Kick Up Your Manolos: Sex and the City Reviewed!

The cultural phenom that had us all slurping Cosmos and sporting tutus and Jimmy Choos (okay, not all of us) finally sashays into theaters after a four-year wait—but isn't a 142-minute running time overcompensating?

By Matt Stevens May 30, 2008 5:00 AMTags
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sex and the CityNew Line

The cultural phenom that had us all slurping Cosmos and sporting tutus and Jimmy Choos (okay, not all of us) finally sashays into theaters after a four-year wait. This stylish NYC romance delivers, especially for voracious Sex addicts—but isn't a 142-minute running time overcompensating?

Want the whole review? Read on...

The flick easily picks up where the finale left off: Author/fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) plans a lavish wedding with Mr. Big (Chris Noth), but the ever-elusive guy has second thoughts.

Cynical, wisecracking lawyer Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) struggles to trust her hubby again after a sexual indiscretion. Eternal optimist Charlotte (Kristin Davis) cares for her adopted daughter but still longs to get pregnant. And cougar-prototype Samantha (Kim Cattrall) lives in Hollywood with the hunkster actor she manages.

Size only matters if you know what to do with the extra length, and SATC feels less like a cohesive feature than a string of TV episodes.

Writer/director Michael Patrick King has trouble interweaving all the characters and storylines, as Miranda and Charlotte disappear for long periods, Charlotte's subplot lacks development, and the middle slumps with a glum Carrie shattered over…something we won't spoil here. And while Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson, as Carrie's personal assistant, adds a sweet and more youthful presence, her character isn't that interesting.

Though dramatically uneven, SATC still offers a number of pleasures, usually in simpler scenes, as the gal-pals banter, talk love and sex, and, yes, try on clothes. Fashion montages in movies are almost always expendable, but here the scenes are so joyous and girl-empowering (and deserving of mad style points!), they only add to the friendship fun.

Sex, even when it's not great, is still good.

Our Grade: B-