Director Chris Weitz gives New Moon a more polished, action-oriented feel than the first film, but he isn't as adept as
Common Sense Reviewer
- Sandie Angulo Chen
- Maryland
About Me
I've been an entertainment writer and editor my entire professional career. My work has appeared on Variety, Moviefone.com, EW.com, Entertainment Weekly, and InStyle.
What My Kids Love Now
My 7-year-old son loves all things related to "Star Wars," prehistoric animals, natural disasters and space. My 4-year-old daughter is obsessed with princesses, costumes, Pinkalicious & Fancy Nancy.
House Rules
When the Kids Are Asleep…
I catch up on my overloaded DVR, read uninterrupted or pick a favorite from my DVD collection.
My Biggest Challenge Is:
Trying to explain to my precocious 4-year-old daughter that she's not ready to see everything her 7-year-old brother can see!
Titles You’ve Reviewed
Movie: The Twilight Saga: New Moon
I rate this titleonand give itTwilight sequel has more obsession, action, wolves.
Movie: Old Dogs
Review and rating coming soonDaddy comedy could make the entire family laugh.
Movie: Planet 51
I rate this titleonand give itUnderwhelming alien comedy has some suggestive humor.
Even if you take Pixar's incredibly sophisticated, high-grossing movies out of the running as a comparison, PLANET 51 is uninspired and forgettable. The movie's animation (particularly the ...
Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
I rate this titleonand give itOffbeat family adventure may charm adults more than kids.
After seeing a long parade of 3-D digitally animated movies, Anderson's stop-motion adventure is a welcome delight. The director brings his auteuristic obsession with family dynamics to this ...
Movie: Gentlemen Broncos
I rate this titleiffyand give itIndie comedy is too gross, cringe-inducing to be funny.
Third time is definitely not a charm for director Jared Hess, whose adorably infectious debut film
Movie: The Box
I rate this titleiffyand give itCreepy thriller too confusing for kids, awful for adults.
Enigmatic thrillers with high-concept premises can lead to cinematic highs like The Usual Suspects, and those ...
Movie: Disney's A Christmas Carol
I rate this titleonand give it3-D adaptation of classic holiday tale may scare young kids.
Director Robert Zemeckis continues to perfect the motion-capture animation he revolutionized with
Movie: Astro Boy
I rate this titleonand give itAction-packed adventure a fun bet for young superhero fans.
Director David Bowers (Flushed Away) isn't revolutionary in his approach to animation, but he has a keen eye for action ...
Movie: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
I rate this titleiffyand give itTeen vampire flick is scarier, edgier than the book series.
Director Paul Weitz would have been better off adapting just one book, since the conflation of three novels (even ones in a series) rarely ...
Movie: Good Hair
I rate this titleonand give itFunny, smart docu explores African-American hair culture.
Rock's documentary doesn't offer any solutions, but it shows that the African-American community's obsession with "good hair" (in other words, straighter, looser curls rather than ...
Movie: St. Trinian's
I rate this titleiffyand give itQuirky British boarding-school comedy has iffy messages.
A huge hit in the UK, St. Trinian's comedy translates fairly well across the pond, but a familiarity with British teens and colloquialisms helps. Of the girls, the clear stand out is Head ...
Movie: Where the Wild Things Are
I rate this titleonand give itSometimes-dark adaptation focuses on friendship, loneliness.
Usually, beloved children's books are adapted with a kiddie audience in mind, but Where the Wild Things Are isn't for the Happy Meal set. It's a leisurely paced, literary film that makes ...
Comments You’ve Made
- Article:
Full-Frontal Awkwardness
Your Comments:bobsax: I used to love Adventures in Babysitting. It was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. Elisabeth Shue at her finest ;-) Tinmy: Yes, definitely. I admitted that I made a mistake and just wasn't thinking. It was a last-minute invitation, and I obviously didn't think it through. dgostlin: Oh yes, there was way more inappropriate about the comedy than the full-frontal scene, and I conveyed that to both Sally and her mom. Palmyra: Clearly I *wasn't* thinking, right? I definitely learned my lesson! PicaroMT: I'm sorry you feel the need to shame me, but I believe you're mistaken about my relationship with Sally. Unless you know her, and me for that matter, I'm not sure how you could make that assessment. My friendship is not "all but done," and I do still take her to the movies occasionally (I never did it "all the time"). Did I take a breather for a while -- yes, but we still talk regularly, and any time she says she wants to see something with me, I do my research and discuss it with her mom. All is well.
