Sex and the City 2

I don't care what the critics say. Sure, it's not as good as the TV show. Sure, it's not as good as the first film. (Although at least this isn't weighed down by a totally pointless supporting performance by Jennifer Hudson). And, yes, it's extravagent. Yes, it's over the top. Yes, it's flawed. But guess what? I had a hell of a lot of fun watching this movie!
The film opens with a really cute, clever quick history lesson of New York B.C. That's Before Carrie. Then it shows the way the four ladies met in the 80s before bringing us up to date on their lives now, two years after the first film. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth) are married and happy - although suffering some speed bumps. Big wants to stay home and order take out and watch TV. Carrie wants a little more glamour. Meanwhile, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is struggling to handle her two children and her hot nanny. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is dealing with issues at work, mainly a new boss who isn't a fan of such an outspoken, powerful woman. And Samantha (Kim Cattrall), well, Samantha is just being Samantha. The ladies are all in need of a vacation. But first, it's on to Connecticut where they attend the wedding of - gasp! - Stanford and Anthony officiated by - are you ready for it? - LIZA MINNELLI!!!! Liza is all kinds of fabulous (Miranda jokes that when there is so much gayness, she just magically manifests) and performs the Beyonce song and dance Single Ladies which just might be the greatest moment in film so far this year!
After the wedding, the ladies return to NYC where they all attend a premiere for Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis, who is too hot for words). There, Samantha meets the sheik of Abu Dhabi who offers her and her ladies an all expense paid trip to his luxory hotel. Of course, they take the trip and have a hell of a lot of fun in the desert. I'll spare you the details but to sum things up: camels, kareoke, bellydancers, AIDEN!, jail, sex on the beach, etc.
There has been a lot of criticism of this movie and I don't necessarily agree with all of it because the people who are criticizing it probably aren't fans of the show to begin with. But one criticism I've been hearing which I think is valid is the fact that the ladies spend most of the movie in Abu Dhabi. In the show and much of the first movie, New York was like a fifth character. It was so essential to the show that you can't imagine the film taking place in any other city. So, I agree they spend too much time in the desert but so what? It's still a fun movie! It's still great to check in on these characters again and see what they have been up to. For a generation of women, this show was something very special. It was like hanging out with girlfriends every week. Even if this movie isn't quite up to par, it's still like checking in on old friends.
In summary: the movie is flawed, sure. But it's still a lot of fun. If you are a fan of the show and the first film, I really don't see why you wouldn't enjoy fun fun follow-up!
Grade: B-

Catching up with 2010

Apologies for neglecting this for so long. I'm going to do a quick recap of the 2010 movies I've seen so far and then update this regularly!

From best to worst...

Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese doesn't ever disappoint. Shutter Island is full of fantastic performances (DiCaprio, Williams, Mortimer, Clarkson, Von Sydow, Kingsley, Haley, Ruffalo). It remains true to the wonderful book it comes from and manages to be a smart, trippy thriller that will leave you thinking for hours and days after you've seen it. It's mesmerizing and, like the critics say, demands to be watched again and again. Grade - A-

Kick Ass - Look, it's not the most brilliant movie ever or anything but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Chloe Moretz is nothing short of AMAZING as Hit Girl, a foul mouthed 11 year old who will kick your ass. Nicolas Cage is impressive too. It's pretty much the most fun I've had at the movies this year so far. Grade - B

Iron Man 2 - Honestly, it's a little bit of a let down. The first Iron Man was brilliant. This falls short. Not to say it's bad because it's not. It's still a pretty good movie. There is just way too much going on. The script isn't as sharp or funny as the first. Sam Rockwell totally steals the show. Still a good popcorn movie, but I'm not sure it's necessarily a good movie. Grade - C+

Alice in Wonderland - I'm one of the few who doesn't go crazy for all things Tim Burton. I really loved Helena Bonham Carter's take on the Red Queen and some of the imagery was good. Overall, I thought it was just kind of average. Grade - C

The Crazies - Again, just kind of average. It was ok as far as horror movies go. It was a nice throw back to old school horror movies. It kept my attention but I wasn't jumping out of my seat about it. Grade - C

Nightmare on Elm Street - I had this theory that Hollywood could only remake Wes Craven movies well (see also: The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes). Well, I was wrong. I don't necessarily think this was a bad movie. In fact, there were a couple changes they made that I really prefered. Still, some of the plot holes were substantial and out of the kids, Kyle Gallner was really the only one would could act. Also, I think Jackie Earle Haley was the perfect choice for Freddy but I don't think his role was written particularly well. Grade - C-

Valentine's Day - Just like 98% of other romantic comedies, this is cliche in every sense of the word. There is nothing unique or interesting about it. Except for that fricking cast. Half of the cast I didn't even care about, really, but Jennifer Garner, Eric Dane, Jessica Biel and Bradley Cooper helped me keep my interest. Grade - C-

The Back Up Plan - Thank goodness I got in for free because this was all kinds of awful! Grade - D+

The Book of Eli - Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals and Gary Oldman couldn't save this mess. Grade - D+

Edge of Darkness - Despite being gorier than I anticipated, the script was still awful and complicated and just plain dumb. I love Danny Huston though. Grade - D-

Daybreakers - My love for Ethan Hawke couldn't save this stupid, stupid movie. Stupid premise. Stupid script. Stupid delivery. Just stupid. Grade - F

Legion - I don't even really want to talk about this movie since I have tried to shut it out of my memory. All I will say is that it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Grade - F