Sex And The City 2

I read the reviews, and I know how sequels work. I expected to be disappointed but I went to see "Sex And The City 2" anyway. With such low expectations, I figured that I would at least have some fun.

Boy was I disappointed. But not in the way that one would expect. I was disappointed as a marketer.

"Sex And The City" has lost its brand!

First of all, there was no City in "Sex And The City 2". Part of the premise of the television series was Carrie Bradshaw's love affair with NYC. The city was always there for her and never let her down. It was no where to be seen in this movie. Jeeeeeezzzze.

Secondly, nothing was relateable. I could find nothing in these women that resembled "normal" life, particularly in this economy. Not the clothes, nor the apartments, the lifestyle, the dialogue. Being able to relate to these women living, working, and enjoying the city was a big part of the brand.

The core premise of the television series was the never-ending knowledge that your friends are there for you, always. It was still in the movie, but it was completely buried in one-liners and ridiculous excesses. Except for the one line from Samantha which was priceless: "Men, babies, doesn't matter. We made a pact a long time ago. We are soul mates". I wanted more of THAT!

So what was the one take away? The one true insight?

Once you get to the place that you've been dreaming of and growing towards your whole life, don't be surprised if you're disappointed. That's not what the "Sex And The City" brand is all about! C'Mon!

Carrie finally got Big and doesn't want to be home with him. Charlotte finally got her children and they make her crazy. Miranda finally got the big lawyer job, and she gets abused by her male boss.

OK, maybe parts of this were real, but the writers didn't leverage it the way that they could have, and certainly not in a "Sex And The City" way. They totally missed the mark, and the brand, by not taking us down this path but instead taking us to the Middle East.

So my real disappointment is that "Sex And The City" stood for something. It had a real insight about life in the city and about trying to make it in the world and about expressing yourself and about relying on your friends to get through it all. The movie lost its sense of brand, and for that it's a real missed opportunity.

Bummer.

What's your experience? Jim.