(out of four)

"Sex and the City: The Movie" is exactly what fans have been waiting for: estrogen-fortified obsessive soul-searching, designer label name-dropping and, of course, multiple references to sex.

If you're not ready to spend 145 minutes with four females navel gazing at how their lives are in crisis, then make a left at the multiplex and see "Indiana Jones" for a second time. Those craving action be forewarned: a Mercedes Benz limousine driving the wrong way down a one-way street is about as testosterone-heavy as this film gets.

Yet for us tried and true "Sex and the City" fans the movie delivers. It's been 10 years since Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte first pounded the New York pavement looking for love in all the wrong places. I prepared for the big screen version by watching the entire second season on an original VHS tape collection, while my "Sex and the City Complete Series" DVD set remained on call if need be in the corner.

For anyone who has never seen the original HBO series that started in 1998, or only caught a splattering of the show a few times while stumbling on TBS reruns, there's no cause for Cliff Notes. Writer and director Michael Patrick King does a great job right off the top of the film filling moviegoers in on everything that transpired during those six seasons before "Sex and the City: The Movie."

When we pick up on the quartet's life, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is no longer a columnist, but a novelist, and continuing her on-again, off-again relationship with Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has moved to Hollywood and graduated from publicist to owner of a talent management firm.

Her main client is Smith (Jason Lewis), the young boy toy she made a star, who also has helped her to give up her philandering ways. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is living in Brooklyn with her husband, Steve (David Eigenberg), and her son, Brady. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) has finally found love with bald-headed Harry (Evan Handler), whom she married and together adopted a daughter from China. Of course, in each of their lives a little rain falls.

The drama continues, but it wouldn't be fair to give away any of the plot twists and turns; that would be like making a Cosmopolitan with cheap vodka. Jennifer Hudson is a new face on the "Sex and the City" scene and adds some freshness as her role of Louise from St. Louis, who nabs the job of Carrie's assistant. The movie manages to get the girls out of New York City, at least for a little while. The four end up at a Mexican resort for some rest and relaxation, and to help Carrie get out of a funk she calls a "Mexicoma."

The jokes still fly and there are some particularly funny scenes with the girls in Mexico, including Charlotte's Montezuma's revenge, and Miranda's noticeable lack of grooming in the bikini area.

"Sex and the City: The Movie" continues to be shockingly naughty. There are twosomes and threesomes, and the audience shares a side glimpse of male genitalia with Samantha as she plays Peeping Tom.

For fashionistas, scenes with amazing wedding dresses designed by Vivienne Westwood, Vera Wang, Christian Dior, and Christian Lacroix are absolutely jaw-dropping -- call it a fashion orgasm.

"Sex and the City" is a chick flick. It's a movie for gal pals to talk about under hair dryers at the beauty salon or over a skim latte. With all action movies out there, "Indiana Jones" and the "Iron Man," the girls of a Big Apple summer are a breath of fresh air.