Movie | Sex And The City 2

Sex And The City 2
Sequel To: Sex And The City: The Movie
Distributed By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Released On: May 27, 2010 (USA)
DVD Release: October 26, 2010 (USA)
Rated: 15
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Format: DVD
Rating: 4

Big budget sequel following the lives of four fashion-obsessed Manhattan girlfriends as they navigate the uncharted waters of marriage and motherhood. Although for Carrie Sarah Jessica Parker, Samantha Kim Cattrall, Charlotte Kristin Davis and Miranda Cynthia Nixon domesticity is turning out to be all they'd wished for, its not long before the girls are yearning for something/anything to break the routine. Luckily for them, a little spice, this time in the form of a glamorously exotic adventure, proves to be just what the girls need to recharge their batteries.

When the first Sex and the City movie was released, I admit I was sceptical. When the second was released, I was convinced the creators were pushing their luck. As a long running and much loved TV series, many believed that it should be left as just that, and let the past be the past. However, in my opinion, the first of the Sex and the City movies lived up to the expectations set by the series but I didn’t expect the second movie to.

Sex and the City 2 follows the four girls – Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda – on an all expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi. For Carrie, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a break from her marriage which is seeing some issues. For Miranda, who has just quit her job, there is no better time for a trip away. Charlotte, although not wanting to admit it, could use a break from a child in the terrible twos, and Samantha has a work opportunity of a lifetime. What could possibly go wrong in a place so far from New York, in both distance and morals?

Although the second movie did not live up to the expectations set by the first instalment, it was much better than I had anticipated. Seeing the four girls so far away from their comfort zone in New York was slightly strange though highly amusing and made for an enjoyable story. Samantha and her struggles with menopause only added to the humour and I often found myself having a giggle at her expense. The added twist of an ex-boyfriend appearing was not what I expected but I enjoyed the reappearance of another character from the show and it resulted in a good plot twist. All in all, the general story was enjoyable and not entirely predictable.

With a cast like that of Sex and the City, there was never going to be any problems with the acting in this movie. All characters were portrayed well, as expected since the cast members have been playing them for so long. Kim Cattrall’s portrayal of Samantha is to be applauded as always, in my opinion, as she once again gave an entertaining performance and continually had me giggling.

Generally, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Although it is not on par with the previous movie or the original TV series, it was not the disaster it could have been. It was an enjoyable and amusing story with a talented cast portraying great characters.

Movie | Despicable Me

Despicable Me
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Released on: July 9, 2010 (USA)
DVD Release: December 14, 2010 (USA)
Rated: PG
Genres: Animation, Comedy
Format: DVD
Rating: 4

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.


I am probably the last person in the world to watch Despicable Me. I am not usually a fan of animated movies but, ever since its release, I was told time after time that I needed to see it.

Despicable Me is the story of super-villain Gru who, along with his team of minions, is attempting to reclaim his super-villain title after a new super-villain bursts onto the scene having stolen the Pyramids. To assist with his mission, he adopts three orphaned girls to help him take down the enemy. However, the arrival of these three girls threatens to ruin his super-villain reputation.

As is the case with animated comedies these days, Despicable Me is definitely a family friendly movie. Although primarily a children’s movie, it contains various levels of humour which appeal to both a young children and adults. This family friendly quality, when done well, is often what makes movies like this so enjoyable.

As well as the comedic aspect, Despicable Me also contains the element of family as we see the relationship between Gru and the three girls grow throughout the movie. This is a very heart warming aspect of the movie.

There is also the underlying theme of never giving up on your dreams as we see Gru attempt to fly to the moon as was his childhood dream. It illustrates the importance of not giving up, no matter how hard things become. This underlying theme is important in films like this one as the children watching can be influenced.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It is definitely one of the best animated films I have watched and one of the few I actually do like. I would definitely recommend it to all ages.

Book | Crossed by Allie Condie

Crossed by Allie Condie
Series: Matched #2
Published by: Penguin
Published on: November 24, 2011
Genres: Dystopian, Romance
Pages: 367
Format: eBook
Rating: 3

The Society chooses everything. The books you read. The music you listen to. The person you love. Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him. And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope. But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems... A rebellion is rising. And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.



Ally Condie’s Crossed is the second book in the Matched Trilogy. The trilogy features the main character, Cassia, who lives in a society in which teenagers are provided with their perfect match based on data gathered by the society. After her Match Banquet, Cassia discovers she has been matched to two people, Xander and Ky.

In the second book in the trilogy, Cassia leaves the comfort of her normal life and family in search of Ky. It follows her journey through work camps, deserts and canyons on her search for Ky and for the Rising.

Although not as good as the first book, Crossed is still an enjoyable read. However, it is missing a lot of the things I enjoyed about Matched. I found the details about the society, and their control over everyday life, very interesting when reading the first book. These details are very few in the second book as Cassia is no longer in her hometown and controlled by the society to the same extent. Even with the lack of these details, the story itself was quite good and I did enjoy the book in general.

I found in the first book that the characters were developed well and it was not difficult, at least for me, to connect with the characters. I didn’t feel as though the characters were developed quite as well in this book and I did not find myself establishing any connection with the new characters introduced. 

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the ending of the book. I know the book is part of a trilogy but I really hate when a book ends very abruptly. I understand that the idea is to end the book on a cliff-hanger to make the reader want to read the next book in the series, but I feel that this was done badly, just as it was in the first book. On finishing a book, I expect to be left wanting more. Instead, it ended so abruptly that I felt as though the last part of the book was missing.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and will be reading the third book in the trilogy. It does not live up to the standard of Matched but I would recommend reading it if you have read the first book.

(PS Another old review, the better ones will come)