Sex And The City #2
Sex And The City #2
Director: Michael Patrick King
**1/2
For die hard fans of the Sex And The City series news of a second movie was met with enthusiasm, and subsequently, disappointment.
It’s been two years since we last saw Carrie and the girls. Samantha (Kim Catrall) is now going through menopause. Charlotte (Kirsten Davis) is struggling to cope with her two kids (even as a full time mom with a full time nanny). Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) has quit her job and Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is fighting a losing battle trying to get her husband, Mr Big (Cris Noth) away from the television.
The girls get a break from their mundane lives when Samantha is offered an unbelievable first class trip to Abu Dhabi. Off they trot, designer heels and hundreds of suitcases in tow, across the world to the Middle East. What follows is a series of ridiculous escapades, a hearty dose of Middle Eastern stereotyping, and some camels. There is very little actual sex to be had. After all, this is Abu Dhabi, and the actress’s aren’t spring chickens anymore.
Like the first movie, SATC#2 lacks the gritty rawness of the original series and turns to cheap one liners and celebrity appearances. Liza Minnelli’s version of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” will make you cringe. Surprisingly, seeing Liza helps soften the blow for the dreaded Miley Cyrus appearance. Kiwi and Aussie viewers will be amused however, by the sex god portrayal of the Australian Rugby team (the casting agent must have let her imagination run away with her.)
There’s still fun to be had in scrutinising the outfits, hair and weight of the lead characters. All four are looking unusually thin, Kim Catrall is finally starting to show her age, and Sarah Jessica Parker has dirty roots as bad as they were in the first few seasons. The outfits, while undeniably stunning, were a tad too revealing and over the top. Even the (formally corporate) style of Miranda has been turned into something flamboyantly absurd, making the characters hard to relate too.
It’s an enjoyable outing with girlfriends (definitely not boyfriend friendly). But, as a whole, the movie is a disappointment, resorting to creating the everyday female stereotypes the series used to relish in breaking.
Amanda Haxton