Review by Penelope Roth

Roll call: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Chris Noth (also feature celeb appearances from Liza Minnelli, Miley Cyrus and Penelope Cruz).

Running time: 145 minutes.

SATC 2 kicks off in its hometown New York City, where we see what the four girls have been doing over the past two years.

Within the first few scenes, we are told that Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth) are getting a little too comfortable in their married life, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) are dealing with the challenges of being a mother, and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is…well, busy being Samantha.
 
After a very special (and surprising) wedding, director Michael Patrick King gives the audience a sneak peek at what the girls were like when they first met back in the 1980s before taking them half way across the world to the luxurious city of Abu Dhabi (in true SATC style decadence, no less).

Once there, Carrie and co. explore the marvellous treasures that this Middle Eastern city has to offer and manage to cause a stir wherever they go in this season’s latest Jimmy Choos.

The film’s attempt to relate the Arabic culture to the Western world can be racially insensitive at times. Given the cosmopolitan nature of New York City, it's probably fair to expect the well-travelled Carrie to know better than to crack jokes about french fries and burkas.

On the fashion front, stylist Patricia Field exceeds all expectations -- creating a visual spectacle so sensational that will leave you crying out for more. Think vibrant colours, striking silhouettes, bold prints and plenty of ‘sparkle’. Die hard fans will even recognise a few old favourites that get brought out of Carrie’s old (and much smaller) closet.

While the film keeps us entertained with a few good laughs, fabulous fashion, exquisite locations and sexy foreign men (the famous ‘Aussie Budgie smugglers’ even get a cameo), we also get an insight into some of the realities that come with aging.

At the core of the movie is four best friends dealing with the challenges of balancing work and family life, the pressure of having babies, attempting to stay looking youthful and working hard to keep the ‘sparkle’ in a marriage.

Oh, and of course, we also see the much-anticipated return of everybody’s favourite all-American wood-chopping ex-boyfriend Aidan (John Corbett). But with trouble in paradise for Big and Carrie, is their chance meeting fate or just an innocent coincidence?

Why it’s worth your time

If you’re a SATC fan you will love this movie for what it is -- some light-hearted fun.