's sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous), audiences responded when Bullock, as special agent Gracie Hart, stumbled, snorted and eventually strutted her way to love as an unlikely beauty pageant contestant.

Directed by Donald Petrie, the plot is more or less a clothesline for screenwriters Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas to take gentle pot-shots at the world of beauty pageants as well as create awkward situations for Bullock's character to pratfall in and out of - it's not high art but there are certainly worse ways to spend a Saturday night.

Although Bullock definitely charms her way through the film, Michael Caine also does his fair share of scene-stealing as the frustrated consultant charged with transforming "Dirty Harriet" into a diva fit for the bright lights of the pageant stage. Candice Bergen, William Shatner and Benjamin Bratt also appear to enjoying themselves quite a bit in this ultimately lightweight, but nevertheless entertaining movie.

The Video:

Miss Congeniality is offered in a largely clean and crisp 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation. Colors and sharpness remain solid throughout, with only a few instances of edge enhancement. A nice, if unspectacular effort.

The audio options for Miss Congeniality are English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French 5.1; the soundtrack features a few tired pop songs and a little occasional sound effects action, but otherwise this is a solid, enjoyable aural representation of the film.

All of the extra material from the disc's first release - a Bullock/Lawrence commentary, a Petrie commentary, the featurettes "Preparing For The Pageant" and "The Pageant," outtakes and the theatrical trailer - is included here, along with two new featurettes, a quiz with Shatner titled "Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Beauty Queen?" and a sneak peek at Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous, along with three deleted scenes. Also included in the package is a copy of the sequel's soundtrack, which features chestnuts from the likes of Paul Anka, Liza Minnelli and The Staple Singers and contains a coupon good for one admission to the sequel (it expires May 7, 2005).

You probably know before getting this far in the review whether or not you'll even want to pick up this deluxe edition of Miss Congeniality. It's not too much of a rip-off for true fans of the film, but it definitely favors those who didn't purchase the film on DVD the first time around. For all others, I'd suggest a rental.