Review - Matt Mungle

   

The Sex and the City girls are back in their second film and one that proves that although it helps to be a fan of the TV show, you don’t have to be to enjoy it. The writing is solid enough that it could work as a stand alone film .They give you decent character information at the beginning to get the names straight and then allow the story to go from there. Plus, even if you have never seen one episode you would have had to live under a rock not to at least recognize the faces.

Here we find Carrie and Big settling into the second year of marriage while Charlotte and Miranda juggle issues with career, kids and hot nannies. When Samantha scores an opportunity for the girls to all travel to the Middle East for a high class business venture the city turns to sand and the friends learn that growing older brings a whole knew set of problems to bond over.

Fans of the series will delight in this one with the return of many familiar faces and the solid writing that made the show an obvious pop culture phenom. I appreciated the fact that they allow the characters to age and do not try and keep them preserved in time. They deal with things that I am sure all women have to deal with which makes them relatable and adds obvious appeal. At the same time it is not the real world for most average home makers and business women which ads the fantasy element that movies need to contain.

Does it work as a date film? Maybe not nearly as much as a Girls Night Out flick. I didn’t hate it and found myself engaged in the story and laughing a lot through out. Having never watched the show there were certainly lines and references that I missed completely but judging from the reaction of the audience they were hitting the bulls-eye with the devoted fans. At the same time this is a film that women need to see together in group form. It is made for that and that is the foundation.

Also I must mention the fashion in the film. The shoes and accessories are characters in themselves. It was almost an interactive ad for names like Christian Louboutin and Yves Saint Laurent. I am told that SATC fans will appreciate this kind of stuff and it did not disappoint. Each time a closet door was opened there was a collective gasp throughout the auditorium.

Sex and the City 2 is rated R for some strong sexual content and language. If you have only seen the TBS syndication version of the show you might be a little shocked. This is certainly not a gratuitous sex romp but there are elements of it sprinkled through out. It is in the title for goodness sake! So know what you are in for. I give it 3.75 out of 5 Burkas. If I can walk into it with no prior knowledge and at least engage and enjoy the 2 plus hours it says something for the writing and characters. Now take your hand off my man card, sir.