STARRING: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, William Shatner and Benjamin Bratt

Anybody remember when Sandra Bullock was poised to rule the world? About six years ago, this girl had the golden touch. Action movies ("Speed"), romantic comedies ("While You Were Sleeping"), dramas ("A Time to Kill"), there seemed to be nothing that she couldn’t do. Bullock knocked out one hit movie after another, but no matter how famous she got, you still considered her the girl next door. Then she moved to a new neighborhood.

Who knows if Bullock will ever reclaim her glory days, but "Miss Congeniality" is a nice change from the tripe she's been grinding out lately.

Sandra started making weird choices. Was she just being a good friend to Denis Leary by co-starring in "Two If By Sea" or did she actually think that turkey had wings? Was it hubris or a desire to grow as an actress that convinced her to play a WWI nurse in a leaden historical romance directed by Richard "I’m a cure for insomnia" Attenborough? By 1997, Sandra was in a tailspin. The clunkers were coming fast and furious:

"Speed 2: Cruise Control" — Ouch!

"Hope Floats" — Ooof!

"Practical Magic" — Ow!

"Forces of Nature" — For the love of God, make her stop!

Through it all, you managed to still have affection for little Sandra B. You didn’t blame her for being in junk. In fact, you kind of felt bad for her . . . like when you watch your friends sing karaoke. Bullock is not a bad actress; she just doesn’t have a lot of range. Earlier in her career, she jumped easily from one genre to the next, but she also played to her strengths. Unfortunately, Bullock doesn’t have the chops to carry a film all on her own.

There are some actors — like Al Pacino or Meryl Streep — who can overcome bad dialogue, weak direction or uncharismatic co-stars just by the sheer power of their performance. That’s not Sandy. She needs to be surrounded by a decent script, a strong director and a capable cast. She can maybe rise above one of these shortcomings, but she can’t keep every plate spinning on her own. If Bullock’s the only thing a film has going for it, there’s a good chance that ship is going down.

I think Bullock has started to realize this fact. You can see it reflected in some of her more recent work. Okay, not "Gun Shy." Maybe she was high on Robitussin when she decided to do that dud (who knows?), but she was actually pretty good in last spring’s "28 Days." The movie was a little slight, but Bullock had some nice moments. It definitely wasn’t the seizure-inducing calamity of "Forces of Nature." Interesting how they named that movie after a phenomenon that wipes out trailer parks, huh?

It's refreshing to see a beauty pageant movie that's not all about nasty sluts slugging it out for the crown.

Sandy’s latest is the comedy, "Miss Congeniality," where she plays a unkempt FBI agent forced to go undercover as a beauty pageant contestant. While this movie isn’t great, it’s a fun little film. It’s got an appealing cast, some genuine laughs and a return to form for Miss Bullock. She hasn’t been this fun to watch since "While You Were Sleeping."

The filmmakers made a wise choice by not turning this flick into a satire on beauty pageants. Been there, done that, returned the movie without finishing it. This film uses the pageant for comic effect in much the same way that "Kindergarten Cop" used the elementary school setting. Take a rough and tough law enforcement officer, plop them in an environment where they have to play nice, and get ready for the chucklefest.

This film’s story is pretty slim, with most of it just a set-up to get Sandra in a swimsuit. There’s a terrorist planning to bomb the Miss United States pageant so the FBI sends our girl in to track him down. Since she’s not exactly pageant material, they hire a consultant (a hilarious Michael Caine) to transform her into Miss New Jersey. The terrorist bit takes a back seat to Bullock trying to fit in with the other contestants and learn how to walk in high heels.

When the terrorist plot reappears, it’s supposed to be a twist to keep the audience on their toes. However, it feels like the filmmakers just threw it together as a way to wrap the film up. Even so, the climax is the movie’s comic highlight. Bullock tries to thwart the bomber during the winner’s victory walk. It’s a hoot!

Even though the movie’s focus is on Bullock and the beauty contest, it’s not about an ugly duckling finding happiness once she unleashes her inner hottie. While other films would have made the "big makeover" the centerpiece of the story, this scene only takes about five minutes here. This movie is more about how a lonely woman in a tough field gains self-confidence and friends in an unlikely place.

It’s refreshing to see a movie about beauty pageants that isn’t all about nasty sluts slugging it out for the crown. Screenwriters Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas present a likable group of young women, who support each other throughout the competition. The actresses are well cast in these roles, especially Heather Burns (Meg Ryan’s bookshop helper in "You’ve Got Mail") as sweet and naïve Miss Rhode Island. Try to keep a straight face when she reveals her past indiscretions with "Satan’s panties."

The film's set-up is just a reason to get Sandra Bullock into a swimsuit.

Director Donald Petrie has known his share of highs ("Grumpy Old Men") and lows (1999’s movie remake of "My Favorite Martian"), but he keeps the production moving. While his cinematic style isn’t groundbreaking, it also doesn’t detract from his immensely talented cast. He’s surrounded Bullock with a winning ensemble, including Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules"), Candice Bergen (TV’s "Murphy Brown"), Benjamin Bratt (TV’s "Law & Order") and William Shatner (if you don’t know him, then you’re on the wrong website).

In many ways, Petrie has crafted a big-screen sitcom, but it’s a very enjoyable one. While no one’s gunning for an Oscar, everybody looks like they’re having a great time. Caine and Shatner steal an equal number of scenes as the pageant consultant and the event’s emcee, respectively. It’s fun to see Sir Maurice Micklewhite and Captain Kirk have a sense of humor about themselves.

Who knows if Bullock will ever reclaim her glory days, but "Miss Congeniality" is a nice change from the tripe she’s been grinding out lately. The film’s performances will make you smile and the script has enough surprises to keep your interest. And if nothing else, there are plenty of babes in swimsuits.

And don’t despair female readers: there’s also a scene with hunky Benjamin Bratt in swim trunks. Pointing out which movies feature your favorite movie stars parading around in swimwear is just one of the services we provide here at "The Adventures of Filmboy." No need to tip me, I’m just doing my job.