It's a holiday weekend, which means most of you are off at the lake or a cookout with family and friends. I, on the other hand, have left the house this weekend for only two reasons: church and to go to the movies. Why? Because it's 400 degrees outside, with approximately 356% humidity... and, as with most holiday weekends, there is a Deadliest Catch marathon on. I prefer my hotness in the form of Jake Anderson and not blinding sun. But, I digress...
So, the theater. Yes, the much-anticipated Sex and The City 2. As it turns out, most of my friends (and, shockingly enough, my husband) weren't very jazzed about this movie. My usual SATC partner-in-crime moved to Texas... yeah, you, sister-in-law. But, fortunately, via the wonder of Twitter, another local tweep, Ramona, wanted to see it as well.
I wasn't sure what to expect. Based on the previews, I did think it looked a little corny, like the Abu Dhabi thing was a bit of a stretch. But, hey, it's SATC, it's supposed to be over the top, right? Right.
If you've never been a SATC watcher, you may as well stop reading here. The first movie, then this movie, pick up where the TV series ended. If you don't know the back story, the movie would be little more than a confusing exercise is fancy clothes and shoes. But, for loyal fans, it's a chance to see "the girls" together again.
In this installment, Carrie and Big are settled into married life... in a way that is making Carrie feel a little too settled. (The final straw being Big putting a TV in the bedroom... and watching several minutes worth of Deadliest Catch. It's like the studio made the movie just for me.) Miranda is at a job she hates and is finding infinitely stressed. Charlotte, despite having a full-time nanny, is overwhelmed by motherhood and the demands of her two girls. And Samantha is Samantha. A rich sheik from Abu Dhabi offers Samantha an all-expense paid, super-luxurious trip to his country to meet with her about a PR campaign. Of course, she's allowed to bright the girls. And, of course, no extravagance falls by the wayside.
While out exploring the city, Carrie runs into Aidan, who is there on business. Oh, Aidan. I think I've mentioned on numerous occasions that John Corbett is one of my favorite actors ever. Ever! Naturally, given their past, chaos ensues.
As is typical of SATC, Carrie isn't the only one creating chaos... chaos ensues amongst all the ladies. But, as expected, everyone settles down, grows closer, returns home and life smooths out... more or less.
Now, the hard part... grading the movie. I liked it more than I expected to. First of all, it was tamer than I expected. There was some language and a couple of trademark "Samantha" scenes, but not as crass as some of the episodes. (While I've seen the original HBO episodes, I generally prefer the toned down TBS version, so this was okay with me.) Next, I thought the commercials made it look cheesier than it actually was. The movie was set in the middle east but the camel riding and local culture wasn't overdone. It stayed true to what SATC has always been... about the 4 main characters, with a lot of glitter thrown in. Still, there were some parts I thought were trying a little too hard. Also, the movie is 2.5 hours long. While I did not feel like it drug on too much, I think they could have probably done a little more editing and gotten it down to 2 hours without missing much. It didn't feel super long or anything, I just think 2 hours is the ideal time my butt wishes to occupy a theater seat. Nevertheless, I think the 15% "freshness rating" Rotten Tomatoes has given it (and other critics) is way too harsh. Obviously it's aimed at loyal viewers and not movie critics. And as such, I think it generally hit the mark. I give it a B, I think. Although the Aidan-ness and the Deadliest Catch cameo may have made me grade on a curve.
Bottom line: It's a fun Girls Night Out movie, even if you're not the biggest SATC fan... but if you're on the fence about it, you probably won't be sad if you decided to wait for the DVD.
Now, if you'll excuse me, the Bering Sea beckons...
