Movie Review: Sex and the City - Starring Sarah Jessica Parker & Chris Noth
Released: May 30th, 2008
Runtime: 2 hr. 24 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: None
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon & Chris Noth
Director: Michael Patrick King
Rating: Worth a Rental
Synopsis: Carrie and the girls all got their happy endings at the end of the series. As the movie opens Samantha is in L.A. living with and managing boy toy Smith Jerrod. Carrie is still with Big. Charlotte and Harry are living blissfully with their adopted daughter. Miranda and Steve are together with their son, but with a lot less bliss. Carrie and Big decide to move in together and then to get married. Miranda gets some devastating news from Steve. Samantha puts on a few pounds denying her wants. Charlotte puts on a few pounds getting what she wants. Couples breakup. Couples get back together. One stays single. But, they all live happily ever after once again.
Review: Went into the Sex and the City movie pretty clean, having never seen a complete episode of the series. Had seen plenty of clips, caught a minute or two here and there while flipping channels, and obviously had seen the ads and trailers for the movie, but have just never got the attraction. So, with that in mind, let’s talk about the movie.
Sex and the City is long and predictable. It has plenty of good lines and funny moments, although a frisky dog is a bit overused. Yet, sitting here about 10 hours after the movie ended, can’t really remember any of them. But, where things really go wrong is with all the drama.
You need conflict to create a compelling story, even in a comedy, but this all just seem so contrived in order to have a reason to extend the Sex and the City franchise. Begin with happy couples. Pull them apart. Put them back together. They live happily ever after. You just knew that everybody was going to end up with a happy ending once again. They couldn’t do anything else, because fans of the show would’ve been pissed. Knowing this just made everything feel so predictable.
What is worse, is that the predictability is so, well…predictable. Too much of what happens is so overtly telegraphed. Foreshadowing is one thing, but you’ve got to be a little clever about it. For example, if you don’t know what the password is as soon as Carrie sits down at the computer or how things are going to end up for Carrie and Big after they argue about the wedding, then you’ve never seen a movie before.
Another problem was the length. At times it really seemed to drag. In a half-hour show, you tend to focus on a main story and a side story and over the course of the season everyone’s story moves ahead. So, with four main characters, they had to come up with something for each to deal with in the movie. That makes it like four super-sized episodes blended together.
Overall, Sex and the City is probably worth a rental, especially if you’re a fan of the HBO TV series and have about two and a half hours to spare.
Have you seen Sex and the City? What did you think about the movie? Let us know in the comments.
What New Movies Begin Playing Friday, May 30th?
On Friday we get six new movies hitting screens near you. Two are opening everywhere and four are in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, May 30th:
Movie: Sex and the City (R) (Read Review)
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon & Chris Noth
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Don’t really have any idea, other than the ladies from the show are all back and Carrie gets a new assistant played by Jennifer Hudson of Dreamgirls and American Idol fame.
First Thoughts: I don’t think I have ever even watched a full episode of the show, but given the week’s other offering, this is probably what I’ll be watching.
Movie: The Strangers (R)
Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis & Glenn Howerton
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Synopsis: A couple in a remote house are terrorized by three masked strangers. The couple has to do whatever they can to survive.
First Thoughts: Could not careless about another psychos chase people and try to kill them movie.
Movies in Limited Release:
- Bigger, Stronger, Faster* - Biographical documentary about steroids and pop culture.
- The Foot Fist Way - A martial arts comedy that has a strip mall dojo owner heading out to find he movie hero after he finds his wife is cheating on him.
- Savage Grace - Julianne Moore (Freedomland) in a period drama about parent’s insecurity and conflict over their son’s sexuality that leads to tragedy.
- Stuck - Psychological thriller about a young woman with a bright future that hits a homeless man on her way home after too many drinks, but instead of trying to save him, decides to let him die and dispose of the body later, so no one will know what happened. The guy tries to figure an escape to get help before he dies.
For New Movie Friday there are two new movies to choose from this week. They are Sex and the City and The Strangers. What new movie looks good to you this week?
Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Starring Harrison Ford & Shia LeBeouf
Released: May 22nd, 2008
Runtime: 2 hr. 4 min.
Ticket Price: $7.50 Matinee
Refreshments: None
Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent & Shia LaBeouf
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rating: Worth a Matinee
Synopsis: Indiana Jones is racing the Soviets to the lost city of Akakor, deep in the Peruvian forest. They are in pursuit of a mystical crystal skull that legend says will bestow powers on the one who returns it. Others along for the ride include his old flame, a long-time friend and a new sidekick.
Review: For its fourth foray into the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a fun piece of nostalgia. Fans of the series will enjoy the nods to the previous films.
There is a lot to like: great lines, escapes, fights, the score, settings and more. But, even though it lasts just over two hours, the movie just seems to fly right by. Yet, when its over, you don’t feel like you have seen anything substantial.
It has been a while since watching any of the Indiana Jones movies, but when you think of them, the first thing that comes to mind, is not science fiction. Dealing with things in the supernatural genre, yes, but not science fiction. So, where this film takes you just seemed odd. The trip to get there was good old Indiana Jones fun. The payoff is where the main problem lies.
Overall, it’s worth checking out a matinee. It would have garnered a better rating, but the ending just leaves you feeling flat.
What did you think of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Let us know in the comments.
What New Movies Play Friday, May 23rd?
Well, nothing really opens on Friday, at least nationwide. Overall, there are five new movies hitting the big screen. One is opening everywhere and four are in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Thursday, May 22nd:
Movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13) (Read Review)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent & Shia LaBeouf
Genre: Action Adventure
Synopsis: Indiana Jones is racing the Soviets to the lost city of Akakor, deep in the Peruvian forest. They are in pursuit of a mystical crystal skull. Others along for the ride include his old flame, a long-time friend and his new sidekick.
First Thoughts: Hopefully, it lives up to half the hype. Harrison looks pretty good for like 65, or maybe that is just part of the special f/x.
Movies in Limited Release:
- The Children of Huang Shi - An adventure drama base on true events about a young British reporter that rescues 60 orphans.
- The Edge of Heaven - A Turkish psychological drama.
- Postal - An action comedy that stars Dave Foley (Newsradio) as a phony cult leader that tries to save his compound from being closed.
- War, Inc. - A black comedy starring John Cusack, Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Joan Cusack and Dan Aykroyd about a troubled hit man that to protect his cover has to plan a pop stars wedding.
For New Movie Friday there is one new movie to choose from this week. It is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. What new movie looks good to you this week?
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