The movie begins with a flashback to Manhattan in the late 80's where we are given a glimpse of how Carrie met her soul mates. Up first is Charlotte, then Maranda, and finally, the promiscuous Samantha. Although serious fans of the series will question this order thanks to the first two seasons of the show where it is eluded that Charlotte was the last addition to the group, it did provide a few short laughs.
This film attempts to stick with real time, taking place two years after the original big screen adventure. In terms of Carrie and Big, we skip past the honeymoon phase and dive straight into the terrible twos, a theme that is encompassing Charlotte and Harry's life as well, thanks to their attention seeking daughter Rose. Carrie and Big have fallen into a rut of sorts, or so Carrie thinks. Big is more comfortable with staying home, getting takeout, and watching TV while Carrie would rather go out on the town and experience the luxurious life that New York City offers.
Carrie and Big struggle to define marriage on their own terms, wanting to stay true to the non-traditional couple they have always been. Stanford imparts some wisdom on Carrie that a couple should make their own rules that work for their own marriage and not be bound by what society says. Carrie seems to agree with this until faced with Big's unconventional solution to their rut, giving her another reason to call the girls together for a heart-to-heart lunch.
Meanwhile, Miranda is fed up with her sexist boss and Charlotte, although afraid to admit it, is overwhelmed with motherhood. All this brings about the perfect time for a distraction; one that includes an all expenses paid, over-the-top vacation to Abu Dhabi.
The location is beautiful, providing an excuse to have numerous good-looking foreign men, but the film lingers while they are in Abu Dhabi. They were actually supposed to stay an additional three days but quickly have to leave when Samantha is accused of having sex in public, a huge no-no in the Abu Dhabi where public displays of affection are a crime. Unfortunately, I couldn't be more thankful for the hasty departure.
Personally, what I love about the TV series is the relationship these four women have with each other and the city of New York. They tackle ordinary issues like love, finances, fashion, and of course sex. This movie was more about an extravagant vacation, which is an out of the ordinary experience that serves as an escape from their everyday life. When King opted to remove the women from the their concrete jungle of dreams and luxury, he essentially recast one of his main stars. Not to mention the lack of male presence shown in the film. Although it has always been about our four leading ladies, Steve, Harry and Big have become an important element of the story, and all are featured in what appears to be disappointing cameo roles.
I will admit that this sequel did not evolve the story enough for my needs, which is kind of surprising given its two-and-a-half hour runtime. However, it was still entertaining and enjoyable to watch (especially for a fan). It doesn't matter what anyone says about Sex and the City 2, the devoted fans will go in droves to see the next chapter in the lives of the women we have been following for over a decade now, and will likely be begging for a third film. I am not so sure it warrants another follow-up, but if it does, I do hope they don't wait another two years.
Side note
It was rumored that Carrie, a long time Mac user, would be trading in her Mac for a new HP computer seeing as how HP was a very large sponsor for the film. Not to worry. I am happy to reveal that in the lone instance we see Carrie writing, it is on her trusty Mac.
