Movie Reviews: Consistency?

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by ThePhantomOak

That is ok. Blu-ray.com let some idiot get into the politics of nomenclature of America vs United States of America Vs North America vs South America vs Central America as a movie review.

I am interested in buying this movie... Though, I wonder if the title is politically correct, because, really, that is what matters to me.

Blu-ray.com is joke when it comes to movie reviews. One can understand the idea that a reviewer will often dislike a movie that the reviewer sitting next to him loves, it is a shame when the reviewer uses a review to cry about some percieved injustice. An individuals preferences is not as much a problem as some of them wandering off of a review and onto a political soapbox.

you are entitled to your opinion but there is no need to be rude about it. if you don't like the review(er)s here that's all fine and good but at least be respectful when voicing your opinion. the reviewers take time out of their day to write the reviews for thousands and thousands of people so we may have a place to turn for guidance about what to buy. there are several bluray review sites on the internet, if you don't like this one you can always read elsewhere.

[Ben]

Originally Posted by ThePhantomOak

That is ok. Blu-ray.com let some idiot get into the politics of nomenclature of America vs United States of America Vs North America vs South America vs Central America as a movie review.

Let's be fair here, okay? We pulled that review down immediately when it came to our attention that there was a political diatribe in it and the review was edited to remove the offending passage.

[silversnake]

People are still complaining about the reviews on blu-ray ?

Different strokes for different folks. I always look at the PQ/AQ/extras mostly and see what they gave the movie review last. If it's a movie I have never seen I'll take it into consideration ( lives of others , the fall ) but it's not the deal breaker.

I usually see the reviewers past reviews and base myself on that. I was disappointed with the 3.5 on Shawshank simply beczause I have never seen it and I was curious to see what this title would get rated. That being said, i'm still going to purchase it as a blind buy and hope for the best. If not, i'm sure there will be plenty of members here who will want it :P

[xander]

Originally Posted by Stubblecat

You also have to compare films to others in the genre. Elf is compared to other comedies, while Shawshank is reviewed as a drama.

You can't compare, say, Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Citizen Kane. They're both excellent films in their own genre.

No, I agree with this exactly. It's the idea that Elf is a better film within it's genre than Shawshank is within its own that I find ludicris.

[Stubblecat]

I think a problem might be that Shawshank has reached an oversaturation point in popular culture. Remember how much everyone loved Forrest Gump?

But again... Reviewing is a subjective matter. If you like a film, then great! Star Wars got some bad reviews, remember.

Place like Rotten Tomatoes are a good litmus test for the critical response to movies. Shawshank pulls in an 89% average. That's pretty darned good.

[aramis109]

Is it time for another of these threads again? Seems like we get them every few months.

Reviews are made by individuals who judge them based upon their own merits. There was a review I really disagreed with a few weeks back, but I still agreed with the PQ/AQ. Things that are up for interpretation are going to get different results from different people.

IE... quit complaining that your favorite movie didn't get a high review.

[bageleaterkkjji]

Originally Posted by Stubblecat

Remember how much everyone loved Forrest Gump?

are you stupid or somethin? lol im waiting for forrest blump
good thing its paramount someones mom and not warner

[Amel]

Originally Posted by Stubblecat

You also have to compare films to others in the genre. Elf is compared to other comedies, while Shawshank is reviewed as a drama.

You can't compare, say, Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Citizen Kane. They're both excellent films in their own genre.

good point

so the movies here are compared/reviewed more on a genre basis?

[Sir Terrence]

Originally Posted by xander

No, I agree with this exactly. It's the idea that Elf is a better film within it's genre than Shawshank is within its own that I find ludicris.

Why does this seem so ludicris? And why does a reviewers opinion worry you so much?

[Ben]

Movies are reviewed here on the basis of the reviewer's opinion and that's it. We don't attempt to rank movies within a genre, to adjust our opinions to that of the public or anything of the sort. So, I might give a movie a 3 star rating and Greg might give another a 4, but those ratings have nothing to do with each other. Roger Ebert has been talking about this for years. He has constantly been inundated with questions like: "How can you give The Golden Compass 4 stars and Shawshank Redemption only 3?" and his response is that you really can't make lists or try to quantify how one review and its score relates to another. It's all subjective and to say that every 4 star review written means that all of those films are all equally good is just ludicrous. All films, like people, art or anything unique, have their own individual strengths and weaknesses.

It's interesting to me that this debate has arisen in the same week that Ebert has addressed this very issue on his website. In essence, Ebert writes about the inherent fallacy of reviewers being held to the standards of popular opinion. He opines that criticism is dead when editors and publishers force film critics to alter their opinions to suit what the public or the majority believes. Follow this link for the full story:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008..._long_liv.html

In the end, a review is only an opinion. Either you take it into consideration, or you don't. Either way, you should support the right for any one critic to have an opinion in the same way you violently defend your own.

[Gremal]

Very well said, Ben.

I would just add that some people seem to be confused about the difference between objective and subjective. Dealing with such things as picture quality and sound quality requires subjective determinations. Those who try to superimpose absolute objectivity onto such determinations will never succeed.

[Deadset]

I must say, I've seen Elf more than Shawshank. I think Elf for us as a family is a more watchable movie with more repeat viewings.

And for the record, before my purchases I always read a review of the blu-ray (if available). This site does a great job of detailing the movie review, even if the reviewer disliked it, they still break it down and say if you like this type, then you will enjoy.

The actual text means more to me than the overall "how many boxes did the movie get"

Keep up the good work guys, my only gripe is I wish there were more, but you know you can't have everything

[Stubblecat]

Originally Posted by bageleaterkkjji

are you stupid or somethin? lol im waiting for forrest blump
good thing its paramount someones mom and not warner

No, I'm obviously not stupid, as I know how to use the English language in complete coherent sentences.

And go do your homework on the critical reception to Forrest Gump in 1994 versus 2008. Remember that even then the critics said the best picture of the year was Pulp Fiction. History has proven PF to be a superior original movie, while Gump has aged into a 'greatest hits' of other, better, movies.

[bageleaterkkjji]

Originally Posted by Stubblecat

No, I'm obviously not stupid, as I know how to use the English language in complete coherent sentences.

And go do your homework on the critical reception to Forrest Gump in 1994 versus 2008. Remember that even then the critics said the best picture of the year was Pulp Fiction. History has proven [u]PF[/i] to be a superior original movie, while Gump has aged into a 'greatest hits' of other, better, movies.

you were suppose to say stupid is as stupid does

[Blu Titan]

I for one enjoyed the reviews here very much. There has been a couple of occasions where I disagreed and that is normal. The movie in question is a favorite of mine, and I personally believe that it should rate higher. However, Greg stated the reasons for the score in his review and I do not have a problem with that. What is bothering me is that I have noticed way too many postings that appear to "attack" the reviewers on a personal level. Everyone has different likes and preferences and those will be reflected on the reviews. I hope people read some of the other internet reviews, so they can appreciate the job that all of the guys do here. I would just ask everyone to be respectful when expressing their opinions.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I for one enjoyed the reviews here very much. There has been a couple of occasions where I disagreed and that is normal. The movie in question is a favorite of mine, and I personally believe that it should rate higher. However, Greg stated the reasons for the score in his review and I do not have a problem with that. What is bothering me is that I have noticed way too many postings that appear to "attack" the reviewers on a personal level. Everyone has different likes and preferences and those will be reflected on the reviews. I hope people read some of the other internet reviews, so they can appreciate the job that all of the guys do here. I would just ask everyone to be respectful when expressing their opinions.

Respectful? On the internet? Are you crazy?


*edit* I should've said, "You're obviously some kind of MORON!"

[KingLeerUK]

Originally Posted by Ben

In the end, a review is only an opinion. Either you take it into consideration, or you don't. Either way, you should support the right for any one critic to have an opinion in the same way you violently defend your own.

It is for this very reason that I continue to be confused by the need to assign a numerical score to "The Movie" within the reviews offered here (and elsewhere). This confusion is compounded by the inclusion of "The Movie" score within the overall score that a title review receives.

My opinion is that it's perfectly fine to voice your opinion of the film, like or dislike within the context of a review. Discuss the film history, how it impacted you, how it might be perceived by others, how it comments upon society, ect., but the moment you assign a numerical VALUE to that opinion is when it crosses a line into personal criticism (and falls off that knife edge of reviewer vs. critic).

You might say "well, just disregard the score assigned for The Movie" and I would then respond, "why was it included in the first place?". The inclusion of a numeric value tells the readership that the reviewer applied an unobjective personal bias to the overall value of the film. This is especially true when controversial or or polarising films are reviewed; the reviewer should not allow personal bias to influence the SCORE a film receives.

Instead:
"Does the film image look good?" yes/no - and why
"Does the audio sound good?" yes/no - and why
"Are the supplements of good quality and quantity?" yes/no - and why

Feel free to comment on the artistic merits, entertainment value and historical importance of a film all you like, but don't fall into the trap of trying to assign a value to your personal assessment.

Just my spare pennies.

[Ben]

KL...

This is the way we've chosen to structure our reviews here and, for the vast majority of readers, it is extremely well received. I understand your reasoning, but notice that the industry standard for film reviews and A/V reviews is to assign a numerical value. Be it stars, numbers or thumbs, the result is the same.

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by sessava

I felt like registering on here to make this post. I've been a lurker off and on since the format war, and have had a PS3 as my Blu player since its launch.

I want to express my disappointment that noone else has expressed my opinion on these boards. Because clearly, the reviewer of Shawshank thought the movie was great, but scored it badly simply because of the movies statements about the hypocrisy of religious zealots. Giving a 3.5 to The Shawshank Redemption is the equivalent of pissing on the Mona Lisa, as Shawshank is one of the greatest achievements in film. This is not an opinion, it is a fact. It's honestly depressing, the posts in this thread. People saying that Elf is a better movie, because you can watch it with your family, watch it more times, etc. That's not what makes a movie good. Elf is a comedy, Shawshank Redemption is a serious, dramatic movie that is very long. Of course you would be able to watch Elf more times than Shawshank.

The point of Shawshank is just that, to make a point. It is an emotional film that is a masterpiece in the way it accomplishes that. It's not supposed to be a family film, as it is a very mature movie, but I think I would rather have my children watch a movie that instills good moral values and shows them to never judge, never automatically assume something. Also, I think this site should be more insistent to dis-include religion from their movie reviews. Calling a movie insidious just because it makes a statement on religion is something I would want if I was going to Christian-Blu-ray.com, not Blu-ray.com itself.

I want you to know that I am sickened by the fact that you would allow such to appear in your reviews. I also believe that this site's movie reviews are completely discredited now, and will now be getting my Blu-ray reviews elsewhere.

this is an opinion. your way doesn't mean it's everyone's way. reviewers are hired to review movies, that's what they do. so you don't like the review? big deal does it really ruin your day that much? if you like a movie go out, buy it, and enjoy it. who cares what anyone else thinks? use the reviews for guidance if you need it, but keep in mind there are hundreds of other websites that also review movies if you want a second opinion. because that's essentially what a review is, someone's opinion of a movie. someone may like it, someone may not, and in the end it's your decision whether or not to buy it. don't blame someone's preference in movies for your own disability to make your own judgments.

i think the reviewers here do a great job, and as already stated in a previous post i use them mainly for guidance on PQ, AQ, and Special Features. i generally know what movies i want to buy or don't want to buy, but it's always interesting to read someone else's take. to everyone that doesn't like the reviews here: great go find another place to read them, you can't and shouldn't try to force someone to accept your own opinion of a movie. everyone is entitled to an opinion, no one is committing a crime in doing so. so please, stop complaining about something you have control over. no one's forcing you to read these and accept them as the only review on the planet.

[Ben]

And, once again, we are done here.

No one is on trial for a movie review and this is going to stop now. Opinions are opinions and we are all just going to have to agree to disagree. This is the second thread that has had to be closed because intelligent debate has been thrown out of the window in favor of certain posters picking fights with other members.

Posts have been deleted for the sole purpose of allowing everyone to move on... Those at fault have been sent infractions, so if you didn't get one, no worries.