Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)

I say this as a guy who actually enjoyed the TV show to a certain extent, vice a vi all the nudity and cussing, and who has seen pretty much every episode at least once; this was a terrible movie. Sex and the City: The Movie chronicles what happens to Carrie Bradshaw four years after the series concluded. If you do not want to have the storyline ruined for you, you may not want to continue reading, but I will try to give as little away as possible. To discuss the specific actors in the film seems a little pointless; most of them were recognized throughout the life of the show for their work, although I will say, they did not translate to the big screen as well as one might have hoped. As was typical on the show, the movie has four distinct plots, one revolving around each of our favorite women. This is where the problems arise. I openly admit that I watch a significant amount of television, so I have seen a good number of series sign-offs; the Sex and the City finale was by far the best ending to a successful show that I have ever seen. Every character's story concluded perfectly while remaining realistic and touching. The movie, in an attempt to create conflict where there should have been none, goes on to ruin this. Charlotte's story actually gets better and is done in a way that respects what happened in the show, and Carrie's story, while predictable, is understandable, so for those two, I have no problems. On the other hand, I am forced to take issue with Samantha and Miranda's characters. Samantha ended the show with Smith, a great guy who was realistic for her to fall in love with. She finishes the movie overweight and alone, but the director tries to make it seem like it is a good thing. Miranda's story is by far the worst. Steve, the sympathetic character from the show (with the possible exception of Aiden), turns into a dislikable person, without making Miranda more likable. It was a horrible decision that alone destroyed this film. There are two other major flaws in Sex and the City that I would be remiss to ignore. First, the movie brings in a peripheral character, played by Jennifer Hudson, that becomes a part of Carries life for a few months, and then moves on. It was one of the most pointless things that I can recall. If the character had not existed, it would have made no difference and life would have gone on the same, so why bring her in at all. Second, the movie spends a more than significant amount of time trying to recap things that happened throughout the show's six seasons. Maybe it is just me, but I imagine the majority of the people watching the film were at least somewhat familiar with what happened on the HBO sitcom. Those who didn't watch the show probably don't care what happened then or in the movie at all. Movies like this should be made for the die hard fans of the show, not to create the broadest amount of appeal. My wife loves Sex and the City, she owns all the season's on DVD, and I think she disliked this film even more than I did. I heard they are making a sequel; I hope it is Ocean's 13-esque in that it makes up for a completely disastrous prior installment, otherwise I'm out. I used to wonder why Kim Cattrall was so hesitant to make this film; now I understand. I choose to think about the stories of four single women in New York without including what happened in this pointless movie that I hope to never watch again. I give Sex and the City: The Movie 1 star.