Sex and the City 2

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Coming amidst the type of fevered anticipation you'd normally associate with moody vampires and shirtless teenage werewolves, Sex and the City 2 is somewhat of a return to the acerbic form of the series after a self-indulgent freshman outing for Carrie and the girls at cinemas. It still has extremely limited appeal, as most males dragged along to see all two-and-a-half-hours of it may find little to engage them - other than a still admirably slick Chris Noth - but this colourful, and energetic sequel will delight fans of the HBO series, who want to know exactly what everyone did next.

Opening with a lavish, extravagant, and downright camp wedding, the four ladies come together from near the first frame, and are rarely apart for the rest of the hefty running time. Carrie and Big are mostly happy, but in a bit of a rut; Charlotte is struggling dealing with the pressures of motherhood; while Miranda is still a workaholic, and Samantha still likes younger men - a lot. Ostensibly, not that much has changed, so writer/director Patrick King whisks us off to Abu Dhabi, and Sex and the City becomes Sex in a Fabulous Hotel in the Desert, as our heroines take in a gorgeous, but alien landscape.

Given the divisive endings of shows like Lost and The Sopranos, SATC's final episode on HBO was notable for ending on a quenching high. It was neatly tied up, but left marginally open for further exploration. When the much-mooted cinematic incarnation did come about, most were enthralled by the novelty, as it ultimately lacked so much of what made the series great. In fairness to King, he seems to have taken the quibbles on board, and made a far more fun outing this time. In keeping the ladies together, he restored the dynamic, but has in turn given the obligatory other halves the heave-ho, which will prove no more than collateral damage for hardcore fans.

It is far too long at 160 minutes, and there's no getting around that. The film sags horribly in the mid-section, until the arrival of a much-loved character perks things up somewhat. Pacing is still a massive issue; King could easily have cut off forty minutes and had a leaner, better film. The sparks between all four women are still there, though, and even if King spends too much time having them do nothing - but in a different setting - a relatively frantic final third adds a bit of much needed movement.

Sarah Jessica Parker slips back into her now signature character like she never left, while Kim Cattrall is once again amusing comic relief as Samantha. Cynthia Nixon has nothing to do other than further the plot and give random information about Muslims and The United Arad Emirates; while Kristen Davis is fine, but only occasionally given suitable screentime to shine. It may still be shallow, often silly, and never akin to anything resembling the real world, but Sex and the City 2 will make for a good night out for the ladies - just as it was intended.