A FILM SO PLEASED WITH ITS VACUOUS, TRASHY, ART-FREE EXTRAVAGANCE THAT ITS POSTER SHOULD BE TAPED TO THE DINGY WALLS OF TERRORIST SLEEPER AGENTS WORLDWIDE: Our friend Matt Zoller Seitz did not care for Sex and the City 2.
ETA: He's hardly alone. Buzzfeed has a great roundup to the critical reaction to "Lawrence of My Labia."
My first thought upon seeing that this was coming out: "Well, that's going to be critic-proof."
ReplyDeleteNot even Star Wars is critic-proof any more. Clone Wars tanked (though admittedly, it wasn't a traditional Star Wars movie). The first SATC movie wasn't terribly good, but I admired that they were willing to take a couple of the characters to a somewhat dark place and have that have consequences (as the show did from time to time). Based on everything I've read, this one is pure sparkly wish fulfillment. (And 2.5 hours of it!)
ReplyDeleteI had the great pleasure of seeing a screening of SATC2 on Tuesday night with Michael Patrick King present for a Q&A after the film. I'm a die-hard SATC fan, so the ladies could basically be on the screen chewing gum for 2+ hours, and I'd love it. That being said, to paraphrase the writer himself, when the first movie was released 4 years (I think 4) after the TV show wrapped, the movie audience was just happy to see their friends again. That's how I feel with SATC2 as well; I'm entertained by the four ladies and find their chemistry so entertaining. No more to say. Are they realistic? Maybe not. Are the clothes a bit much already? Probably. But that's what I paid to see. (Oh wait, the screening was free!) You know what I mean. I went to see what kinds of shenanigans my friends were up to this time around. And they delivered...I laughed out loud and in many cases found their larger-than-life characters highly relatable.
ReplyDeleteAs for Michael Patrick King...he's lovely. Very amusing, and humbled by the many compliments from the audience. I was happy to be there and got the opportunity to thank him for the great gift he's given us over the years. He thanked me right back.
If you liked SATC on TV, then I think you'll like SATC2 on screen. I can't see why not. That's my reveiw!
And let me just say...those critics are so damn critical. Anyone paying to see SATC2. let me see, um, wants to see it and probably won't be disappointed. If they live in a cave and say, "Oh. I hear there's this movie about some gals from New York. Never heard of it, but maybe they're just like us," well...maybe those people will be stunned and offended. You know what, I don't like movies like Avatar, so I don't see them. Free country. I made my choice.
ReplyDeleteStepping off my glittery, overpriced, indulgent soapbox now. Oh, and by the way, maybe we'd like to forget about the horrible economy for 2 hours and remind ourselves that it's okay to escape to a fantasy world for a little bit.
Now I love SATC and I really enjoyed the first movie, but like Kcosmo's neighbor, I am going to the movie to hang with my friends (both in real life and on screen). I know that it will not resemble great or even good cinema in any way. I also can pretty much guarantee that I watch it in theatres Monday with a few close girlfriends and probably never again, but I bet Monday we will have a really great time. Of course no critics like it. Of course they don't, it is basically a slap in the face to everything they like about movies. I kind of wish that is what they would say in the review. Especially some of the critics who are not just movie critics (and therefore probably opposed to the entire concept behind this movie) but starting from a point so far out of the demographic wheelhouse of a SATC fan that I would appreciate it if one of the wrote a review that was like, listen real fans of this movie aren't going to care what I say about it, and I don't want to see it, so I just skipped it and am writing this little admission of reality instead.
ReplyDeleteThank you KCosmo's Neighbor and Heather K - I'm looking forward to the 2.5 hours of absolute escapism!
ReplyDeleteOk, I saw it. And the film I saw was nowhere near as bad as Zoller Seitz and others made it out to be.
ReplyDeleteWas it in any way a classic film? No.
If you liked the tv show, will you enjoy this film? Yes.
Was Abu Dahbi a bit much? Yes.
Was the show still hanging out with our friends? Yes.
And no you won't like it if you never liked the show.
I saw it, and I enjoyed it. But I'm a fairly die-hard SATC fan, and while I'm always happy to spend time with these characters, a lot of it bugged me and disappointed me.
ReplyDeleteI felt like their sense of privilege was just out of control. While I was moved by Miranda and Charlotte struggling with motherhood, I couldn't forget that they both had full-time nannies and could afford not to work. They traveled to Abu Dhabi for FREE in private plane suites, then got an amazing hotel suite with personal butlers and drivers, and when they go to ride on camels, the hotel sends over couture clothes to ride in? It just got so ridiculous at times that it took me out of the movie, and I missed the characters I had loved on the tv show. (I also missed the guys, especially Harry and Steve, who we barely see.) And I liked the idea that every marriage makes its own rules, and was sad to see Carrie (and the movie) back off from it at the end.