MOVIE REVIEW: 'SEX AND THE CITY 2'

SYNOPSIS & DEVELOPMENT

Throughout the history of television, hundreds of female ensemble shows have come and gone, some of them were great and some of them should have never made it on air, but few (if any) of them have connected with viewers in the vain of 'Sex and the City', which ended its run on HBO in 2004.

Women loved that these women were fearless and dealt with real-life situations in ways that a bulk of them could only dream, and men were given a glimpse into the heads of four totally different women and how each of these women reacted to different things regarding the opposite sex.

Unfortunately, for those die hard fans, that magical allure has failed to transition from the television screen onto the big screen, as the once slick writing and intelligent character development have all hit the door to make room for the sparkly and at times, hideous fashion.

Led by writer Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her gal pals Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), the film picks up approximately two years after the original, which saw Carrie finally wed the love of her life Big (Chris Noth).

Fast forward two years and the ending is still not very happy for Bradshaw, as she feels the two have become a little too settled in the traditional bounds of marriage. She desires some sense of spontaneity, but he would prefer to order in takeout and sit in the bed and watch old black and white movies.

Samantha is engaged in a fight against menopause, Miranda quits her job after having her voice silenced and Charlotte deals with pressures of motherhood.

A luxurious escape is provided for the ladies when Samantha gets an all expenses paid publicity trip to an Abu Dhabi resort and brings her pals along for the ride.

It is there that Bradshaw runs into the counterpart of her second most significant relationship on the show, Aidan (John Corbett), and what was marketed as the year's biggest secret turned out to be nothing more than a dull kiss, that fails to ignite any sparks into the already bland script.

That along with their blatant disrespect for the culture of the foreign land, can almost make the film unbearable and the two and half hour run doesn't help.

By the sagas end, the ladies are exactly where they were before, Carrie in the arms of Big, Miranda successful at work, Charlotte enjoying her family life and Samantha on her back screaming at the mercy of her latest conquest, Rikard (Max Ryan).

PERFORMANCES

The ladies have not lost an ounce of the chemistry they shared during the show's run and furthermore, each and every one of them brings something significant to their characters. They are over the top and annoying (at different times), but no matter how it plays out, they always provide a sense of believability.

DIRECTION & VISUAL

Michael Patrick King, who wrote and directed the flick, once again proves to be mediocre (at both jobs) as the transitions lack fluidity or a sense of true skill. That said, he is very conscious of the aging women and does his best to paint them in a positive light, which works for the most part.

FINAL VERDICT

In parts, 'Sex and the City 2' is exactly what you want it to be glamorous, fun and flashy, but when all the spectacular and grand sparkle finally wears off, the film is clearly missing the primary ingredient of substance.

2 out of 5

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