SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE

RYAN: It’s almost the equivalent of J.K. Rowling putting out a new Harry Potter book after ending the series. That’s how I feel about the treat that is “Sex and the City: The Movie.”

CAROLINE: I’m almost sad that we’ve already seen it because now the anticipation is over. But it was also painful to have to wait, so I have a sense of relief too. I mean, we’ve only been waiting for 8 months to see this movie!

RYAN: We walked to the theater with grins on our faces and we even got a little dressed up for the screening.

CAROLINE: Maybe not “dressed up,” but I was definitely dressed much more cutely than I usually am for a movie.

RYAN: You even had a celebratory glass of champagne beforehand!

CAROLINE: Honey, this is an event! I can’t deny my tremendous excitement… and I’m happy to say that the movie does not disappoint.

RYAN: Not even a little. The marketing of this film has been crazy. The rumors have been flying and they even shot dream sequences to throw us off. But I loved it. And I feel like if you could hug a movie, I’d hug this one.

CAROLINE: It almost didn’t even feel like a movie to me. Granted, I was watching it in a cinema, but I felt like I was back with my friends watching it at home on HBO. It’s two hours and fifteen minutes long, but I could have easily watched another two hours or more.

RYAN: Absolutely. I would never complain about the length of this film. I don’t think it was totally like watching SATC at home though. The soundtrack was very different; it was like music on steroids, in a good way. The opening credits are brilliant, and so different from the TV show, that it just gets you prepared for something Big. Pun intended.

CAROLINE: The movie is a much more emotional experience than the show usually was. Most episodes were light and airy, and though they occasionally covered heavy topics, they mostly kept it fun, frothy and sometimes raunchy. The movie definitely digs deeper while still being laugh-out-loud funny. There’s less voice over from Carrie too.

RYAN: The three side girls are kind of glossed over; they each get one main story line. Carrie has one story line too, but it’s larger and more involved. I think Miranda and Charlotte got a little gypped. Samantha’s stuff was juicy though, and very funny.

CAROLINE: I loved Miranda’s plot line. As usual, Charlotte gets the short end of the stick, but she still has some fun stuff to do. Speaking of which, Stanford gets the biggest dis of all! He’s basically an extra in the movie. Not that we expected him to have a huge part, but man, couldn’t they have thrown him another line or two?

RYAN: He didn’t speak a word, but Mario Cantone has some great lines. The other difference I noticed on the big screen is that the girls are really showing their age. Maybe it was just the size of the screen, but you definitely notice their physical flaws more than you did on the TV show.

CAROLINE: How dare you! I didn’t even notice. I thought they all looked fabulous. They even wear bathing suits on screen – a big achievement for women in their 40s and 50s. The clothes are ridonkulously amazing, as expected. Sometimes they’re a little over the top, but then you’re like, “So what? It’s ‘Sex and the City’ and I don’t care.”

RYAN: Fashion is a big deal in the movie. It’s fabulous.

CAROLINE: Should we discuss how Jennifer Hudson can’t act her way out of a paper bag?

RYAN: OMG after her first scene, I thought, “This woman won an Oscar?” Clearly when she’s not singing in a role, she’s not good.

CAROLINE: She looks pretty good though, and she grew on me throughout the movie. She’s sassy and cute. And I liked the infusion of the younger girl who represents the lost innocence and youth of our girls.

RYAN: I liked that too, but let’s be honest, there are a lot of young actresses who would have been much more believable in the role. She’s not a natural actress.

CAROLINE: New York City looks fabulous, of course. They shot at some awesome locations like Buddakan, the New York Public Library and Bryant Park for Fashion Week.

RYAN: The product placement totally annoyed me though. Vitamin Water, Mercedes Benz, iPhone – it was too much. HBO must have been broke. Bottom line?

CAROLINE: The movie is tremendously satisfying. Clearly anyone who loved the show or even only saw one episode is going to rush out to see this immediately. Be prepared to weep; I cried at least four times. I didn’t really know what to expect from it, so I don’t know that I got exactly what I was hoping for since I was trying not to hope for anything specific. But I loved it, I loved seeing the girls again and if there’s not a sequel, I’m going to eat my hat.

RYAN: [laughs’ I can’t imagine there won’t be a sequel, though I don’t know what they would do in a sequel at this point. There wasn’t really a door left wide open for another movie like in “Iron Man” or “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” But I would love a sequel. This movie is wonderful; it’s everything you want and absolutely worth seeing on the big screen even though we’re used to seeing it on TV. Welcome back, girls!

CAROLINE: Definitely go with your friends. You will love it!