Too often it doesn't. Some movie reviewers are simply out to flex their literary muscles and nothing more. At Movie-Popcorn, you can get your movie reviews without first having to attend film school, and that's our other goal here: reviews that are intelligent but comprehensible, easy to understand but not dumbed down.

Going to the movies is about fun, first and foremost. It's true, every so often an "important" film comes along that warrants discussion, such as Schindler's List or even Crash, and those films will inevitably receive a more serious write-up. But when going to the movies becomes more about "studies in broadly-translated euphoric existentialism" than about fun, well, you've kind of lost your focus. That's our opinion, anyway.

A Word About Grades

Just as all movies are not created equal, the same is true with the grades we give them in their reviews. Since each film is graded strictly on its own terms, and not in comparison with any other, that's the best way to interpret its grade. We take every movie for what it is, what we'd hoped for it, and sometimes even what it could have or should have been. But comparing one movie's grade to another can be tricky, and that way leads to headaches and a not-so-fresh feeling.