Movie Mondays: I Never Agree with the Critics

I was actually able to see TWO movies recently, in the theater. We tend to wait for dvds a lot. Trying to find a sitter is sometimes more of a hassle than it's worth.  Plus, there's the whole not-able-to-stay-awake factor. So, this is a little rare for me!

Messy Mommy just started a new blog carnival last week called "Movie Monday," so this gives me a chance to talk about the movies and tell you why the critics are wrong! If you've watched a movie lately(in the theater, on dvd, or even just on tv) and want to talk about it, click the button below and link up!

Whether it's books or movies, anytime the critics are raving about something, I tend to get let down by it. But, when they don't like something, I tend to like it. Especially if the reason they don't like it is because it wasn't "deep" enough.

Pbbbbbfffffftttttttt.

I don't need deep.

I just want to enjoy myself.

*The Valentine's Day review does not contain spoilers, though the Dear John review does.*

Hubs and I saw Valentine's Day on Valentine's Day. Awwwwww. That's when I busted my knees by performing my cartoon-like fall.

The critics basically hated this movie. Poor script, tacky comedy, date movie from hell, quantity of actors instead of quality: these were all reviews that I read.

But, do you know what? This movie was FUN. It was cute, sweet, and funny. 

I did get a big kick out of a line that Taylor Lautner's character said at one point: "I don't feel comfortable taking off my shirt in public."  I laughed and then felt a little dirty, thinking about how I drooled over him in New Moon, back when he wasn't even legal. I didn't know that then: I'm too young to be a cougar!

The relationship with the "old couple" was my favorite plotline. I just love the scene with them near the end, in the graveyard(yes, I said graveyard) and the speech about how loving someone means you love all of them, not just the good parts. It fits perfectly with my view on marriage.

Even Hubs liked this movie. He doesn't get into the deep and sappy crap, so this was cute. Plus, the last line of the movie made the whole theater laugh, sending us out the door in high spirits. I don't want to spoil it for you, though. But, if you ask me, I'll tell you.

You know how you'll flip through the channels, looking for something to watch and there will be a movie on that you've seen a million times, but you always stop to watch it anyway? Valentine's Day will become one of those movies for me.

The other movie I saw was Dear John. I'm a huge Nicholas Sparks stalker fan. Though, this was probably my least favorite books of his. I kind of went off about why in this post, but I'll give you the short version of why, since I know it's a pain to go back and read an old post to get caught up.

So, I just copied and pasted my main problem with the book:

Here's my problem with Dear John: at the end, you are left with a couple who is married(Savannah and Tim). The wife loves her husband, but it's more a marriage that just happened due to circumstance and not because she actually is IN love with him. She's IN love with her ex(John) and still thinks about him, wishing things had happened differently. Her husband, who just went through a bout of cancer from which he almost didn't make it, is well aware that his wife would choose to be with her ex if she wasn't so set on honoring her marriage vows, but her heart is really else where. And then there's the ex, who is still in love with the girl that he can never have.

Tragic all around, right?

You always expect changes from the book to the movie. But, the ones that were made this time around left me with an unsettled feeling. Maybe even more unsettled than the book...but it's pretty much a toss up.

I could dissect this for the-longest-post-ever, talking about the changes made from book to movie, but I'll just tell you about the two most important ones.

The biggest change was just plain creepy. Savannah still marries Tim, but Tim is OLD. Like, old enough to be her dad. He is sick before they get married and pretty much pressures her into marrying him so that she will take care of his autistic son(in the book, this child is his brother; Tim doesn't get sick until after they are married; and he's only a few years older than her). People in the theater were visibly shuddering when they found out whom she married. Some even called out "That's NASTY!"

Then, there's the big change in the ending. In the book, John sells his father's coin collection and uses the money to pay for Tim's experimental treatment and it saves Tim's life.

But, in the movie, the treatment gives him a couple more months to live, to come home and say goodbye to his son. Then, he dies. Savannah writes a letter to John, professing her eternal love, and they exchange a kiss at the end.

A friend of mine told me that she liked the movie better than the book because the movie gives you the happy ending that you want. But, is that really a happy ending? I don't know how you could take the plotline of the book/movie and actually come up with an ending that does sit well with me.

I did still cry at parts, because I'm a giant sap like that. And watching Channing Tatum without his shirt on didn't hurt, either. He's legal, right? Phew.

In my opinion, see Valentine's Day and be prepared to have an uneasy feeling if you see Dear John.

Anyone see these movies? What did you think?

Don't forget to enter my new giveaway: Color Cookies: a fabulous preschool/early elem. age game

Click HERE to enter