{"id":2018628,"date":"2026-06-29T13:59:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T10:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2018628"},"modified":"2026-06-29T13:59:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T10:59:48","slug":"elle-review-legally-blonde-prequel-is-a-peppy-hot-pink-delight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2018628","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Elle\u2019 review: \u2018Legally Blonde\u2019 prequel is a peppy, hot pink delight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Elle_Woods_Lexi_Minetree_Amazon_MGM_Studios_3000.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-3332206\" class=\"post-3332206 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Elle_Woods_Lexi_Minetree_Amazon_MGM_Studios_3000-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Elle\" title=\"Elle_Woods_Lexi_Minetree_Amazon_MGM_Studios_3000\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in &#8216;Elle&#8217;. CREDIT: Amazon MGM Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Reviews<\/span><span>TV Reviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">\u2018Elle\u2019 review: \u2018Legally Blonde\u2019 prequel is a peppy, hot pink delight<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The new series gives Reese Witherspoon&#8217;s iconic character a modern makeover in the grunge capital of the world<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_review_overall tdi_79 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_79\">\n<table class=\"td-review td-fix-index\">\n<tr class=\"td-review-footer rate_stars\">\n<td class=\"td-review-score\">\n<div class=\"td-review-overall\">\n<div class=\"td-review-final-score\">4<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Vicky Jessop<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-06-29T14:59:48+01:00\">29th June 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">W<\/strong>hen it comes to millennial nostalgia, there are few more beloved films than <i>Legally Blonde<\/i>. Reese Witherspoon\u2019s hijinks as a pink-obsessed California girl turned hotshot lawyer were a box office sensation when it premiered in 2001. In this age of reboots and spinoffs, it\u2019s not surprising that Witherspoon has leveraged her cultural cachet to resurrect the franchise but as we\u2019ve seen so many times before, getting a prequel series right is a delicate balancing act \u2013 one that <i>Elle<\/i> manages to mostly pull off.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: The best TV shows of 2026\u2026 so far!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This iteration of the character is played by Lexi Minetree, who looks uncannily like a younger Witherspoon and nails her mannerisms down to a tee. When we start the show (which is set sometime in the early noughties), Elle is celebrating her \u2018sweet sixteen\u2019, has big plans for orchestrating a first kiss and is looking forward to being one of the juniors at high school. But every hero needs a challenge. Instead of living out her LA dreams, Elle\u2019s plastic surgeon father botches a celebrity nose job and forces the family to go into hiding until the scandal blows over.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Say goodbye to the original LA candy-pink aesthetic and hello to the grunge capital of the world. Apparently everybody in Seattle has a penchant for flannel shirts, indie music and skateboarding \u2013 and they love dunking on the new girl. \u201cSeattle isn\u2019t a costume,\u201d one of the mean girls sneers at Elle when she tries to fit in with a new outfit. But <i>Elle<\/i> makes it look like it is.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elle | Official Trailer | Prime Video\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vsbWyhRCbGc?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>Despite the clumsy stereotyping, there is plenty to love abou<i>t Elle<\/i>. People looking for more <i>Legally Blonde<\/i> can rest easy: the series boasts much the same premise as the original film (the fish out of water trope is present here throughout) but it\u2019s been gently massaged for a modern day audience.<\/p>\n<p>This version of Elle wears Nirvana t-shirts, is a proud ally to the LGBTQ+ community and fundraises for the underpaid teaching staff at her new school. All that, and she\u2019s still a die-hard fan of Cosmo magazine, relentless positivity and a hot pink lip \u2013 though the show takes advantage of the eight-episode runtime to give her more depth than we\u2019ve previously seen. Well-meaning but flawed, Elle leaves disasters in her wake as she attempts to fit into her new life. It\u2019s a change that makes it easier to root for her as she lurches from calamity to calamity and the show certainly serves up plenty of that. However, local bully Kimberly (Chandler Kinney) is so relentlessly mean that it feels completely unrealistic.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just as well that we also get plenty of time with Elle\u2019s accidentally hilarious mother (June Diane Raphael) to balance things out. \u201cI think it\u2019s feminism,\u201d she comments at one point on the quirks of Elle\u2019s new school. \u201cThat\u2019s very in right now.\u201d The gentle humour is all part of this show\u2019s charm. In Elle\u2019s world, anybody can be won over with the power of optimism, a wisecrack and a shared love of Chanel. Simpler times? Certainly. There are no hotshot lawyers here, but it\u2019s still an arresting watch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>\u2018Elle\u2019 is on Amazon Prime Video from July 1<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Amazon Prime Video<\/li>\n<li>Reese Witherspoon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_93  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_95  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_97 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_98 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_98\">\n<div id=\"tdi_98\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Every song on the \u2018Every Year After\u2019 soundtrack<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">The ending of\u00a0\u2018Spider-Noir\u2019\u00a0explained: does Ben become The Spider again?\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Is \u2018Spider-Noir\u2019 season two happening?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Every song on the \u2018Spider-Noir\u2019 soundtrack<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">The ending of \u2018The Boys\u2019 explained: could anyone stop Homelander?\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Gaming News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018Life Is Strange\u2019 live-action adaptation adds four new names to cast<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_99\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_100  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">W<\/strong>hen it comes to millennial nostalgia, there are few more beloved films than <i>Legally Blonde<\/i>. Reese Witherspoon\u2019s hijinks as a pink-obsessed California girl turned hotshot lawyer were a box office sensation when it premiered in 2001. In this age of reboots and spinoffs, it\u2019s not surprising that Witherspoon has leveraged her cultural cachet to resurrect the franchise but as we\u2019ve seen so many times before, getting a prequel series right is a delicate balancing act \u2013 one that <i>Elle<\/i> manages to mostly pull off.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: The best TV shows of 2026\u2026 so far!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This iteration of the character is played by Lexi Minetree, who looks uncannily like a younger Witherspoon and nails her mannerisms down to a tee. When we start the show (which is set sometime in the early noughties), Elle is celebrating her \u2018sweet sixteen\u2019, has big plans for orchestrating a first kiss and is looking forward to being one of the juniors at high school. But every hero needs a challenge. Instead of living out her LA dreams, Elle\u2019s plastic surgeon father botches a celebrity nose job and forces the family to go into hiding until the scandal blows over.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Say goodbye to the original LA candy-pink aesthetic and hello to the grunge capital of the world. Apparently everybody in Seattle has a penchant for flannel shirts, indie music and skateboarding \u2013 and they love dunking on the new girl. \u201cSeattle isn\u2019t a costume,\u201d one of the mean girls sneers at Elle when she tries to fit in with a new outfit. But <i>Elle<\/i> makes it look like it is.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elle | Official Trailer | Prime Video\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vsbWyhRCbGc?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>Despite the clumsy stereotyping, there is plenty to love abou<i>t Elle<\/i>. People looking for more <i>Legally Blonde<\/i> can rest easy: the series boasts much the same premise as the original film (the fish out of water trope is present here throughout) but it\u2019s been gently massaged for a modern day audience.<\/p>\n<p>This version of Elle wears Nirvana t-shirts, is a proud ally to the LGBTQ+ community and fundraises for the underpaid teaching staff at her new school. All that, and she\u2019s still a die-hard fan of Cosmo magazine, relentless positivity and a hot pink lip \u2013 though the show takes advantage of the eight-episode runtime to give her more depth than we\u2019ve previously seen. Well-meaning but flawed, Elle leaves disasters in her wake as she attempts to fit into her new life. It\u2019s a change that makes it easier to root for her as she lurches from calamity to calamity and the show certainly serves up plenty of that. However, local bully Kimberly (Chandler Kinney) is so relentlessly mean that it feels completely unrealistic.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just as well that we also get plenty of time with Elle\u2019s accidentally hilarious mother (June Diane Raphael) to balance things out. \u201cI think it\u2019s feminism,\u201d she comments at one point on the quirks of Elle\u2019s new school. \u201cThat\u2019s very in right now.\u201d The gentle humour is all part of this show\u2019s charm. In Elle\u2019s world, anybody can be won over with the power of optimism, a wisecrack and a shared love of Chanel. Simpler times? Certainly. There are no hotshot lawyers here, but it\u2019s still an arresting watch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>\u2018Elle\u2019 is on Amazon Prime Video from July 1<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/tv-reviews\/elle-review-legally-blonde-prequel-prime-video-lexi-minetree-3953966&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Elle_Woods_Lexi_Minetree_Amazon_MGM_Studios_3000.jpg&#8221;] Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in &#8216;Elle&#8217;. CREDIT: Amazon MGM Studios ReviewsTV Reviews \u2018Elle\u2019 review: \u2018Legally Blonde\u2019 prequel is a peppy, hot pink delight The new series gives Reese Witherspoon&#8217;s iconic character a modern makeover in the grunge capital of the world 4 By Vicky Jessop 29th June 2026 When it comes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2018628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2018628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018628\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2018628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2018628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2018628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}