Ladies, dust off your Manolos and prepare for the ultimate girls’ night out because the “Sex and the City” movie is the perfect friend date. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon return as Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. As expected, there is plenty of sex and fashion; the movie, however, has a more subdued tone than the show, as the women struggle with difficulties in their relationships with their partners and each other.

For the first hour the girls are happy and Carrie’s upcoming nuptials to John “Mr. Big” Prescott (played by Chris Noth) take center stage. Of course Carrie’s wedding would not be complete without the perfect dress, and Carrie poses for Vogue as a 40-year-old bride in different gowns from Balenciaga, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta and Karl Lagerfeld, among others. Meanwhile, Samantha has moved to Hollywood to manage the career of her hottie Smith (Jason Lewis); Miranda and Steve (David Eigenberg) are still living in Brooklyn with their son; and Charlotte is in domestic bliss with her Jewish husband, Harry (Evan Handler), and their adopted daughter Lily.

After re-introducing the characters, the problems seemingly strike all at once. What begins as a simple wedding in a label-less dress quickly spirals into something beyond what Carrie and Big ever envisioned, causing Big to question their motives for matrimony. Miranda’s marriage is far from perfect, and the lack of sex has led to a certain indiscretion. Samantha’s new neighbor (who seems to have sex every day) has reminded her of her own previously self-indulgent life, which leads her to question whether she can truly be happy in a committed relationship. Finally, Charlotte fears that her own happy life will crumble as she watches her friends endure their own strife.

The melancholy takes over and the only thing that saves the girls is a trip to Mexico, where Charlotte suffers a hilarious incident after drinking the tap water and the laughter that ensues snaps Carrie back to reality. Of course, the movie does not maintain its sad tone—it lightens up considerably. Jennifer Hudson provides a source of youthful optimism as Carrie’s new assistant, Louise, and helps to drag Carrie out of her funk, while Charlotte acquires some exciting news to add to her bliss. The climactic moment comes when Miranda and Carrie’s friendship is tested towards the end and, finally, the problems are resolved.

Writer/director Michael Patrick King does a fabulous job of keeping true to the general tone of the show. There are no big surprises, and any true fan of the show will enjoy seeing their girls again, although the women are indeed more mature. The movie drags a bit in the middle and can seem a little like a never-ending episode, with the laughs coming far in between periods of moroseness. However, there are some classic moments, and Cattrall provides most of the laughs as the irrepressible Samantha (Note: I will never look at sushi the same way again).

There is substantially less screen time devoted to the guys, there are some parts that seem a bit forced and the ending for Samantha is a complete surprise — not in a good way. Nonetheless, the ladies look stunning, especially considering how much time has passed since the show first began. Additionally, there are plenty of opportunities to appreciate the fashion: the constant shopping and showcasing of labels will make even the drabbest dresser drool with materialistic lust. Newcomers may want to watch a few episodes to familiarize themselves with the characters, and ladies, leave the men at home because this is the girl movie of the summer.