Poor Reviews

[caliminius]

So am I alone in thinking that reviews of Blu-Ray discs should NOT review the movie itself? We all have our opinions about what constitutes a good movie, but audio and video quality are much more quantifiable. It's hard to argue that video is lacking because of poor detail or extreme grain.

What brought this up was looking at the review of "Stealth" briefly this morning. The "Movie" itself got 2 stars which may be about right because it was a brainless action flick. But what bothers me is that "Independence Day" is as brainless and stupid as "Stealth" yet got 4 1/2 stars. There are sections of the ID4 review that could be pasted into the "Stealth" review and you would never know that they had originally applied to a different movie.

Here's a good example from the ID4 review (with "Stealth" substituted for the one mention of "Indepence Day"):

"It's my opinion that those that find looking over the numerous plot holes in this movie too difficult, choosing instead to heap on the criticism of this movie are completely missing the point. Films such as this one aren't meant to be highbrow art. Not everything can be (nor should it be) The Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The Seventh Seal, or even Alien. Sometimes, just accepting a movie for what it is rather than tearing it apart and missing out on all the fun just does a disservice to both audience and to the film. Taken as a big, ridiculous sci-fi/action extravaganza (which it is and doesn't even try to be anything else), Stealth works like a charm. Sure, some of the plot holes are big enough for the aforementioned Godzilla to walk through, but who cares? The movie is fun, loud, entertaining, and appealing. Not everyone will see it the same way I do, and so be it. I hold no grudge against them, but I believe they're missing out on one of the all-time great popcorn movies."

To me, the review should just skip to whether it's a good Blu-Ray disc in terms of video, audio and extras.