How do you become a "reviewer"?

[jsteinhauer]

Not just here, but seriously, how do you develop the eye, ear and "cinemanalytic" skills to effectly review a movie? What qualifications do you need, other than seeing lots and lots of movies? There may be college courses addressing this, but I went to engineering school a long time ago. I usually don't read reviews until after having seen a movie myself; I prefer that my opinion is really my own. I just notice that those who are "reviewers" have a "knack" for judging things like acting quality, pacing, photography and other intangible things. When I evaluate a movie, I really start with, "Did I have fun watching it?" I think, if I were to really pay attention to some of the details addressed, the fun would be taken out of it. I "like" a lot of movies that review poorly.

I also wonder if when you review movies at home, do you compare them to the "theater" experience, or do you evaluate them on their own merit? Things like grain, blacks, colors, and sound may or may not be very different.