Sex and the City: The Movie (R, 2008)

When last we saw SEX AND THE CITY's fashionable foursome, they were off to their respective happily-ever-afters. But, as narrator Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) would likely put it, what does it all mean to live happily ever after? Four years later, Carrie and her beloved Big (Chris Noth) -- now given a proper name, John James Preston -- are still going strong. But when they decide to get married, what begins as a simple affair quickly gets complicated, threatening to overwhelm everything (much like Carrie's fantastical Vivienne Westwood wedding dress). Meanwhile, Brooklyn-based Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg) are stuck in a rut that gets a much-needed -- if painful -- jolt, and Samantha (Kim Cattrall), still with golden boy Smith (Jason Lewis), bristles under the constraints of an established relationship. Only Charlotte (Kristin Davis) seems perfectly happy (she's even pregnant!), but that itself gives her reason to pause, if only because she worries when the proverbial other shoe will drop.

When the series hit the scene years ago, it was groundbreaking, not only because it served up so much sex (the word is in the title, after all) -- and from a woman's point of view, at that -- but also because it fearlessly examined women's relationships with the men in their lives and, more importantly, with each other. Although the movie doesn't blaze any new trails (the dialogue, though offering handfuls of barbs, seems to have been written with a pencil less sharp than usual), fans will still likely walk away satisfied, since it serves up plenty of what made devotees watch in the first place: Friendship, romance, and drama in the big city.

The women themselves, while older, are none the worse for wear. It's so refreshing to see them celebrate themselves as they are, not pining for a youth that was so much better, bolder, and brighter than the present. The men, too, seem to have gotten better with age, especially Big, who -- though still confused -- exudes a warmth rarely seen in the series. That said, we get far too little of Stanford (Willie Garson) and Anthony (Mario Cantone). And while it's true that SATC was built on glamour, the vast array of branded products is just too much. The movie actually gets better once it dispenses with the fabulosity and gets down to the business of drama. Of the four storylines, Carrie's and Miranda's hold the most depth, but Samantha gets all the best lines, if no longer all the great sex (surprise, surprise). Charlotte, who was most transformed in the series, deserves more complexity, as does Jennifer Hudson as Carrie's assistant. But even though the movie isn't perfect, there are stand-out moments that remind us of the show's singular ability to tap into authenticity amid all the frivolity. And that's when we want to embrace SATC like a long-lost friend.

Studio: New Line
Director: Michael Patrick King
Cast: Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 148 minutes
Theatrical release: May 29, 2008
DVD release: September 22, 2008
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language