Recently, an inexplicable trend has appeared in films: sequels that are actually better than the original. Beginning last year with X2: X-Men United and continuing through to Spider-Man 2 and The Bourne Supremacy, sequels more narratively sophisticated and technically polished have flouted the conventional Hollywood tradition of follow-up films being worse than the originals. Though there are still inferior sequels (Scooby Doo, where are you?), never have so many been so well made. This film can be added to that list. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement retains the warm, slightly screwball humor and female power theme of the orignal and adds an effective, touching romance topped off by nice comedic performances.

In The Princess Diaries 2, Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is now finished with college and ready to begin her Genovian rule. But, a hitch arises: the country’s law that states Mia must be married before she takes the throne. Will Mia find love by the deadline, before Nicholas (Chris Pine), a competitor she loves to hate, will take the throne instead? Will Nicholas turn out to be… a good guy? Of course!

The Princess Diaries had a lot of charm to spare and worked well as a high school-set comedy with fairy tale influences. What this sequel does by aging Mia is open up story possibilities to ones that will appeal to a wider audience. Adding romance as a central plot is a challenge, as too much of a fairytale will feel like overload. What works is that Nicholas is Mia’s nemesis. In the beginning at their first meeting, before Mia knows who he is, they flirt. Through their later fighting, sexual tension never dissipates. This makes the progression of the plot smooth and enjoyable. The romantic scenes truly spark. As far as the humor goes, physical comedy still emphasizing Mia’s clumsiness but characterizations and a couple of running gags provide laughs a lot of the time. Check out Mia’s maids and Genovia’s media gossip queen. Plus, just as in the first film, we get a well-delivered, well-written speech stressing female capabilities and self-esteem. Queen Clarice even gets her own nice subplot of romance. It’s just enjoyable.

Garry Marshall takes his direction up a notch as well. He never shows off with the camera but he does lead his team to noticeably more memorable work in the areas of art direction, costuming, and cinematography. You will see the striking hidden passageways of the Genovian palace and the gorgeous gowns Mia wears. One small misstep is the clearly computer-generated shots of Genovia in the beginning of the film.

Anne Hathaway is by now at ease in comedic roles, more than in the original. Mia is going to be a standout of her career and she is also competent with emotional scenes. Andrews, regal as ever, actually sings briefly in this film! That is one moment that will put this over the top for some people. Though she no longer has her famous voice due to vocal chord surgery, she still thrills. As Nicholas, Pine is well cast, handsome and believable at each turn. Romantic roles will be waiting for him, no doubt, and I couldn’t protest. Finally, John Rhys-Davies (Gimli!) appears in his normal form as the blustering bad guy. He’s too affectionate toward nephew Nicholas to feel like a real threat.

Fun and fantasy-fulfilling, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is a sequel that adds polish and a new, affecting story to the charm of its predecessor. Comedic performances from all are appealing and the production values have really amped up. If romance and comedy are what you like in any degree, this film will not disappoint.