Rating: 3.5 Pulses

Rated R

On May 30 I joined a packed theater for a 1 p.m. showing of Sex and the City, the movie. The well-dressed women in the audience may not have been wearing Manolo Blahniks, but my fellow moviegoers were bedecked with more heels, bright colors and sequins than I’ve ever seen at a matinee. Now if only my overpriced Diet Coke had magically transformed into a Cosmopolitan, it would have been perfect.

We were gathered for a film that may not garner critical acclaim, but for millions across the country it will inspire a warm fuzzy feeling, like catching up with old friends.

The film continues the stories of four New York women who captivated the country for six seasons on HBO. For me it was a long overdue happily ever after follow-up with Carrie (Parker), Charlotte (Davis), Miranda (Nixon) and Samantha (Cattrall), set four years after the last episode.

Sex and the City the movie is much like an entire season of ’Sex and the City’ the show, with all the fashion, fabulousness and, of course, sex, packed into two and a half hours. Portions of it even flow like episodes, with Carrie’s signature narration introducing scene shifts and additions to the cast. Guess the writers couldn’t break out of their television mold, but let’s face it, Sex and the City the movie is all about fun, and not so much about playing to the critics. The show already won multiple awards and ran for six successful seasons, this crew has nothing to prove.

It’s the sort of movie that will have die-hard fans tearing up (I started crying during the introductory sequence) but the initial recap does a pretty good job of catching up viewers who may not be familiar with the show.

I’ll be the first to admit, the movie is a bit on the cheesy side. Carrie’s one-liners are childlike, and there’s even a spot of bathroom humor about halfway through. Maybe it was easier to take the clich’s when the show was dolled out in smaller doses. Or, it’s possible that these four ladies acted their parts for so long they became caricatures, but that can’t spoil my fun.

The addition of Jennifer Hudson to the cast, as Carrie’s personal assistant Louise, makes no sense at all. Her acting is see-through, she looks like a giant next to Parker’s petite frame, and is featured far too much for a character that served as a simple plot device.

Is this a frivolous film? Absolutely. Do I care? No. Will I see it multiple times? Yes.

A few ending notes–don’t let the cleaned-up version of the television show running on TBS fool you, this is definitely an R-rated movie, with nudity (this is the third time I’ve seen a penis in a widely released film this year) and a lot of colorful language.

The soundtrack for the movie is equally fun and equally frivolous, and I still don’t care. So pull out some flair from your closet, strap on some heels, grab your girlfriends and gay friends (or secure boyfriends) and go to the theater.