Salt

This movie was much better than I was expecting! It has a few cheesy moments, and at times the back story got confusing, but it was very exciting. The whole time you go back and forth between "Is she good? Is she bad? Wait, now I think she's good again!" One of the bad guys however, I had pegged as soon as he appeared. But that didn't ruin anything - I was still VERY curious about how he tied into it all, and how the movie would end. I'd say CHECK IT OUT for a very suspenseful and entertaining 2 hours!

Am I a movie critic?

I don't really think of myself as a movie critic. I just think of myself as a person who loves movies and has seen a million of them. I don't sit there and scrutinize every single detail about how the movie was directed, filmed, acted, edited, etc. Overall, there are probably only 5 things that make me decide if I liked a movie or not:

1. Was I invested in the story? Did I wonder how it would end? (for example, Coco Before Chanel got a NO)
2. Did I feel anything for the characters? Did I like, love, hate, sympathize, get annoyed, etc with them? (for example: 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days got a YES)
3. Was the plot sloppy, boring, or cheesy? (for example, Amelia got a YES)
4. Did I like the acting? Whether it was good or not, did I like how the actors handled their characters? (for example: Avatar got a NO)
5. Was I wondering when it was gonna end? (for example: Inglorious Basterds got a NO!)

I always get a little embarrassed when my friends tell others about my movie blog, because I know I'm no expert. I have an obviously very basic scoring system for how I rate movies. But, because I'm no expert, I feel like my opinion can help someone decide whether or not a movie is worth their time. I don't really know why I feel the need to post about this whole topic, but I just want to make sure we're (meaning me and the 4 people who read my blog) on the same page. :)

The Road

This movie is not easy to watch. There are so many parts that are SOOO so sad, and as the movie progresses, it just seems to get worse. However, the film is beautiful. I really felt the father's struggle to provide for his child, and my heart hurt for his son who's childhood is ruined. There really aren't many movies that will make you empathize with the characters the way this one does. The film is based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, which won the Pulitzer for Fiction in 2006 (wow). Overall, any film lover like me will appreciate how it was made, so I will say it gets a CHECK IT OUT, but be warned - it's a rough one.

Toy Story 3

This 3rd installment of the Toy Story franchise is very entertaining, just like the first 2. It's enjoyable, sweet, funny and sad at times. However, how many times can they do this same Andy-is-leaving-the-toys-behind story? Because of this I found the plot a little boring, but at the same time, the movie is cute and fun to watch. It's definitely worth watching if you liked the first 2, so CHECK IT OUT - but be aware of the similar plot lines. *Note to Pixar* - try something new next time!

Grown Ups

This movie is actually not too bad! It's very hokey and cheesy on more than one occasion, but it's funny too! Kelsey and I definitely laughed out loud more than once. Plus, underneath all the funny stuff and cheesi-ness, there is a sweet story about dads who want to spend more time with their families. Overall, it definitely won't change your life, but it's worth a watch. CHECK IT OUT!

Eclipse

Okay, the bottom line with all of these Twilight movies is: if you like the series as a whole, you'll probably like the movies. Like most novels-turned-into-films, they are rushed and overly-dramatic. But the drama is a big part of the series (it is, after all, "young adult fiction"), so it doesn't bother me too much. I liked it enough to see it a second time while on vacay... so I guess you could say I liked it. I'm not a Twi-hard (or whatever they're called) but I have read the books and enjoy the story (for the most part... Book 1 and Book 4 are the only exciting ones. Books 2 and 3 were just... okay.) Overall, if this is your first Twilight movie to see, I'd pass. If not, it's full of shirtless Jacob and protective Edward fighting over Bella - which is exactly what all of us want to see!