You can tell that a movie like Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde is a classic when we’re still quoting Elle Wood’s iconic lines and talking about the “bend and snap” a quarter-century after its release. Now we’re getting the chance to know the unlikely law student before Harvard, as the prequel Elle is set to hit the 2026 TV schedule. Reviews are here, and many critics have objections.
Elle, which will be available to stream with a Prime Video subscription starting July 1, takes place six years before the events of Legally Blonde. Newcomer Lexi Minetree is taking over Elle Woods duties from Reese Witherspoon, and the comparison pics between the two are pretty spot-on. So where do the critics’ issues lie? In his review of Elle, IndieWire’s Ben Travers says the prequel series doesn’t attempt any of the humor or charm that made us love the 2001 movie. Instead, he says, it’s a tired teen drama with a lazy (and inexplicable) mystery. He gives it a D+, writing:
Elle is the kind of show that thinks a joke is repeating the term ‘water bladder.’ Its best wordplay goes something like, ‘Do you know Bikini Kill?’ ‘Oh I know bikinis… that kill.’ It ends every episode with a twist — at least one of which proves as laughably random as it is fundamentally out of place — because on some level, the writers know there’s not enough natural momentum or appeal to drive viewers to keep watching.
One issue the reviews are calling out is one that we at CinemaBlend even pointed out after seeing Elle’s trailer: The series ultimately cheapens the plot of the movie by putting Elle through the same conflicts only six years earlier. Therese Lacson of Collider rates Elle 5 out of 10, confirming the very thing we were concerned about:
Rather than give Elle a new problem to overcome, the series renders her journey in the original 2001 movie irrelevant. Are we meant to believe that Elle, at 16, went through a transformative experience where she was dropped into a completely new environment, and that, six years later, when forced to do it again, she didn't learn any lessons from her time in Seattle? In fact, the only way that Elle works is if you imagine it as an alternate universe story, because otherwise, it simply doesn't make sense.
Marah Eakin of The Wrap says the prequel feels “thin and forced,” taking the heightened comedic fantasy world of Legally Blonde and replacing it with “a dour hellhole full of gloomy teens.” In Eakin’s words:
Almost every episode of Elle seems to drag. Each episode seems needlessly tedious, running between 45-60 minutes long when they should be a quick and fun 30. Beats that are telegraphed from Episode 1 drag out endlessly and even fun bits, like the back-and-forth banter between Elle and her mom is marred by an almost comical amount of product placement.
Dave Nemetz of TV Line says Elle is cute enough with some clever moments. However, there’s a certain “spunk” missing from it, as it trades what we loved about Legally Blonde for teen drama clichés. The critic gives it a C, writing:
There are welcome shades of Clueless and The Brady Bunch Movie in here, with Elle as the sunny optimist fighting back against '90s angst. But there are times when Elle sinks into The Carrie Diaries territory, giving us an elaborate backstory for a beloved character that we never really needed or asked for. … It works better as a comedy than a drama, too: The dramatic beats are clunky, and it leans too often into YA drama tropes like the inevitable love triangle.
It’s not all bad, though. Vicky Jessop of NME’s review of Elle gives it 4 out of 5 stars, saying that fans of Legally Blonde who are looking for more of the fish-out-of-water tale they love will be happy with this offering, which takes a lot of the movie’s beats and freshens them up for a modern-day audience. Jessop says:
The gentle humour is all part of this show’s charm. In Elle’s 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’s still an arresting watch.
It looks like a bit of a rough start for the Lexi Minetree-led series, though it’s definitely worth noting that the majority of the reviews I read went out of their way to compliment the actress’ portrayal of the beloved character. So far Rotten Tomatoes scores Elle Season 1 at 43% from 13 reviews.
If you love Legally Blonde or are looking for another teen dramedy to dive into, all 8 episodes will hit Prime Video on Wednesday, July 1. If you want to rewatch Reese Witherspoon’s movies, those are also available on the same streaming service.
