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Carolyn Arends

Carolyn Arends's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at Tomatometer-approved publication(s).
Biography:

Carolyn has a lot of skeletons in her movie closet. She's not particularly a fan of the Star Wars movies or even those Hobbit films (please don't tell the others, they'll roll their eyes and ostracize.) She can recite unseemly quantities of dialogue from a canon of tour bus classics like Tommy Boy, So I Married An Axe-Murderer and This Is Spinal Tap. She is a card-carrying fan of the Screwball Comedy (What's Up, Doc? comes to mind). Not a very promising resume for a serious film reviewer. And yet, claiming a love for language, a passion for story, and a fascination with art as the lie that makes us see the truth, Carolyn offers up her opinions on movies great and small. In addition to writing film reviews, Carolyn is a , , wife, and mother of two young (certifiably adorable) offspring whom she blames for her love of all things Pixar. Carolyn resides in Vancouver, BC.

Publications:

Reviews

Movies 온라인카지노추천 Shows
Across the Universe (2007) 53% 3/4 “Across the Universe is a good-natured (if sometimes enthusiastic to the point of corniness) romp.” – Christianity Today Dec 15, 2018 Full Review The Mighty Macs (2009) 44% 2/4 “It's a shame that a movie that should have been a slam dunk feels more like a missed shot from the free throw line.” – Christianity Today Oct 24, 2011 Full Review Monte Carlo (2011) 41% 3/4 “A winsome cast, a great location, and keeping the target audience in view bring an entertaining story that manages to have both a conscience and a heart.” – Christianity Today Sep 2, 2011 Full Review Soul Surfer (2011) 45% 3/4 “Although the question of why God allows bad things to happen is sometimes handled clumsily, it is approached sincerely, and it clearly points to the difference faith can make.” – Christianity Today Apr 8, 2011 Full Review Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) 55% 3/4 “It's a diversity of talent befitting the melding of Shakespeare, Elton John, and garden gnomes; those unopposed to a little lunacy will enjoy the adventure.” – Christianity Today Feb 25, 2011 Full Review Like Dandelion Dust (2009) 88% 3/4 “Like Dandelion Dust explores, in a captivating and powerful way, the truth that love's ultimate expression is sacrifice.” – Christianity Today Sep 24, 2010 Full Review The Karate Kid (2010) 67% 3/4 “While this remake is glossier, the original is better. Still, good stories usually get told more than once, and even on the second go around this one's a winner.” – Christianity Today Jun 11, 2010 Full Review Letters to God (2010) 26% 2.5/4 “As well intentioned and sometimes well acted as this film is, it is not always able to rise above its own earnest agenda in order to tell its story in an absorbing manner.” – Christianity Today May 7, 2010 Full Review Where the Wild Things Are (2009) 73% 3/4 “In many respects, a creative triumph. The film is visually stunning, and the writing is equally fresh.” – Christianity Today Oct 31, 2009 Full Review My Sister's Keeper (2009) 47% 3/4 “Contrived or not, sad is sad, and My Sister's Keeper will have all but the most cement-hearted reaching for tissue.” – Christianity Today Jun 26, 2009 Full Review Up (2009) 98% 4/4 “It's a swashbuckling, continent-hopping adventure and an under-stated, nuanced psychodrama. It's a wildly creative fantasy and an almost devastatingly poignant piece of realism.” – Christianity Today May 29, 2009 Full Review Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) 44% 3/4 “Like the girl at its center, Hannah Montana The Movie ain't perfect, but it sure is likable, and a whole lot of fun.” – Christianity Today Apr 10, 2009 Full Review Hotel for Dogs (2009) 46% 2.5/4 “Ultimately a tribute to the Power of Cute Pooches; despite all the film's shortcomings, the dogs deliver genuine laughs and prove to be thoroughly engaging protagonists.” – Christianity Today Jan 16, 2009 Full Review High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) 64% 3/4 “Sure, the franchise is corny, but it ultimately celebrates talent, enthusiasm, loyalty and love. And you can dance to it.” – Christianity Today Oct 24, 2008 Full Review Blindness (2008) 44% 1/4 “No doubt every reviewer who sees Blindness will dig deep for his or her own special vision-related play on words. Here is mine: Blindness is a film I wish I hadn't seen.” – Christianity Today Oct 3, 2008 Full Review Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) 80% 3/4 “Kit Kittredge has many of the classic ingredients of a successful family tale, but it's most notable success is in the unusual themes it brings to the forefront.” – Christianity Today Jul 10, 2008 Full Review Kung Fu Panda (2008) 87% 3/4 “A good-natured, entertaining romp and, in my experience, not a bad kid discussion-starter. You can't ask much more from an animated panda kung fu movie than that.” – Christianity Today Jun 6, 2008 Full Review Charlie Bartlett (2007) 59% 2.5/4 “Although much of the film is exaggerated for satirical purposes, somehow, in the eye of the farcical storm, a compelling story gets told.” – Christianity Today Feb 22, 2008 Full Review Evan Almighty (2007) 24% 3.5/4 “A truly entertaining film that invites viewers to contemplate the rather big idea that we're all "chosen" to be in relationship with--and obedient to--our Creator.” – Christianity Today Jun 22, 2007 Full Review Ocean's Thirteen (2007) 70% 3/4 “The suits are sleek, the dialogue snappy, the tone wry, the jazz hip. Even Las Vegas--bastion of neon kitsch that it is--looks opulently graceful.” – Christianity Today Jun 20, 2007 Full Review The Hip Hop Project (2006) 59% 3/4 “Its most compelling message is about the importance and power of community.” – Christianity Today May 11, 2007 Full Review The Ultimate Gift (2006) 32% 2.5/4 “Like sensible woolen socks in a ribbon-wrapped package, The Ultimate Gift may be good for you, but it's a little hard to get excited about.” – Christianity Today Mar 9, 2007 Full Review Wild Hogs (2007) 14% 2/4 “The premise will likely remind you of City Slickers. The bad news: Wild Hogs is no City Slickers.” – Christianity Today Mar 2, 2007 Full Review Music and Lyrics (2007) 63% 2.5/4 “Grant and Barrymore are completely believable as a creative team, but the romantic development seems arbitrary -- or, more accurately, obligatory.” – Christianity Today Feb 14, 2007 Full Review Catch and Release (2006) 23% 2.5/4 “A big-hearted light-headed story that isn't as deep as it wants to be, but still manages to entertain.” – Christianity Today Jan 26, 2007 Full Review
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