Sex and the City ***

An indulgent, longish update for fans of the series, the girls from "Sex and the City" are back four years later, each going through a new phase of their lives, which has mostly to do with men and, as always, high fashion. This movie is tailor-made for groups of fan gals to organize an outing and catch up with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda, and each other, with pre- or post-show Cosmos and better clothes than they normally wear to the movies.

First, and perhaps most importantly, the fashion. "Sex and the City" always had the industry's biggest budget for clothes, and SATC the movie does not skimp. There's even a protracted sequence of Vogue (spoiler alert! but not really) wedding dresses for Carrie. The range and variety of outfits is truly breath-taking, and helps keep up the interest (if you're interested in that sort of thing) in some of the rather frequent slow spots. Unfortunately, in this time of record gas prices, recession, and massive layoffs, the focus on fashion as a major focus of your life does seem more retro and insensitive than it did in the show's heyday. It is a shame, for example, that the divine Jennifer Hudson's big scene is with a handbag.

Then there are the stories. As we know, life goes on. There are philandering spouses, the cooling of desire, and the loss of romance, along with the life-affirming surprises of life. It's all just what a clutch of fan-friends could ask for, satisfying on several levels - update, fashion, entertainment - for a fun outing to the movies. Enjoy!

Rated R. 148 minutes. Michael Patrick King - Director / Writer / Producer, Candace Bushnell - Writer (characters from the book), Eric M. Cyphers - Producer, John P. Melfi - Producer, Sarah Jessica Parker - Producer, Darren Star - Producer, John Thomas - Cinematographer, Aaron Zigman - Composer, Jeremy Conway - Production Designer, Michael Berenbaum - Editor.

Principal actors: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Candice Bergen, Jennifer Hudson, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone.