SATC 2: Not that bad

Given the negative reviews, I braced myself for the worst when I saw "Sex and the City 2" Thursday night. I left pleasantly surprised.

All the negative press is a little exaggerated.

I agree with this writer's suggestion that critics are harsher because our national recession is more obvious than it was in 2008. She notes the current film might be panned for context, rather than content.

If you liked the first "Sex and the City" movie, you likely won't be disappointed with the second one. The fashion's fantastic, the relationship musings are entertaining and, well, did I mention the fashion?

Of course, there are downsides. The movie is pretty long. We saw an 8:05 show and left just a little before 11 p.m.

Also, this film is a lot more predictable and a little more disjointed than the first installment. While the first film seemed to flow nicely, this one is very divided into separate parts that don't always connect well.

That said, is "SATC 2" really that different from an average episode of the show? No. It's a fun diversion.

And even though its characters wear shoes that exceed the limits of my journalism salary, they remind me that moments of relationship uncertainty are facts of life -- no matter how much bling you wear.

(Get "SATC 2" show times here. Click here and here to read my colleagues' views on the movie.)