Movies aren't what they use to be

Maybe it's college, but recently I've noticed myself become more and more cynical about movies, music and entertainment in general. I used to just sit back, watch and enjoy. Now I have to force myself not to think so critically about acting, writing or casting. Wouldn't it be great to go back to the time when I could enjoy a Stallone movie, assuming he'll never make another movie worth watching ever again?\nWell, I think I figured out how. It's simple: Take it into context for what it is. Know when to kick back and be entertained and when it's time to actually think. If it's meant to be an intelligent movie or a great love story and it ends up being cheesy or has a pathetic script, then you have every right to complain about it. But if it features someone like Josh Hartnet or Kirsten Dunst you should know better! Here's another hint: If you see the names Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow in the credits and you're a guy, run. If you're a girl, try to not make everyone go deaf by screaming uncontrollably.\nAnd it works the same way with comedies. Sometimes we just want to see something outrageous or unbelievable that makes us laugh. There's nothing wrong with that; it's why people like Adam Sandler exist. Anyway, do you really want people like that to be in another line of work? Just think of how screwed you would be if Jim Carrey were a waiter (like many other soon to be Hollywood elite). I wouldn't eat anything he'd put in front of me. On the other hand, I've lived in the Midwest all my life and don't really dig Woody Allen; so guess what, I don't go to his movies.\nAction movies are even easier to figure out. Somehow I've managed to be in the theater with people over the age of 8 who just aren't convinced that an R rating means there's gonna be a lot of violence, profanity or sex. I think they should be made to sign a waiver that says they're not allowed to whine about how many times people got hit in the face in "Ali." And it shouldn't really count if the people fighting are total wusses. The worst example of this is probably "Broken Arrow." The so called climax is the hand to hand showdown between Christian Slater and John Travolta. I do appreciate the realism, but honestly in my prime I could've taken the overweight Travolta and the Jack Nicholson ripoff to the cleaners at the same time and I still wouldn't refer to it as violent. But if you're wondering where to draw the line on a good action movie versus entertaining one think about the difference between the original "Rocky" and "Rocky III."\nSci-fi movies are great because they can bring out the biggest geek in the most random people. They have something for everyone to identify with. Take your average suit and tie wearing, successful business man. He's gonna relate to the agents from the "Matrix." And any fool who can read a cue card is likely inspired by the fact that Keanu Reeves even got the role. As for "Star Wars," most women can relate to Princess Leia's ordeal. She just spent hours on her hair and then her guy friends show up and everyone's running around in the desert while she gets split ends.\nYou get the idea. Just spend a little time and consideration before you spend your hard earned cash on something you know you're gonna hate. If you like explosions and are bored by everyday occurences like people who can speak clearly, then have faith, Arnold is always up to something. If chick flicks are your thing, then great you can have a girls' night out. Just don't be the jerk who walks out of a sci-fi movie saying "There's no way he could do that," unless you enjoy getting kidney-punched by me. If you can't do that, then you should grow a ponytail, get a job in a video or record store, move into your parents' basement, eat cheetos all day and laugh at the people who don't own "The Godfather" until they cry.