Bougie Movie Review: Sex & The City 2

Appropriate Attire to Hop on a Camel?
Where the "2" stands for way too much. I should preface this by saying that although I liked the SATC franchise back in it's HBO days, I never liked Carrie's character. She seemed a spoiled, whiny, self-indulgent girl with mixed up priorities. I was always more a blend of Miranda and Charlotte. So all that being said, this movie somehow finds the one thing you think is over the top about the characters and takes it to a whole other level. 

Carrie (who apparently hasn't learned a single lesson in two years of marriage) is still worried about being fabulous and hanging with the beautiful people even if means ignoring what her husband is trying to tell her. Charlotte still thinks denial is a river in Egypt. Miranda is still trying to be Superwoman and Samantha is still in your face skanky. The men were props, the clothes so front-and-center that I found myself irritated as they donned outfit after outfit after outfit (one day had 5 wardrobe changes in one day – who does that besides Diana Ross?) and the plot was… I'm not sure. Here's the official synopsis from Warner Bros.
What happens after you say "I do"? Life is everything the ladies ever wished it to be, but it wouldn't be "Sex and the City" if life didn't hold a few more surprises...this time in the form of a glamorous, sun-drenched adventure that whisks the women away from New York to one of the most luxurious, exotic and vivid places on earth, where the party never ends and there's something mysterious around every corner. It's an escape that comes exactly at the right moment for the four friends, who are finding themselves in--and fighting against--the traditional roles of marriage, motherhood and more.
Yeah, okay. I read a few reviews before I went to see this movie and they were scathing… I mean ouch. There was a lot of talk about the women being too old and the story line being too stale. I actually thought the women looked pretty good. Okay they are ridiculously made-up and over-coiffed for some occasions. I'm also not a fan of 5" and 6" inch heels, sorry that's just ridiculous tipping around the desert and there are clearly times where the women can barely walk. But let me move past the superficial irritations. At its base, this is just not a well-written movie. It's very pretty and glossy but the plot is paper thin and a bit contrived. What are the chances that you run into your ex-fiancé at a street market in Abu-Dhabi? Right at the very time when you are questioning your current relationship? Yeah, okay then. I don't mind escapism but the Maybachs and suites and jewels and shoes and the thought that your life issues can be solved by a spa treatment and designer bag just didn't sit right for some reason.

The movie is also a lengthy 2 ½ hours long. The guy in front of me whose girlfriend clearly dragged him with her rolled out at an hour and a half. He looked as though he was fleeing the hounds of hell. I was mad impressed he made it past Liza Minnelli's song and dance number to "Single Ladies" no – I'm not joking. I get that they were trying to question the traditional roles of women as wives, mothers and single ladies. And it case you missed the point, the women sang "I am Woman" at a karaoke bar in Abu Dhabi. Anyway, I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe because I saw this in a theater where alcohol is served and a lot of the ladies were quite toasted about an hour into the movie. They laughed, giggled and shouted uproariously. I wondered if the movie would have been helped by a few fruity vodka drinks. Long and short: 1 ½ sandals out of 5 from me.


I was disappointed because I went it expecting to like it more than I did. On the flip side, I watched The Hangover the other night on cable. I did not expect to like it and yet I thought it was hilarious. Seriously laugh out loud funny. Like 4 sandals out of 5 funny. Who knew?

Did anyone else see SATC2? Who loved it and why? Any guys get dragged to this one? Anyone seen a movie lately that they really enjoyed and want to share with the group?