With a title like “Legally Blonde,” most people would expect a movie as dumb as the jokes blondes are constantly ridiculed with.

But the new movie, starring Reese Witherspoon, manages to tread the fine line between pandering stupidity and comedic entertainment. The movie ends up being a surprising treat for moviegoers on the search for laughs.

Starting out in Witherspoon’s character Elle’s sorority house, the first 20 minutes are the hardest to endure as there is more screeching than at an ’N Sync concert.

The cause of all the excited wailing is Elle’s plans for the near future.

Expecting to be engaged by the end of the first day we meet her, she discovers during dinner that not only is her boyfriend not going to propose, but he wants to break up. He wants someone who has more serious concerns than “Cosmopolitan” magazine and dressing up her dog.

In his pursuit of political office, he is headed to Harvard Law School and wants a wife whose reputation will aid him in his quest for respectability.

So, Elle decides to follow his path and get into Harvard. Far-fetched, yes, but entertaining at the same time. And when she predictably makes it in, we can’t help but be glad for her.

The rest of the movie centers on her transformation from somewhat-conceited sorority girl to ambitious lawyer.

Of course, she does all of this while maintaining a certain amount of style and flash, separating herself from the pack with her ability to read people better than she reads books, all while decked out in pink.

The trick of making such a movie is that too much pandering and talking down to the audience will lead to unconcerned viewers. “Legally Blonde” manages to make all the jokes we expect but without pretending we didn’t see it coming in the first place.

It helps that Witherspoon steps up to the challenge of portraying such a character with admirable effort. No matter what, the audience never dislikes Elle, and more than anything roots for her to accomplish her goal.

Such a person could be very easy to dislike, especially for people who not only don’t own sweaters with greek letters, but who have never paid $80 for cargo pants. But Elle is placed well as the underdog in the story, a classic character who almost everyone enjoys getting behind.

It can be annoying to deal with the idea that someone born with so many advantages is someone we should pity for having a hard time fitting in when she gets to Harvard. But in the end the message is a familiar one: Don’t judge a book by its cover and everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves.

Of course, the legal drama is left to a minimum, forgoing any possible boredom caused by legal mumbo-jumbo. The director knows his audience well enough to know how to entertain it, and he does it well.

The whole movie is designed to entertain, and it succeeds. It is a welcome surprise from a concept that could have been disastrous. It proves to be enjoyable for a variety of audiences and actually prevails at being the fun experience it sets out to be.

In a summer full of “not-that-bad” movies, “Legally Blonde” is an enjoyable treat that won’t leave a bad taste in an audience member’s mouth.