Space Cadet is a spiritual successor to Legally Blonde

In 2001, Naturally blond told a generation of girls they could be unabashedly girly and unabashedly brave – and still be sharp, smart and capable of getting into Harvard Law School, becoming lawyers and winning a groundbreaking case. The film is a classic on girl-power movie lists, compelling and memorable enough to spawn a sequel, a musical and a upcoming spinoff series.

Emma Roberts vehicle from Prime Video Space Cadet follows a similar path with a completely different profession. This time, the protagonist is a big-hearted party girl from Florida who is accepted into NASA’s astronaut candidate program. The parallels are intentional: Screenwriter and director Liz W. Garcia told us Naturally blond was a great inspiration for her film.

This is not a bad thing: Space Cadet is a strong addition to the girl-power canon, full of glittery, sticker-covered notebooks and tie-dye T-shirts. Garcia’s film is the perfect follow-up, adding just enough to the formula to stand out but keeping the same heart and message that resonated with audiences 23 years ago.

[Ed. note: This review contains some slight setup spoilers for Space Cadet.]

Image: Amazon Prime Video/Everett Collection

Emma Roberts (American Horror Story) plays Tiffany “Rex” Simpson, a bartender whose childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut were dashed when her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Rex turned down a full scholarship to college so she could focus on supporting her parents. After a high school reunion where she meets a nice former academic who is successful in space tourism, she decides to pursue her dreams in the hopes that NASA’s admissions committee will recognize her potential. Her best friend Nadine (Poppy Liu) takes matters into her own hands and sugarcoats Rex’s resume a bit. Rex is accepted into the program, but doesn’t initially find out that Nadine forged her credentials. Despite being burned by Nadine’s deception, Rex is determined to see the stars and decides to see through the facade to the end.

The comparisons between Rex and Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) in Naturally blond are pretty obvious. Like Elle before her, Rex is clearly capable. She’s smart and a quick learner, she knows applied physics and engineering, and she’s a fantastic team player. But what sets Rex apart are her motivations and the whole reason she’s out of place: she’s been screwed by life and this is her chance to go to space. Her drive doesn’t come from trying to win back a boy who left her for being too girly and fun-loving. (No glare to Elle! Malice is a great motivator.)

Image: Amazon Prime Video/Everett Collection

Rex’s motivations – and the fact that her resume Is a lie – give her journey a darker texture and more intense stakes. She’s a great character and Roberts gives her a lot of heart. It’s absolutely wonderful to see her bouncing around like a bright, sparkling rocket among the more serious, traditional astronaut candidates, especially when they start to warm to her.

Because of the program’s merciless eliminations, some of Rex’s most interesting relationships don’t get much screen time — like her connection with closet romance novelist Violet (Kuhoo Verma), who offers to bring Rex up to speed on theoretical science in return for Rex helping her master the physical components of the training. And her romance with handsome but high-strung program coordinator Logan (The Umbrella Academy‘s Tom Hopper … with glasses and cute sweaters <3 <3) seems a bit forced in, as if it were an obligation for the genre.

Logan is a dream, and his crush on Rex is adorable. But when he spends half his screen time fulfilling his work duties and calling Rex’s professional references (all Nadine, using different phone numbers and increasingly elaborate theatrics), Space Cadet doesn’t really take the time to portray their mutual romantic attraction as more than just a checkbox on a list of stereotypes.

Image: Amazon Prime Video/Everett Collection

But this running gag with Nadine is hilarious, as are the scenes with Rex’s father, who is a ghost tour guide (gossip Girl(Sam Robards) and the moments when her party-girl lifestyle helps her with traditional astronaut training. Garcia does a great job of balancing the humor with the more down-to-earth emotional stakes. One reason Rex is so determined is because her mother encouraged her love of science and space; she wants to make her mother proud. This relationship runs throughout the film, and Rex never resents her mother or her situation—she just wishes it could be different, and ultimately lets that drive her.

Space Cadet is incredibly funny, but it’s also about someone living a life they thought they missed out on and finding their own strengths when they feel like they can’t measure up. Naturally blond Elle discovered her passion for law, even though those around her despised her ambitions. Space CadetRex grits his teeth and takes inspiration from her unique background rather than holding back. Like Rex’s moonlit beach parties, this film is a good time – but Space Cadet is also inspiring enough to make viewers take a moment, laugh, look up at the metaphorical stars, and decide to pursue something they once discouraged themselves from doing.

Space Cadet is now streaming on Prime Video.