Sex and the City 2

Went into this not expecting much, the premise seemed off but wanted to see my old friends. I told myself everything you're telling yourself, well the fashion will be fun...there should be some funny stuff...might get to see a hot naked guy. I had no idea I'd robbed of my ticket money and insulted for 2 1/2 hours.

I loved the series, seen every show at least 6-7 times. I thought the first movie was a little disappointing, not very much depth, just wallowing and moping for most of it.

The new movie is just an exercise in self indulgence and complaining about problems that aren't really problems. Charlotte complaining about how hard it is to be her when she has a nanny AND a housekeeper. Miranda complaining that her boss doesn't like her. Carrie complaining that Big puts a TV in the bedroom. Samantha complaining about her hormones. I just kept thinking "are you kidding me?? This passes for dialogue??". That's all in the first 8 minutes and it's just downhill from there. I'm just disgusted.

Best part of the movie? The preview for the new Rachel McAdams film that came on right before it.

A lot of people exercise their brains with puzzles found in the newspaper. Sudoku is a prime example. The variety published by a typical paper can usually be solved in less than 5 minutes, or at least that's been my experience with them. The goal for me was to grab an issue of The Kansan, take a seat in class, and have the Sudoku finished before learning was to commence. I didn't have class every day, so when I didn't need the Sudoku I kept the paper. A small pile sits next to me as I type this review. I never got to working a single puzzle after graduating; I found that writing and talking about movies was a more suitable exercise for me. It seems that the worse the movie in question, the more mistakes there are to find. For that reason alone, Sex and the City 2 is a good brain teaser.

The adventure begins when Carrie Preston (Sarah Jessica Parker) and friends Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) attending the wedding of their best gay friends. Since this is based on a long running TV series, I'm sure fans of the show found more significance to the scene than I did. In my eyes it was the most logical way to present Liza Minnelli as herself singing Beyoncé's "Single Ladies". It's a scene that can't be unseen, and I knew instantly that it would haunt me for the rest of the summer. Everyone at the wedding makes Carrie feel bored with her life now that she's settled down with Mr. Big (Chris Noth). The most bizarre way this is accomplished is by having a random couple tell them they will be lonely if they don't have children. Then wouldn't you know it, something ridiculous happens and the girls get flown to Abu Dhabi where they are treated like royalty all because some sheik wants Samantha work a PR campaign for his property. But don't worry, our leading ladies forget about any logical objective and proceed to flaunt what they got in the desert.

I realize this movie didn't have me in mind when it was created. This is my first experience with the girls of Sex and the City and from what I gathered I can see why an hour-long TV program running on premium cable would be a hit. These girls are rude, and vulgar, but they play off of each other like champs. When they are seated at a table gossiping is when Sex and the City 2 shows any hint of a shine. The problems then smudge that polish.

I've never seen so many costume changes. I'm convinced it's the driving point behind the narrative. Every scene is constructed to show what Carrie and the girls can put on then lead to another situation for them to dress up. No movie should be so shallow, and even worse they look flammable and toxic. I wasn't sure if the running gag is that Carrie doesn't know she looks like a low rent streetwalker, there's a sign of trouble if ever there was one.

No care is shown with the characters. Samantha sleeps with absolutely any guy regardless of the situation, and the outcome is too much to stomach. Miranda has a subplot about needing to balance work and family which gets lost in a sea of plunging necklines. Charlotte frets about her husband cheating on her with their nanny every 10 minutes. Lastly, Carrie is simply too selfish to be likable. She has a husband who seems to be doing a fantastic job by everyone else's standards. To her, he needs to do more and this sets her up for a lamebrain, and oddly predictable, encounter with an old flame.

The wanton excess of this movie leaves no doubt as to why the world hates us. Sex and the City 2 is a better terrorist motivational tool than it is an enjoyable time at the theatre. These girls are easily living the life in New York before the film takes its sweet time to send them to the Middle East where everything is ratcheted up to 11. They each get a personal Maybach 62 S so they can be chaffered to and from locations where they can offend locals and change clothes. There's an occasionally clever line but that won't vindicate watching it.

I AM female. I love to watch a good chic-flick. However, I was so disappointed. This movie has little to offer except constantly changing 'bizarre' costuming presented as high fashion and thoroughly embarrassing 'ugly American' scenes of over-indulged, entitled and rudely written characters. I went to the theater to enjoy a fun movie. I came away shaking my head. The movie was disrespectful to me as an American woman. Who acts like Samantha when in a foreign country, the Middle East or otherwise? As I watched the characters make total asses of themselves I was embarrassed for them simply sitting in the theater. It's no wonder other countries believe Americans lack respect for everyone and everything. Hollywood apparently does and wants everyone to know it. Unfortunately, the general public is judged by Hollywood--the American delivery system. It's not worth the money to see it. If you can get it on DVD for a buck, then judge for yourself.

The popular TV series Sex and the City has ran from 1998 - 2004, spawned a movie adaptation of the series in 2008, and here's the sequel that will most likely bring it to a close in 2010. At this point, the girls are old enough for fans to not care what happens to them. But we keep coming back to see them every movie and every episode. We're so used to these characters we need them in our lives supposedly, but after this movie, my love for this show is drastically decreased. My hope for this film to be a successful follow up was brought to a tease when watching the first hour of this film.

To begin with, the film has a miserable run time. Two hours and thirty minutes may work for a superhero film or LOTR prequel, but who the hell thought it would work for a Comedy about four women? The first film had the almost the same run time, though it was entertaining and it was fun to see the characters do what they did in the second film like struggle with wedding plans and try on dresses. This is jam packed with racist, stereotypical jokes about homosexuals, Jewish people, and Middle Eastern people as well. I'm sure if Prince of Persia didn't steal the subtitle, The Sands of Time, it would belong as the subtitle of SATC2.

The plot is all four women are struggling with their marriages. Carrie (Parker) wants more "sparkle" with her man "Big", Charlotte (Davis) has trouble keeping her two children under control and frets the nanny (Eve) is getting too close to her husband, Miranda (Nixon) is stressed with work and not there for her kid when she needs to be, and Samantha (Cattrall) is still sleeping with the whole town. All knowing their stressed, Samantha books a vacation for the girls to fly in n extreme first class condition to the Middle East where jokes take the route for stereotypical, and the lackluster level plummets straight into the ground.

Its sad to see a once brilliant series take the route of crap, but if it were to keep going on and maintain the same jokes as seen in this, it's better off dead. I said before the first movie was just as long, but interesting to see the characters get into fun mischief and have fun, intelligent talks. In this sequel, an intelligent and interesting talk is hard to come by. Every talk is followed by some bad joke or stupid sexual comment, no talk is perfect in this film.

Overall, the film is mediocre and just a bore. There are some humorous scenes by Carrie and Big, but with a big name like Sex and the City, it should've been extraordinary and have been on many critics "Best of the year" list. Instead it makes the "Worst of the year" list and probably will earn the title "The worst film of the year" by most critics. Wouldn't surprise me if the cameo by Miley Cyrus is nominated for a Razzie Award. Lord knows the film will be too.

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Alice Eve, Chris Noth, John Corbett, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Miley Cyrus, Penelope Cruz, Jason Lewis, Lynn Cohen, and Liza Minnelli.

WARNING: a few *small* spoilers.

The previous review says it all - but I still feel it necessary to add my two cents.

I, too, was a huge fan of the series...if only because the characters were interesting, and it was so refreshing to listen to realistic female characters discuss taboo topics such as sex.

I forced myself to watch the first movie. That was bad. This one...even worse. The characters have become utterly superficial, materialistic (in a way that's practically nauseating given the current state of the economy) - and completely 2 dimensional. The writing - cartoony and juvenile. Honestly, Carrie's the worst - the way the character acted in the film, I would personally have recommended that Mr. Big file for divorce. (Complaining because he wants to stay home and watch movies together, then forcing him to leave a party--that she dragged him to--early because he had a conversation with another woman?) Jeez.

As for Samantha - that character's gone completely over the top - sex crazed in a way that went way past racy and into plain vulgar.

Combine that with the incongruity of throwing the characters into a completely unrealistic situation (heading to Abu Dahbi?), and then disrespect that they show to Arab culture....well, this movie COULD NOT have been worse. Thank goodness that there's no way they'll make STC3. At least, I really, really hope not. How this ever could have been green lighted for production is totally beyond my comprehension.