Why I Check Online Reviews Before Heading to the Theaters

Why I Check Online Reviews Before Heading to the Theaters #family #parenting

My favorite pastime with my kids is going to the movies. With all the hustle and bustle that my hectic schedule brings about, sometimes it just nice to be able to enjoy a good flick with my family. We try to make it to a movie at least once every month. The kids take turns choosing the movie they want to see. While they vary in ages, they usually do a good job of picking movies that everyone will enjoy. 

After they’ve made their selection however, I hop online to find out how age appropriate the movie is and whether or not its worth going to see.

Making Sure it’s Appropriate

You can never be too sure nowadays with movies. While it may appear to be something funny and family oriented, learning more about the content in the movie is best. There have been a few times when I’ve relied on the trailers of a movie only to find myself explaining (or avoiding) certain events that took place or things that were said during the movie that were inappropriate for my children to see. Not to mention the other times in which the movie was a waste of time and money. Therefore, I started checking out movie reviews online to get a better idea of what we can expect before we decide to do.

Consider the Source

Movie reviews can give you a bit more information on what the movie is about than the average trailer. However, as with everything you research on the internet, it is extremely important to consider the source. Selecting the wrong site to check out reviews could leave you just as clueless as you were before you started researching. Therefore, I recommend that you only use movie review sites that are composed of reviews from both movie critics and viewers. This way you get both a personal and professional opinion on what the movie is about.

Read Several Reviews

One bad review doesn’t mean that the movie will suck, just as one good review doesn’t mean that you should hurry to the theaters. It is best that you look at more than one review of the movie before making your final decision. When searching through the reviews, be sure to look for information such as:

  • the rating of the movieeach rating has certain meaning and will let you know what type of content might be displayed in the movie as well as the age ranges it is most appropriate for.
  • the summary – a reliable movie review will give you an overall summary of what the movie is supposed to be about.
  • the viewer’s experience – viewer experience is the most important part of any review. You want to find out what the viewer felt from beginning to end in the movie. Was it everything they anticipated? Was it too graphic? Was it boring? Was it too much for kids to see? What you find in this section will ultimately help you in determining whether or not you should take your kids to see it.

My Kid’s Top 3 Picks for 2015

2015 seems to be bringing about a host of family movies. As we were in the theaters towards the end of last year, my kids saw a ton of films they hope to see this year. If you’re looking for the perfect family movies, here are the three I’ve already did my homework on:

  1. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – My boys in particular were very anxious to see this movie. It’s been a while since SpongeBob and his friends have been on the big screen. The movie is based on the television series and is basically about an adventure that SpongeBob and his friends go on when they travel away from Bikini Bottom and into the real world.
  2. Minions – If you loved Despicable Me one and two, then you’re going to love the movie Minions. The story is about the beginning of minion existence and their quest to find an evil leader to support.
  3. Strange Magic – If your kids are into goblins, fairies, and magic, then they’ll love this movie. Strange magic is about the world of make-believe and their battle to claim a powerful potion.

So there you have it! These are the family movies that me and my kids are most likely to see this year. If you’re like me and want to make sure that your kids are only watching age appropriate movies, checking out reviews online might be the best thing for you. They allow you to see what the movie is about and more importantly whether it’s worth the trip to the theater.

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