Reviews: A Review

From time to time the Rex II Theater will post reviews. We won't review everything. We'll just do it occasionally when we feel something warrants it.  This is one of those times.

Reviews: What are they?

Reviews are opinion articles written by journalists, industry insiders, or just movie fans.

Reviews: Where can I find them?

Search for the movie title and “reviews” on the internet.

Reviews: What are some suggestions?

Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, Variety, Vanity Fair…any major newspaper, news magazine or entertainment publication typically has reviews.

Reviews: Why should I read them?

Reviews can be a great source of information about a movie. If you are unsure what a movie is about, a review can help you. Reviews can also point out things to look for in a movie that you might miss otherwise.

Side Note: It is also fun to read bad reviews of movies that you really like and passionately argue with the computer/tablet/phone/magazine/newspaper out loud. It relieves tension in a healthy and nonconfrontational manner. This writer does not speak from experience. Of course.

Reviews: Why should I ignore them?

Reviews do sometimes contain spoilers, so if you are someone who likes to see a movie with no prior knowledge of key plot points then you may want to skip reading reviews.

Also…reviews (like this one) are a singular person’s opinion. Movies are a form of art, and what a movie means to one person may not be what that movie means to another person. For example…the movie “Gone With the Wind” may feel like a delightful slice of classic cinematic entertainment to one person, but may be dismissed as a sugar-coated depiction of a traumatic time of racial tension and war by another person. Both opinions are valid. Mostly likely there are movies that you greatly enjoy that you would not consider a Great Movie. (“Empire Records,” for example. Again…this writer does not speak from experience. Of course.)

Reviews: A summary

So reviews can be a helpful tool, but…like all opinions…they should be taken with a grain of salt. It's always helpful (and polite) to listen to the opinion of others...but in order to form your own opinion, you should see the movie yourself. (And this writer's opinion is that the Rex II Theater is a great place to see those movies. Of course.)

This blog is opinion, not fact. And should be treated as such.