Two years after Miranda repaired her marriage, Charlotte gave birth, Carrie and Big wed and Samantha stayed blissfully single, the gang's happy endings have begun to unravel. After clashing with a colleague, career woman Miranda has quit her job, while mum-of-two Charlotte feels threatened by her kids' gorgeous new nanny. Samantha is struggling through the menopause, and, after a disappointing anniversary, Carrie is worried that the romance has disappeared from her marriage.
So when a PR client offers Samantha an all-expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi, it's an ideal excuse for the girls to leave their problems in New York. The trip, however, conjures up a whole new set of issues, and, for Carrie, brings back an old one.
After the huge success of the first film, this second spin-off from the hit HBO series was probably inevitable. Pitched unashamedly at fans, and the 'girls' night out' gang it's no more, no less, than a light-hearted romp with exotic locales and a succession of eye-catching outfits.
Hitting a lighter note than the first film, which packed in a whole year's worth of character development, this frothy comedy is firmly focused on fun. There are nods to the show's history and treats for devotees, including the return of Carrie's hunky ex Aidan. SATC-haters, however, may find it hard to stomach menopausal Samantha's attempts to score with the Aussie rugby team, comedy burkas or the girls' toe-curling karaoke rendition of I Am Woman.
The plot doesn't require much concentration but there are plenty of entertaining moments, as well as a chance to star-spot. Look out for cameos from Miley Cyrus, Penélope Cruz, and, with a spectacularly bizarre rendition of Beyonce's Single Ladies, Liza Minnelli.
Sex and the City 2 is a Film programme that first aired in 2010 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
