12 Monday, June 2, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com SEX AND THE CITY From Page 9 (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) have settled into their roles as wives and mothers and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is in L.A. managing her boyfriend's acting career and single-hand- edly making the world safe for "cougars." All the men - Steve, Harry, Smith Jarrod and, espe- cially, Mr. Big (Chris Noth, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent") - are back and play roles in moving the plot along, but, as in the TV show, they take backseat to the ladies. Most of the film's major secrets (Carrie's wedding, Charlotte's pregnancy and Miranda's mar- riage trouble) had been leaked prior to the film's opening, but for many moviegoers - especially devotees of the TV series - the plot is secondary to the experi- ence. For those who can quote lines and spend time debating Big or Aiden, "Sex and the City: The Movie" is a film custom-built for a girls' night out. It capitalizes on the fabulous escapist aspects of the HBO series - the film is basi- cally fashion porn for the masses - but still focuses on the most appealing part of the TV series: loyalty between friends. By them- selves, each character can grate, -but when one woman comes to another's aid, it never feels forced or unrealistic. While the film delivers all that it promises, it could have been better. Somewhere in those four years of hiatus, the ladies got a bit duller. The movie lacks some of "Sex and the City's" great- est staples: the puns, the sexual entendres and, most glaringly, the actual sex. Yes, Parker and the other actresses are older and what is cute and clever at 35 is not as attractive at mid-40, but for a film that declares women are sexy at any age, it tries awfully hard to de-sexify its main characters. The attempt to represent a younger (and non-white) genera- tionbyincludingJennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls") as Carrie's assis- tant is admirable, but Hudson's limited range prevents her from becoming a worthwhile char- acter. Simply put, we don't need these new additions to enjoy the "Sex and the City" movie. In one episode of the TV series Miranda wonders, "Whatever happened to aging gracefully?" and Carrie replies, "It got old." "Sex and the City" thankfully takes a different approach, taking care of the char- acters that we fell for in the first place and giving them a tasteful return to the screen. For lovers of the TV show, it's a mostlyfabulous finish that will hit all the right chords and, more importantly, not trip on the much-hyped catwalk. I 4 Car Repair - compettive ?rtes - F ?z Tat dbade to cacupus - Fama L owWeVl - 30 Uears AIQ Professional ProAutoTechs.com Rutomotine . . S Technicians 734.665.9707 The Driving Force in Auto Repairs" Let us help you move home for the summer. We offer: UPSĀ® shipping Packaging services Packaging supplies And more... The UPS Store makes shipping easy. Find out how at: 2232 South Main St. (Next to Busch's) Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Ph: 734-662-7777 4 1 U OFF UPS GROUND SERVICE 6-3 The UPS Store 1 ' The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., an indirect subsidiary of United Parcel Service of America, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Services and hours of operation may vary by location. 02004 Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. rrrr iwiwii