Movie Reviews

I suppose that if I'm going to post what I think about movies, I ought to come up with some kind of clever rating system. Nahhh! My system is pretty basic:

**** (four stars)
Loved the movie! I'll see it again in the theater, and buy it when it comes out on video.

*** (three stars)
Liked the movie! I might see it again in the theater, and might buy it when it comes out.

** (two stars)
Didn't like the movie. I won't see it again in the theater and won't buy it when it comes out. I wish I had rented it instead.

* (one star)
Hated the movie! I wish that I hadn't wasted my money on it, and I wish that I had those hours of my life back.


To be fair, there are some very good movies that I just don't like for some reason. "Mr. Holland's Opus" was a great movie that I hated for reasons that maybe I'll explain here some day. Likewise, "Bridge to Terabithia." I was waiting in line at Chunky's to buy tickets for that one, when my son asked, "I wonder if the girl will die in the movie like she did in the book?" What? What??? I go to the movies to be entertained; I don't go to see kids dying. I'll read the paper if I want that.

As I said, I go to the movies to be entertained for a couple of hours. In the case of Sci-Fi / Fantasy flicks, I want my imagination to be tickled. I'm not trying to figure out where the Academy Awards are going. I don't care how much money they're raking in at the box office. Just make me believe that my time and money were well spent.

Some examples:
**** Shorts, Iron Man, Star Trek

*** Couples' Retreat, Legion

** Minority Report, Firewall

* Watchmen, The Birdcage


Chunky's Cinema Restaurant