Not-So-Quick Review: Sex And The City 2

I subscribed to HBO for many years, but didn't immediately begin watching "Sex and the City." Eventually I caved, and managed to enjoy the entire series. I felt the series ended properly, with storylines tied up and a "happily ever after" moment for all. Then they decided to take on the big screen. I felt it was unnecessary. Amazingly, it worked. The film basically undid most of that "happily ever after" and then put it back together. It was entertaining, and a strong box-office winner. Of course, a movie that does so well inevitably gets a sequel. Surely they couldn't follow the same formula, so what exactly could they do with "Sex and the City 2" that would make it worthwhile? Well, not much.

What they did was turn it into a two-and-a-half-hour episode of the show, except even more sitcom-ish...sitcommy...whatever. There are lame plotlines galore. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is getting bored by her married life with Big (Chris Noth)! Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is struggling with motherhood! Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) hates her boss! And Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is going through...gasp...menopause! And there's the wedding of Stanford and Anthony, gay BFF's of Carrie and Charlotte, respectively (I still don't buy them as a couple) which is wayyyyyyyyy over the top, extremely extravagant (there are swans!) and officiated by Liza Minnelli, who performs Beyonce's "Single Ladies" at the reception. Painfully.
And then the girls jet off to Abu Dhabi on a luxurious all-expenses-paid trip courtesy of a potential client of Samantha's, leading to culture clash in the Muslim world -- but not to fear, there's homosexuality here as well, in the person of one of the butlers on call to take care of the ladies' every need. He's not quite as open as Stanford and Anthony, though. After all, it's Abu Dhabi. And while there, Carrie bumps into old flame Aidan...uh oh! Like I said, very sitcommy...sitcom-ish...whatever, filled with mostly bad one-liners.


I just had to wonder, though -- although it's alluded to once or twice, how is it possible for the recession and the actions of fiends such as Bernie Madoff to cause so much economic devastation, yet not one of these women, nor their husbands, nor the gay newlyweds who can afford to have Liza work their wedding (and who knew Liza was allowed to marry people?), nor anyone else, seems to have been affected one iota? Okay, life in the movies is supposed to be fantasyland, but still...

Anyway, the good news is that the box office for the opening weekend was not as strong as for the first film. As long as it drops off, we can hold out hope a third installment won't see the light of day. Let these women have their "happily ever after" once and for all. My grade: D-plus.