For the hardcore fans, the night Sex and the City 2 comes out is no joking matter. You know how Harry Potter fans come to the theater decked out in capes and wizard costumes? Similarly, SATC fans dress up too: they get all made up, pick out a killer outfit (high heels are a given) and for accessories: bring all of their best girlfriends along for the ride. In the much anticipated sequel, we get a gay wedding, great cameos from Liza Minnelli, Miley Cyrus and Penelope Cruz, a trip to Abu Dhabi, and of course, clothes that are to die for. Costume designer Patricia Field didn't disappoint: the outfits in the film are so lavish that the film works, if on no other level, then as a very long, over-the-top fashion show.
I do, unfortunately, have one not so little complaint: the movie just wasn't very good. A longtime fan of the TV series, i've come to know Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda very well. The sequel, even more so than the 1st Sex and the City movie, continued to neglect the other three girls, and focus only on Carrie. To make matters worse, Carrie is as self-absorbed and bitchy as ever. This would be only a minor complaint...if only the movie weren't a bloated 2 and 1/2 hours long. 
Here's the thing: we've gotten to that point in the story where things are very different than they were in season 1 of the show. This is no longer the story of four single middle-aged girls. Three are married, two of which have kids. Sex and the City 2 was an excuse to push the story further, and give us more time with the gals. But in those 2 and 1/2 hours, unlike the first film, nothing...seriously nothing, happened. Thankfully there were those moments where we got a taste of that SATC humor we all know and cherish. And we even got a very touching scene between Miranda and Charlotte to remind us why we love these women's friendship so much. But more often than not, it felt like the film was just making a fool of our four characters. Charlotte spends the majority of the film on her cell phone, paranoid that her husband's cheating on her; Samantha spends more time talking about menopause than sex (but don't worry...you will get your dose of crude Samantha humor and it pays off); Carrie spends the entire time worrying about her marriage with Big, and Miranda kind of just sits there and spouts out facts about the Middle East. However, the setting of Abu Dhabi (which was actually filmed in Morocco) was a treat, and some of the great humor of the movie played off the culturally differences when it comes to women and sex in the Middle East vs the U.S. We even get reunited with the beloved character of Aidan...even if he only has about 5 minutes of screen time. 
All in all, fans will still be entertained, and will most likely enjoy the experience of being in the Middle East with their fav girls. But even so, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw: 'I couldn't help but wonder'...was the sequel really all that necessary?
Rating: C
You know how lately it feels like Hollywood keeps squeezing out one pointless sequel after another, sequels that do nothing to further the story and, for all intents and purposes, have no reason to exist? Shrek Forever After is unfortunately no exception.
In the 4th and final installment, we are reunited with Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and all the other characters we've come to know and love. Shrek is happily married to his true love, Fiona, and they have 3 children together. But Shrek is starting to feel the unchanging routine of family and marriage life setting in, and longs for the days when he was "a real ogre" and was feared by everyone and left alone. So, in the same vein as 'Its a Wonderful Life", Shrek makes a deal with the evil Rumpelstiltskin. The deal is that Shrek must give up one day from his past for one day where things could go back to how they used to be. However Shrek is tricked and thrown into a world where he never met Fiona or Donkey, and Ogres are being hunted and captured. Its up to him to find a way out of the contract and save himself and those he loves before its too late.
Heres the thing about Shrek Forever After though: it was completely pointless. Having not really remembered the other movies had no effect on my viewing experience, because as I watched I realized it was all just a rehashing of the franchises earlier moments....except usually not as funny. The story wasn't pushed any further, we didn't learn anything new...it was a sequel, with no other purpose, but to be another box-office killer.
While the film definitely had its moments, and the little kids in the theater seemed to be enjoying themselves, I found myself bored in the middle of the movie. 3D always adds an extra element of fun into the movie...yet even with the 3D, it still wasn't able to match the magic of the first. All in all: Shrek Forever After left me forever uninterested in a Shrek 5.
Rating: C
If you’ve seen the Letters to Juliet trailer, then you know that it “gives everything away”…but that doesn’t change the fact that Letters to Juliet is without a doubt one of the most delightful, heartwarming romance movies I’ve seen in some time.
It has all the makings of a romance that most girls will swoon over: ridiculously good-looking and charming leads, two love stories that are to die for, and what is perhaps the main star of the film: the breathtaking Sienna, Italy.
All of these ingredients mix together seamlessly to form the sweetest, most delicious concoction of a movie possible…with a topping of extra cheese. However I mean this in the most endearing way possible, because it is the finest type of cheese available. The film recognizes, and even pokes fun at, some of its antics every now and then, making it both self-aware and romantic…a tough mix to master. The acting was great all around. Amanda Seyfried was whimsical, very likable and had wonderful chemistry with male lead and newcomer Christopher Egan. And do I even need to mention how good Vanessa Redgrave was? As always, she took her role above and beyond, bringing depth and emotion to the character of Claire, making it impossible not to root for her with all of your heart throughout the film.
If you’re interested in seeing this movie in the first place, I doubt you’re a cynic who minds a little dose of fantasy here and there. And If you are, I don’t think I need to tell you twice to stay away. But If you want to get swept away with a movie for two hours, I can’t think of a more magical way to do so than with Letters to Juliet.
Rating: A-