Genre: Comedy / Musical
Director: James Bobin Writers: Jason Segel & Nicholas Steger, based on characters created by Jim Henson Cast: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones Running Length: 103 minutes Synopsis: On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. Will the Muppets be able to band together and save the theater in time? Review: It’s sad but true – while most children will still recognize the Muppets, they are no longer as culturally relevant as back in the 70s and 80s. Anyone who is above the age of 30, however, will likely have fond memories of watching The Muppets Show or Sesame Street during the formative years of their lives (myself included, of course). As such, although The Muppets is positioned as a movie for the young ones, the adult viewers are likely to be the ones who will find themselves enjoying the movie (and riding the incessant waves of nostalgia). It’s still a fun watch for the kids, for sure, but there’s no doubt the older audiences are the ones who will be able to tap into the emotional centre of the film. It’s not exactly a sophisticated plot, and the human actors aren’t given much to do. However, in the same vein as the older Muppets movies, The Muppets is chock-full of cameo appearances, and it’s quite fun to spot all the stars that appear in the film. Also, the fourth wall is repeatedly broken in the movie in amusing ways, which again is a nod to the history of the Muppets, on both the small and big screen. Although positioned as a musical, there really aren’t that many songs and performances to truly classify The Muppets as a true musical. In fact, after the first reel, which does feature a number of decent song and dance performances, director James Bobin seems to divert his attention elsewhere, resulting in sporadic songs that feel increasingly at odds with the rest of the movie. However, of the 9 songs featured, 3 are classic Muppets songs, which will definitely be familiar to anyone who has grown up with the Muppets. Despite its imperfections, The Muppets is great fun both for newcomers to the franchise and “old-timers”, and is certainly an excellent choice for families during this holiday. Who knows – with this reinvigoration, it may represent a new era for The Muppets, moving them back into the limelight, which would not be a bad thing at all. Rating: *** (out of four stars)Tag Archives: comedy
The Hangover Part II * * *
Genre: Comedy
Director: Todd Philips Writers: Craig Mazin, Scott Armstrong and Todd Philips Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galiafinakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong Running Length: 102 minutes Synopsis: The Hangover Part II is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to 2009’s smash hit The Hangover, which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all-time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical. Reprising their roles from The Hangover, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha star in the film. In the sequel, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined… Review: Nobody expected The Hangover to do as well as it did when it was released in 2009, and it eventually became the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. This is obviously the biggest reason why The Hangover Part II is seeing light of day this year, but can lightning strike twice? The answer, unsurprisingly, is both yes and no. While The Hangover Part II is very entertaining, it’s almost an identical rehash of The Hangover despite the change in locale, and lacking the element of surprise the sequel just feels less inspired than its predecessor. Todd Philips and his creative team obviously decided to justify the existence of this sequel by upping the ante, but this is a ploy that works unevenly. Everything is bigger – the setup of the gags, the stakes, and even the (somewhat pointless) action – but the whole is less than the sum of its parts. And that really is the biggest weakness of the film, likely to overlooked by most audiences since the cinematic experience remains pretty much on par with that of its predecessor. There are still plenty of things to like about The Hangover Part II despite this. The politically incorrect and crude humour can still be very funny, even if it gets a little forced at times. It may not be a laugh a minute, but it does come pretty close. The central mystery is still intriguing despite being extremely far-fetched, and the denouement is pretty satisfactory, even if it seems a bit rushed. And like the first film, the end credit photo montage packs some of the best visual gags in the movie. It is undeniable that the leads are very flawed and yet very likeable characters, and the chemistry between the actors have only grown stronger in the sequel. Much as they are in a totally improbable situation, the audience is always rooting for the group to solve the mystery and ride off into the sunset. And this is essentially why The Hangover Part II will be a box office success – even though the proceedings are a bit old-hat, there will be enough empathy/sympathy with these characters that most audiences will be very forgiving. One wonders, however, if audiences would be as forgiving the third inevitable time around. Rating: * * * (out of four stars)Hall Pass * * *
Genre: Comedy
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly Writers: Pete Jones, Peter Farrelly, Kevin Barnett and Bobby Farrelly Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, Nicky Whelan, Richard Jenkins Running Length: 104 minutes Synopsis: Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a “hall pass”, one week of freedom to do whatever they want with no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn’t long before they discover that their expectations of the single life – and themselves – are completely, and hilariously, out of sync with reality. Review: A lot has changed since the Farrelly Brothers’ breakout hit, There’s Something About Mary, was released thirteen years ago. What were groundbreaking back then – crude sexual jokes, gross out sight gags and the like – have now become the norm in most R-rated comedies. Hall Pass may not exactly have pushed the boundaries of such comedies, but like many Farrelly Brothers’ movies, it does have something that many of such comedies lack – a heart. Although Hall Pass boasts a fair number of shocking moments (none more disgustingly memorable than the scene where Fred has to deal with a drunk woman) and is actually laugh-out-loud funny at times, what really sets it apart is that the film actually manages to offer some pretty good insights into relationships and monogamy. It actually gets pretty sentimental at times, toeing the line of schmaltziness, but as a whole both the comedic and “serious” moments work well together. Hall Pass is far from being perfect – the decision to feature both the husbands’ and the wives’ storylines means that something has to give, and in this instance it’s the wives’ stories, which feel woefully underdeveloped. There is enough fodder for a whole other movie, so the inclusion of these subplots merely detracts from the main story. Also, despite Rick and Fred having a number of friends, none of them seem to have any real personality other than Richard Jenkin’s late appearance, who then manages to steal the limelight from the two leads in every scene they share. The film is also fairly predictable throughout, and most of the plot developments are easily figured out, including the shock moments. Hall Pass won’t be as enduring as There’s Something About Mary, and despite the scatological humour and male nudity, comes across as a relatively tame film. Whilst it’s a tough sell to anyone who doesn’t like lowbrow, slapstick humour, most audiences will likely find themselves pretty entertained. P.S. One more thing – don’t forget to stay through the entire end credits to catch a seriously funny outtake that involves a minor cast member. It truly is comedy gold. Rating: * * * (out of four stars)Morning Glory * * 1/2
Genre: Comedy
Director: Roger Michell
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum
Running Length: 102 minutes
Synopsis: When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at "Daybreak", the last-place national morning news show, Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts – let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning "news." As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky's blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson) begins to unravel – and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.
Review: Morning Glory is a wildly inconsistent movie – at its best the film is an entertaining and at-times laugh-out-loud peek into the world of talkshow TV, but at its worst it’s plodding and smacks of desperation. Although the screenplay comes from Aline Brosh McKenna, which brought us the superior The Devil Wears Prada, this is not anywhere close to similarly-themed movies like Network and Broadcast News. In fact, it can be said that Morning Glory is just a little too moderate and restrained for its own good, and if the kid gloves came off the film would probably have been much more memorable.
The best thing about Morning Glory is the tremendous effort Rachel McAdams puts into her role as Becky Fuller. Since both Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are basically coasting along, the weight of carrying the movie falls squarely on McAdams’ shoulders, and it’s on her thespian strength alone that Morning Glory is elevated above mediocrity. Harrison Ford has good chemistry with McAdams, and provides the much needed sparks to perk up the proceedings. Diane Keaton is unfortunately reduced to nothing more than a prop, which seems such a waste as her portrayal of Colleen Peck had so much potential and could have been a foil to both Becky and Pomeroy.
However, all the acting in the world can’t save Morning Glory from its rather uninspired plot, with tired sit-com clichés that are really only sporadically funny. It’s only when Becky is forced to pull out all the stops and plumb the depths in the programming format for Daybreak does the comedic ante go up. The film does try to make a point about the death of “real” journalism versus entertaining the masses, but this is apparently too serious for the rest of the film and eventually fizzles into nothing. The romantic subplot is completely unconvincing, and Patrick Wilson has the thankless role of playing the bland romantic interest of Becky.
This issue with the romantic subplot is reflective of a systemic problem that affects the film – so much of the script feels so contrived that it’s almost impossible to draw parallels with anything happening in real life. Although movies are essentially escapist fantasies, the wide disconnect with reality means that it’s hard to care about the movie, its characters and their eventual outcomes. Morning Glory does remain entertaining enough to not make it a total waste of time, and Rachel McAdams alone is worth the price of entry, but if the film was aiming for glory, then it has fallen far short.
Rating: * * ½ (out of four stars)
Gulliver’s Travels *
Genre: Adventure / Comedy
Director: Rob Letterman
Writers: Joe Stillman and Nicholas Stoller, based on the book by Jonathan Swift
Cast: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Chris O’Dowd, Catherine Tate
Running Length: 85 minutes
Synopsis: This particular iteration of Gulliver’s Travels is about the voyage of Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black), a mail clerk at a Manhattan newspaper office, who agrees to travel to the Bermuda Triangle in order to get into the good books of Darcy Silverman (Amanda Peet), travel editor of the paper. Once there, he encounters freak weather and winds up in the country of Lilliput, populated by “little people” only six inches tall. After being imprisoned briefly with fellow prisoner Horatio (Jason Segel), Gulliver manages to befriend the royal family – King Theodore (Billy Connolly), Queen Isabelle (Catherine Tate) and Princess Mary (Emily Blunt) – and becomes the protector of Lilliput, much to the disgruntlement of General Edward (Chris O’Dowd).
Review: Jack Black can be an entertaining actor in the right movie, but sometimes it doesn’t work at all. Gulliver’s Travels is one such film – it’s basically Jack Black being Jack Black, and in the most annoying way possible. In fact, Black’s Gulliver is so juvenile and unlikeable that it seems almost impossible to identify with and root for the protagonist of the story – and knowing from the very beginning that it will be a happy ending actually grates even more. Irritation factor aside, the biggest negative about Gulliver’s Travel is simply that it’s not an entertaining movie to sit through.
Needless to say, apart from the central theme, nothing has carried over from Jonathan Swift’s original story. In fact, the producers chose to modernize the story with unnecessary references to Star Wars, KISS, Times Square and Transformers (believe it or not), which doesn’t make the plot any more interesting that it is (not that it is, by most measures). The pacing is uneven, and the preamble before Gulliver beings on his journey is protracted and uninteresting. Coupled with the supposedly funny antics of the leading man – which, to me at least, are not in the least funny – and it becomes an 85-minute movie that’s quite hard to sit through.
Surprisingly, even the visuals aren’t up to par, which is surprising for most movies employing CGI these days. The CG work incorporating Gulliver and the Lilliputians is serviceable at best, and dodgy at worst, with much it somewhere in the middle. What’s truly unnecessary – and this is becoming the norm these days – is watching this film in 3D. There’s really no creative use of the third dimension, so once again it’s a money grab that would leave you with nothing much else apart from strained eyes and a potential headache. The best thing about watching Gulliver’s Travels? The five minute short film before the feature starts, starring everybody’s favourite prehistoric squirrel, Scrat, from the Ice Age franchise.
Rating: * (out of four stars)
Yogi Bear * 1/2
Genre: Comedy
Director: Eric Breviq
Writers: Jeffrey Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin and Brad Copeland, based on characters created by Hanna-Barbera Prods.
Cast: Dan Aykroyd (voice), Justin Timberlake (voice), Anna Faris, Tom Cavanagh, T.J. Miller, Andrew Daly, Nate Corddry
Running Length: 80 minutes
Synopsis: Resident of Jellystone Park and “pic-a-nic” basket stealing bear, Yogi (voice of Dan Aykroyd), together with his younger companion Boo Boo (voice of Justin Timberlake, believe it or not), have been the bane of Jellystone Park’s head ranger, Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh). However, when evil Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) schemes to sell the park to loggers to cover up his misappropriation of city funds, the bears, Ranger Smith and visiting documentary filmmaker Rachel (Anna Faris) must band together to prevent the unimaginable from happening.
Review: Let’s just get this out of the way – if you’re reading this review of Yogi Bear, you’re not the target audience of the movie. This film seems solely intended for viewers below the age of 10, and my guess is that Yogi Bear would be a perfectly fine for these little tots. However, Yogi Bear offers so little for anyone else that any form of recommendation seems a little tenuous. This is not to say that Yogi Bear is a bad movie, just that it’s so mind numbingly bland in every aspect that one wonders what gave this project the green light.
While Yogi Bear is perfectly fine as a cartoon 50 years ago, the 21st Century update renders Yogi and Boo Boo in computer animation while the rest of the film is live action (although there really isn’t much action to speak of, save one sequence). This pairing does make the computer animation stick out even more, and unfortunately the “real” actors simply don’t put in enough effort to bridge the animation-live action gap. This results in an odd, lifeless mess that makes it painfully clear that each and every scene is done in front of a blue screen. It’s likely that even younger viewers would not be able to suspend enough disbelief to make this work.
The film’s storyline seems to have been built on the same premise as the ten-minute shorts that used to make up the Yogi Bear cartoon, and it’s little wonder that when stretched out to eight times its original length, the plot of the movie is so wafer-thin and predictable. There are absolutely no surprises to be had, and everything is telegraphed so far in advance that one can almost predict every turn of the plot, including the denouement, 10 minutes after the movie starts. It doesn’t help that the so-called villains are the most two-dimensional and improbable I’ve seen in years, even for children’s films.
Of course, no one really expects Yogi Bear to be a masterpiece, but the hope that this is more than a 3D money grab for the holiday season is totally dashed long before the end credits roll. Yes, there are some decent (but gimmicky) 3D sequences, and there are a couple of scenes that border on being entertaining, but really, not enough to justify the price of admission (especially in 3D). Justin Timberlake also should be lauded for a spot-on voice characterization of Boo Boo, virtually identical to Don Messick (Dan Aykroyd doesn’t fare as well as Yogi’s “new” voice). The only thing to be thankful for, if you eventually do end up in a cinema watching this movie (hopefully not of your own volition), is that it’s a mercifully short one.
Rating: * 1/2 (out of four stars)
Easy A * * *
Genre: Comedy
Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Bert V. Royal
Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Stanley Tucci, Aly Michalka
Running Length: 93 minutes
Synopsis: Olive (Emma Stone) is a somewhat attractive and rather bright high school student, but seems to be coasting just beneath the collective consciousness of the school. This changes overnight, however, when an innocent lie to her best friend Rhiannon (Aly Michalka) about her virginity – she pretends that she had a one night stand with a college boy – quickly spreads like wildfire through the school. And when she helps to “straighten” a gay friend (Dan Byrd) via a fake but extremely public “sexual encounter”, her reputation as a harlot is cemented. Olive initially enjoys the notoriety and the perks that come with “helping out” other social outcasts, but very soon the negatives that come with such a reputation begin to outweigh its benefits.
Review: Good teen comedies are few and far between, and truly memorable ones can literally be counted on one hand (Mean Girls and Juno are the most recent films that come to mind, and they are a 2004 and 2007 movie respectively). While Easy A doesn’t quite reach the same stratosphere, it is undoubtedly the best teen comedy to be released this year, and probably in the past few years. Much of this has to be credited to the sharp writing of Bert V. Royal, and to the excellent ensemble cast.
Never resorting to puerile humour, the film still manages to bring on the big laughs, much of it from excellent one-liners that, while incisive, remain very funny. Most of these are of course from Olive (much as it is pretty unbelievable that a high school student can come up with these), but Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson get a pretty good share as Possibly The Coolest Parents in the World.
Much of the heavy lifting in the film is done by Emma Stone, and she certainly ranks as one of the biggest surprises of the year. Despite this being her first leading role, Emma Stone handles it more than capably, going toe to toe with a fair number of industry veterans. Her portrayal of Olive is near perfect – everything, from her wit to her insecurities and occasional petulance, is spot on. It’s hard to imagine that a girl as beautiful, smart and confident as Stone could possible be a social outcast and not be able to secure a beau, but her performance is so good most audiences will relate to and root for her anyway.
The film is not without its problems. The plot tends to meander a bit too much, the denouement is a little anti-climactic, and the romantic subplot involving Olive feels rather forced and unnecessary. However, Easy A, like its lead actress, is so charming that one can notice all the little niggling flaws and still find the film a really enjoyable one.
Rating: * * * (out of four stars)
Due Date * *
Genre: Comedy
Director: Todd Philips
Writers: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, Todd Philips
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis
Running Length: 100 minutes
Synopsis: Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is a stressed-out businessman who is trying his best to get home in LA from a business meeting from Atlanta in time to catch the birth of his first child, but a chance meeting with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) and a series of unfortunate events later, the unlikely duo is forced to pair up for a very eventful road trip across America.
Review: If you were Todd Philips, how will you choose to follow up the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time (The Hangover)? The obvious answer is The Hangover 2 (which of course is coming our way in 2011), but in between the two Hangovers, Philips had found a chance to squeeze in Due Date, which in many aspects is almost like a 21st century update to Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Starring one of the hottest leading men in Hollywood, as well as a rising star in the comedy genre, Due Date seems like a movie that cannot fail. However, the end product is a little iffy – while much of Due Date is entertaining and there are a good number of laugh out loud moments, the pacing of the film is off and the conclusion of the film is a textbook definition of the phrase “fizzle out”. While I don’t think Philips was gunning for the same success as The Hangover, this is quite apparently a quickly hashed out movie designed to make some box office bucks before the Oscar big guns and year end blockbusters start arriving at the cinemas.
That in itself is not a crime, of course, but I just wished that Due Date could have stepped up its game a little more – both Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis are more than adequate for their roles, but there is so little character development that all the potential chemistry between the duo is lost in the film’s two dimensions. The screenplay’s attempts to inject some sentimentality into the film don’t really work well either, and come off feeling half-baked and forcefully played out. What’s worse, however, is the way events unfold in the final reel, stretching credibility to the max and ending the film on a very limp note. This is possibly one of the worst denouements in any comedy I’ve seen this year, and that’s saying a lot.
However, Due Date is definitely not a total wash – there are enough funny (though rather expected) scenes to fill the film’s running time, with the best moments in the film coming from the scenes where Peter loses control of his emotions and lashes out at Ethan in one way or another. There are also a fair number of action sequences in the film, and these surprisingly are quite effectively shot. On top of that, Due Date manages to work in some really picturesque shots of the drive across America, and it also features an eclectic, fun soundtrack, something which many people feel is a prerequisite of any good road trip movie. If you’re into buddy movies, Due Date is decent, middling fare – here’s hoping Philips will be able to achieve something greater when The Hangover 2 comes around.
Rating: * * (out of four stars)
Sex and the City 2 * *
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Michael Patrick King
Writer: Michael Patrick King
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Chris Noth, Evan Handler, David Eigenberg, John Corbett
Running Length: 146 minutes
Synopsis: It’s been another two years since freelance writer Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) has finally married the man of her dreams, John Preston aka “Mr Big” (Chris Noth). However, beneath the marital bliss lies some discontent – Carrie is afraid that the spark has gone out of their relationship, especially since Big seems more intent to stay home and watch TV then to go out and paint the town red. Her three best friends are also each having problems of her own: Samantha (Kim Cattrall) enters menopause and is trying her best to beat the clock with handfuls of vitamins and supplements; Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is overworked and underappreciated in the law firm she works in; and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) finds her two children to be more than she can handle, and though her buxom nanny is a great help, she’s afraid that the nanny’s presence may cause Harry (Evan Handler) to stray. After a chance meeting with a sheik, the girls are whisked off to an all expenses paid, one-week vacation in Abu Dhabi, where Carrie chances upon old flame Aidan (John Corbett), and old emotions bubble once again to the surface. Will Carrie’s ever after be as happy as she envisaged it would be?
Review: I’ll be the first to say that I am a big fan of the Sex and the City series, and even though the first movie had quite a few flaws, I was more than willing to let them slide and to go along for the ride. The huge box office success of the movie practically ensured the existence of this sequel, but one cannot help but wonder if it was a good idea. In the first movie, all four women had storylines of their own, which at least managed to justify the epic running length. In this second film, however, none of the women have very substantive storylines, and Samantha and Miranda are both reduced to being nothing but plot devices (just like all the men in the movie) – yet the movie is only 2 minutes shorter than its predecessor. It’s an incredibly bloated and indulgent movie, and there’s so little narrative progression and so much excess that it becomes overwhelming.
And “excess” is truly the keyword that permeates the entire movie. Sure, the out-of-reach fashions and accessories may be interesting, but this time round costume designer Patricia Fields seems to have been equipped with an ugly stick, as some of the fashions are truly gaudy and hideous. A purported $10 million wardrobe budget doesn’t manage to buy good taste, unfortunately. And yes, it’s supposed to be an escapist fantasy, but sometimes it stretches believability a little too much, and throughout the twelve-year lifespan of Sex and the City, it has never been this apparent.
And then there’s the sojourn to “Abu Dhabi” (actually Morocco, and it’s easy to see why Abu Dhabi declined to be part of this movie), which to me is the lowest point in the entire Sex and the City franchise. The name of the game after all is Sex and the City, and the characters do best when they are on their home ground of NYC, not a foreign country. This sequel makes the mistake of keeping the ladies on a foreign land for what seems like more than half the running length, in which all they do is go from tourist locale to another tourist locale. Was this meant to be a travelogue? The Mexico interlude in the first movie was somewhat acceptable because there was a fair bit of plot development, but the way the ladies behave in Abu Dhabi, particularly Samantha, crosses the line of comedy and enters into the realm of bad taste and crassness. It’s so belittling of the Muslim faith and the cultures and traditions of a foreign land that I felt mildly apologetic simply by sitting through it. Sex and the City is supposed to be fun, but it should not be at someone else’s expense.
There are still some brighter moments in the film, where what made the TV series so good comes to the forefront – an example would be the scene where Miranda and Charlotte commiserate about the difficulties of motherhood over Cosmopolitans, and for a moment one is transported back in the better days of the franchise. Unfortunately, too much of the movie is like the (rather painful) Liza Minelli performance of “Single Ladies” early on in the film – everyone looks older, and although their presence is somewhat appreciated, it eventually feels a little too desperate and sad, even for fans. Here’s hoping that Michael Patrick King finally realizes that Sex and the City’s shelf life is up, and to quit while he’s ahead, before the franchise makes a seamless transition to Golden Girls: The Movie.
Rating: * * (out of four stars)
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