The girls of Sex and the City are back for a second installment of the film franchise based on the hit HBO series. The girls find themselves in the exotic location of Abu Dhabi where relationships are put to the test. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is feeling stagnant in her marriage to Mr. Big (Christ Noth), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is dealing with the effects of menopause while juggling an active sex life, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is struggling to deal with motherhood and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is having difficulty gaining respect from her boss at the law firm. The dilemmas facing the fierce foursome are mostly unimportant and never truly pose a threat to their comfortable lives. They exists solely to move the plot forward while the actresses strut around in fashionable ensembles and deliver witty dialogue. Which isn’t exactly a bad thing considering the clothes and conversations are the high points of the film.
Sex and the City is essentially a female or gay male alternative to films like Fast & Furious. This is not to say that women and gay men don’t appreciate actions films nor should is suggest that straight men can’t enjoy this film, either. More simply that these types of film are inherently similar due to their parade of jaw-dropping commodities (whether it is a vintage Yves St. Laurent gown or a tricked out race car with neon floor lights and platinum rims).The film exists mostly to showcase expensive wardrobes with one-liners, innuendo and double entendre filling the gaps between costume changes.
The film is well paced and very reminiscent of the TV show format. A lot of movies based on a TV show tend to fall into the trap of not knowing how to fill a feature length film but SATC2 is smart to keep the plot very episodic. It almost feels like watching 4 episodes in a row then a drawn out TV to movie plot. Despite the marketing of the film relying on the exotic Abu Dhabi location, the girls don’t find themselves in the middle east until halfway through the film. This works in the film’s favor as the action never lies stagnant. It simply keeps moving on and the issues facing the characters progress through the plot structure.
The film should have no problem pleasing fans of the show or the first movie and is fun enough to appeal to the uninitiated. Even boyfriends being dragged to the glamfest should enjoy themselves as this film is a step above most films under the ‘chick flick’ label. The dialogue is very sharply written and rivals most of the generic comedies targeted at young males. If the film manages to match the box office appeal of the first then I wouldn’t be surprised if a 3rd film were to come along in the next few years.
6 out of 10
Do you plan on seeing Sex and the City 2 this weekend?