Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Common Sense Media: Trusted Source for Honest Movie Reviews (w. Gnomeo & Juliet giveaway)

By

Touchstone Pictures’ Gnomeo & Juliet opens tomorrow and while we weren’t privy to a preview, I’ve been anticipating the review on Common Sense Media to determine the movie’s appropriateness for our family. The movie’s preview made our entire family laugh but the brief clip and description are never enough information which is why Common Sense is my trusted source for honest movie reviews.  
What’s Gnomeo & Juliet about?  Here’s a synopsis from Touchstone Pictures:

Two garden gnomes, Gnomeo (voice of James McAvoy) and Juliet (voice of Emily Blunt), try to avoid tragedy and find a happy ending to their star-crossed love affair when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors.

 
Rated G, this 84 minute movie is also described as a “comical, off-the-wall makeover on Shakespeare’s classic tale of Romeo & Juliet set to the music of Elton John.” 


Perhaps the above clip and description provide you with enough information but I’m look forward to reading the review of Gnomeo & Juliet on Common Sense Media when it comes out tomorrow. This morning I clicked over to the site and saw that my friend Sandie, a professional movie reviewer, fellow blogger, and mom, is writing the review.  I know I can always count on her reviews to help me figure out what movies are best for our family but  trust the other Common Sense reviewers too.  


Movies are color coded with stop light colors and rated either on, iffy, or off.  If a movie is rated on, Common Sense  will feature a green button that is prominently labeled with an age that the movie is best for.  This rating will come up in search of the site so you can see at-a-glance if a title is good for your kids.  


Dive into the full review to read a detailed paragraph about the movie and see suggested discussion topics from the movie’s themes.  Each movie also features a rating system that includes the good stuff like educational value, messages, role models.  Ratings under the “what to watch out for” are also helpful since they include categories for violence & scariness, sexy stuff, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs & smoking.   appreciate the star rating that provides a helpful overview of films at a glance.

GIVEAWAY: In honor of the opening of Gnomeo & Juliet, I have two sets of gnomed themed prize packs to give away that include the following:

  • Gnomeo & Juliet t-shirt in youth sizes of S, M, L, XL and colors of red or blue (you may not get your size and color preference depending on availability)
  • Gnomeo & Juliet one-size fits all beanies in colors of red or blue
  • Gnomeo & Juliet mini-notebooks shaped like a Gnome hat (front cover is red, back cover is blue)

TO ENTER: Read a review any movie you’ve seen or want to see on Common Sense Media.  Leave a comment with the name of the movie and whether the review helped you decide to see the movie or if the movie is one you’ve previously seen, what did you think about the review? Comments must include an email address or Twitter handle. Winner will be selected from eligible entries next Thursday.


And now to rock it out with little Elton John and Nelly Furtado….



No compensation or products were received for this post or hosting this giveaway.  I thought this was the perfect time to raise awareness about Common Sense Media through my mention of Gnomeo & Juliet.

Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!

Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Sasha says

    I checked out the review for Megamind, which I took the kids to see a few weeks ago. I agree with the review (luckily my kids didn’t notice that part where they said the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy don’t exist, which the review points out).

    Thanks for a great giveaway!

    SashaSaysBlog on twitter

  3. T says

    I went to see the Green Hornet this weekend, and read the review. It was pretty much spot on, although I enjoyed the movie – it’s not one for kids! I’m sister_t on twitter!

  4. MisterG says

    Read the review of “Gnomeo & Juliet.” We saw it this weekend and the review was a good and fair accounting. Our six-year-old did find some of it scary, our eight-year-old found it just right, and our 10-year-old appreciated the Shakespeare references. I liked hearing some of the Elton John music that was interspersed throughout.

    gabeathome@msn.com

  5. Jenefer! says

    I read the review for Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. I had already seen it and I have to admit, your review was pretty spot on…especially the part about screaming from the fans. It was nice to read a review that goes over what kind of language is in a movie and what to expect. jenefer376(at)gmail.com

  6. Anonymous says

    The review I read was on “The King’s Speech.” I’ve had several people recommend this movie to me. After reading the review, I feel like I should definitely make a point to see this movie. I like that is was rated to have a strong message with themes of “hope and perseverance.” Very helpful review- I like that they say both what’s good and what’s questionable about the movie.

    -Heidi

    writeme at heidimail dot com