Wednesday, July 01, 2020

My Movie Ratings System

The five star system is my favorite way to rate movies. A four star system has no easy selection for an average movie and a three star system is just too simplistic for me.

5 Stars - A masterpiece of its genre. The direction, acting, music, design, special effects and story are firing on all cylinders to create a perfect film.

4 Stars - A great movie with a few minor flaws, like a weak subplot or distracting castmember. Sometimes an average movie with one genius aspect to it (thrilling plot, an award-level acting performance, or amazing chemistry between the leads, etc.) can earn it 4 stars.

3 Stars - An average movie, worth a watch, but forgettable afterwards. It still works despite flaws like a clichéd story, uneven pacing, predictible mystery or unfocused direction. Some films burdened by unfair expectations or too avant-garde at the time may need to be seen again before they can be appreciated. Films that get better with repeat viewings can move up the rankings over time and vice-versa.

2 Stars - A bad movie with enough redeeming qualities to keep me watching. It has an entertaining actor or the story has hooked me enough to get to the end despite bad acting, shoddy special effects, plot holes or weak action scenes. (This rating includes the "So Bad it is Good" films.)

1 Star - A horrible film, so bad or boring that I fall asleep, walk out or fast-forward to the end so at least I can get some closure.

(Most of the films in my collection are at least 4 or 5 stars. The only exceptions are three star films I own for nostalgia reasons. I loved them when I was younger, but they may have not aged very well. There are also a few films that make it due to one amazing scene, like the Christopher Walken/Dennis Hopper scene in "True Romance" or the Europe sidetrip in "Rules of Attraction".)

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