Year ago, people used to be able to go to movies and just enjoy them. Sure, depending on the movie some would have been more enjoyable than others – I mean, the adventure of Raiders of the Lost Ark was perhaps a touch more “fun” than all the crying in Terms of Endearment (yes, that’s sarcasm). But somewhere along the way, with the evolution of the internet and the idea that everybody’s opinion needs to be made public, we stopped being satisfied with seeing a movie for the enjoyment factor and started critiquing everything about it. 

Now maybe you’re saying to yourself, “Why should I read this? Why should I care about yet another opinion, especially from someone who does exactly what she’s complaining about?” Yes, I am a critic – I write reviews of movies and books and television shows. And sure, this post is pretty much criticizing being a critic… and yet, I don’t consider it hypocritical. You see, I’m not saying people shouldn’t have opinions and (sometimes) share them. I’m talking about going into a movie with a mindset of picking it apart.

Too often these days you read reviews where it’s obvious the critic went into the movie determined to not like it and they simply waited for that dangling carrot they could form their hate around. Far from just “it didn’t follow the book”, virtually every movie now gets critiqued on the gender/racial diversity of the cast (regardless of the characters in the source material), the depiction of violence, how “healthy” the relationships are, scientific accuracy, realistic/practical actions of characters or plot development – the list goes on. Every viewer can find something to complain about with every movie.

If you’ve read my reviews, you know I’m not innocent in all of this, I’ll admit that. I try to give things a fair shake, but when a problem really stands out in a movie I feel the need to point it out. And yes, when it comes to the comicbook movies, I do often get deep into my geekdom and call out things that only fans would pay attention to. But I still go to movies to enjoy myself. I love the magic of the big screen and, to be honest, it’s why I seldom see dramas in the theater – they have no spectacle or action that requires an experience (and even if they are “good” movies, they can seldom be classified as “enjoyable”).

Just remember: you do you. Go to the movies you want to see because you WANT to see them. And enjoy yourself, regardless of what someone else might be saying about a particular movie. Sure, not every film is an instant classic or even something you’d want to watch again when it hits DVD. But maybe consider giving your brain a break for a couple of hours and immerse yourself in the magic.