Ratings scales and explanations

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 12:16

Hopefully others will post their scales with explanations, too.

My rating = how much I like the movie = how good the movie is.

Principle: No sympathy points, no points from something not being wrong, no points from something that is great in theory but doesn’t work in practice, no bonus from being a ”classic”. Every film starts from 1, and anything above must be earned.

1 is a sufficient rating for all bad films. That is boring films, repulsive films, disgusting films, worthless films, uninteresting films etc. Anything above 1 has a positive tone to it.

1.0 = Bad
1.5 = Weak
2.0 = Decent
2.5 = Average
3.0 = Good
3.5 = Very good
4.0 = Excellent
4.5 = Masterpiece
5.0 = Exception

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 12:40

I'm glad you've posted this as I still find your rating system so confusing

. When you rate something 2.5 out of 5 but your review is largely positive I always have to remind myself your rating is different others. Take your Gomorra review for example, you give it a good review but the rating says it's only average, most confusing. Based on your review it doesn't sound average.

The way you give a film you half liked 2.5 out of 5 is weird too, that's way too mathematical for me

. It could have an amazing ending but you only liked 50 minutes out of a 100 minute film, it gets 2.5.

Why not just use ratings out of 10? You have 10 ratings anyway. Actually your rating system makes much more sense if I just double each into an "out of 10" rating.

Mine is more simple:

4 and lower - Rubbish, the lower it gets the more rubbish. I don't see the point getting specific at this point, rubbish is rubbish.
5/6 - Okay/average.
7 - Decent but it has flaws or it doesn't have flaws but isn't good enough to be given an 8 out of 10.
8-10 - Very good to Masterpiece

Most people (I think) seem to consider 7 or above out of 10 decent, so it doesn't require explanation. I don't tend to watch films I reckon I'll dislike, meaning most films I rate are 6/7 out of 10 or above.

In terms of "out of 5" ratings, 5 or 4 is decent/excellent, 3.5 is okay/average and 3 or lower is rubbish. Although "out of 5" ratings don't give enough scope, unless you start using .5 ratings which get silly IMO. I only use 3.5 out of 5 as otherwise the rating is so restrictive.

My "out of 5" and "out of 10" ratings don't match up as "out of 5" has less scope for comparison.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 13:02

If I like 50 minutes of a 100 min movie, it will probably get 1,5/5. 2 at most.

Why do you relate the word "average" to negative things? When I say something is average, it's not a negative thing at all. It means at least half of the movies I see are worse than that (EDIT: my statistics have now proven me wrong. Damn). Average is something not too special but definitely not bad or even weak (but this is still true)

Out of 5 is the traditional film rating scale, and I like using it. Half stars do look a bit silly, but they are needed if you want to make a bit more separation between films.

I sometimes use out of 10 scale, which to me is out of 5 x 2. The only difference is that 1/5 is split into two ratings, 1/10 and 2/10.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 13:24

HungFist wrote:Why do you relate the word "average" to negative things?

Because that's what the word means

. It doesn't mean it's outright a disaster but it's not exactly a glowing report either. Average is functional, like white paint. It does the job but isn't exactly exciting

.

HungFist wrote:Half stars do look a bit silly, but they are needed if you want to make a bit more separation between films.

AKA Out of 10

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HungFist wrote:Out of 5 is the traditional film rating scale

Outside of this forum, they're used as much as each other

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HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 13:33

Could be country related thing. There isn't a single magazine or newspaper in Finland that uses /10 scale for movies. The first time I saw it being used was IMDB.

I like white paint

Our scales seem to differ quite a bit but that’s good, it would be boring if everyone always agreed.

I can also understand that you’re in a different situation since you watch much less movies than I do. I’m always searching for the hidden treasures, which means I end up seeing a lot of very bad movies. I would also say that many of the bad movies I see are much worse than the bad movies you see.

Watching as much movies as I do I came to the conclusion that there’s no point in separating shitty films from each other. The bad ones can all go under 1/5, no matter if it’s bad, very bad, or very very bad bad very bad. 1,5 is where the ”good” films begin.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 15:03

I wonder if anyone else uses 1.5 out of 5 meaning it's good. To me that's super low.

I don't see the point seeing films I reckon I'll likely dislike. I have better things to be doing than watching rubbish. Fair enough though.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 15:55

I don't mean 1.5 is a good film, but the rating has a slight positive tone to it. I have no problems at all giving 1/5 ratings to films I dislike, no matter how much other people like them (recent example: Nausicaä, which has 8.1 IMDB average). 1/5 doesn't mean I hate the film, just that I don't like it. If it's 1.5, then it means there was something I genuinely enjoyed about it (more than one or two good scenes). But as a whole it's of course still a pretty weak film.

bradavon wrote:I have better things to be doing than watching rubbish.

Fair enough, but that means you rely completely on other people's taste and you'll only watch movies they like, instead of truly discovering your own film taste.

Myself I love hearing and reading what people think of films but I don't make any kind of assumption that if everybody hates a film that then I would also dislike it. There's only one person in the world whose recommendations I give true value, and even then it only applies to certain genres.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 16:15

HungFist wrote:Fair enough, but that means you rely completely on other people's taste and you'll only watch movies they like, instead of truly discovering your own film taste.

Nope. Have you kidnapped Romero?

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Other peoples opinion, trailers, film clips, my own knowledge of what I like and dislike. Not just other peoples opinions. It generally works. Why see a film you reckon you'll hate? That doesn't make sense to me, you're only likely to have wasted 2Hrs of your life.

At my age if I didn't know my own film taste, there would be something seriously wrong. There are so few films that virtually everyone hates I end up liking, it's usually because they stink. Alexander is one example where I disagree with pretty much everyone on and even that has serious flaws.

Your theory is spot on in practise but in reality I barely have time to watch a film I'll likely love, let alone one I'll hate. I don't have time to be as relaxed about which films to watch as you.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 16:45

The lack of time is a very good argument. It's the reason why I don't really have a music taste myself.

Also, I don't mean you should see a film that you think you'd hate. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't give too much value to other people's opinions. If you only watch movies that the masses praise, you'll never end up discovering the less known genres and films. Think about anime for example. Some of the best war films and psychological thrillers are anime. But the world is full of people that think anime equals to kids films, and would never watch a single anime film. I believe a lot of these people might actually like some anime films, but they never find out because they'll never give the genre a chance.

So, try different genres and movies and see what you like instead of letting the others form your taste.

But then again, like I said, the lack of time is a good reason not to do so. For example when it comes to video games I only buy those games that have been praised by others because I don't have time or money to specialize in games and discover what truly fits my own taste. Instead I just take the mass entertaiment and enjoy it.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 17:06

HungFist wrote:What I'm saying is that you shouldn't give too much value to other people's opinions.

Ah, I don't then.

HungFist wrote:If you only watch movies that the masses praise, you'll never end up discovering the less known genres and films.

I don't think anyone on this forum does that. The masses tend to like utter rubbish, most of the time.

HungFist wrote:I believe a lot of these people might actually like some anime films, but they never find out because they'll never give the genre a chance.

The same goes for pretty much every subtitled film too, it's sad really.

HungFist wrote:Instead I just take the mass entertaiment and enjoy it.

Now where have I read that before?

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I tend to consider music separate from film, they don't conflict with each other. Music can be listened to in the background, film cannot.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 17:17

bradavon wrote:
HungFist wrote:What I'm saying is that you shouldn't give too much value to other people's opinions.
Ah, I don't then.

That was like shooting myself in the leg :x

bradavon wrote:
HungFist wrote:Instead I just take the mass entertaiment and enjoy it.
Now where have I read that before? .

It's wonderful what you can do by separating a sentence from the context

bradavon wrote:
HungFist wrote:If you only watch movies that the masses praise, you'll never end up discovering the less known genres and films.
I don't think anyone on this forum does that.

I was referring also to genre film fan masses, such as anime fans, pink film fans, kung fu film fans, as well.

It's funny how it goes. First you rely on the public opinion, then you realize how stupid it is and start you relying on the genre buffs, which exactly the same thing except in smaller scale

Have done that myself... and probably, to some extent, I'm still doing it. But I try my best not to.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 12 Oct 2008, 18:49

2/5 seems low for a "decent" film.

And "exception" (sic) is higher than "masterpiece"?

Still, we all have our own means of rating films. I use the four star system myself.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 19:06

Markgway wrote: And "exception" (sic) is higher than "masterpiece"?

5/5 is almost above my scale. The film has to be more than a masterpiece to get it. That's why it's an exception.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 19:18

How can you have more than masterpiece? The sheer meaning of the words mean it cannot be beaten. You may prefer one masterpiece over another but both are still masterpieces.

To be fair masterpiece is so over used, it's not surprising people use it incorrectly. It still makes me laugh to think Romero considers Starship Troopers a masterpiece. Please, it's not even close. For those who like it, it's still not even close.

For example I'd use:

4.0 - Excellent
4.5 - Exceptional
5.0 - Masterpiece

Markgway wrote:I use the four star system myself.

Care to break it down?

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Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 12 Oct 2008, 21:31

**** = Excellent
***.5 = Very Good
*** = Good
**.5 = Quite Good
** = Mediocre
*.5 = Poor
* = Dog shite.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Oct 2008, 21:35

bradavon wrote:How can you have more than masterpiece? The sheer meaning of the words mean it cannot be beaten. You may prefer one masterpiece over another but both are still masterpieces.

How many percent of the movies you've seen would you label as masterpiece?

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 12 Oct 2008, 22:52

Nowadays, I base my film ratings on the Anime News Network ratings, which are as follows:

10: A Masterpiece, exquisite beyond words
9: Excellent, should be in anyone's collection
8: Very good, don't miss it
7: Good, worth seeing
6: Decent, I didn't lose my time
5: So-so, it didn't really grab my attention
4: Not really good, but not a total waste either
3: Weak, I wish I'd done something better with my time
2: Bad, really not recommended
1: Awful, should be avoided at all costs
0: Worst ever, maybe useful as sadistic torture device

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Oct 2008, 13:00

Mark: Regarding the 2.5 out of 5 - How is Average (Hung) really much different to Quite Good (You)?

HungFist wrote:How many percent of the movies you've seen would you label as masterpiece?

That's a hard one, less than 10, maybe 10 tops.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 13 Oct 2008, 13:56

bradavon wrote:
HungFist wrote:How many percent of the movies you've seen would you label as masterpiece?
That's a hard one, less than 10, maybe 10 tops.

10%? That's quite a lot.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Oct 2008, 15:00

bradavon wrote:Mark: Regarding the 2.5 out of 5 - How is Average (Hung) really much different to Quite Good (You)?

Because Quite Good is better than Average.

Did you seriously want me to answer that silly question?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Oct 2008, 17:02

I dont think I've ever given a film 0/5

0/5 - Appalling
1/5 - Awful
2/5 - Could be a poor film with 1 or 2 redeeming features
3/5 - Average, could be good and bad mixture. Eg Apocolypto, (exciting but empty) or Bad Boys 2 (too long)
3.5/5 - 7/10, worth seeing, an entertaining film but not perfect, I've given it to films like Spiderman 3 and Terminator 3.
4/5-4.25/5 - Very good! Eg Lust Caution, The Simpsons Movie, Oh God (4/5)
4.5/5 - Near perfection, eg Casino Royale (2006),
5/5 - A masterpiece, superb. Eg Groundhog Day, Gone With The Wind, Singin' In The Rain, Police Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Ghost Busters, Seven Samurai, The Killer, Bullet In The Head...

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 13 Oct 2008, 17:18

Good to know Ghost Busters is a 5/5 movie...

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Oct 2008, 17:24

HungFist wrote:10%? That's quite a lot.

Sorry, my mistake. I misread your question. Not 10%, 10.

Markgway wrote:Because Quite Good is better than Average.

Only just.

Markgway wrote:Did you seriously want me to answer that silly question?

Yes.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Oct 2008, 17:27

You reckon Ghost Busters is a masterpiece Grim, really? I'm just wondering.

luckystars · Post by **luckystars** » 13 Oct 2008, 18:02

Interesting topic. Mine is based on a 3.0 being the average. One that is neither bad, nor that good, that you can just sit in front of and is just ok. Some mainstream examples that spring to mind Die Hard 4, Mission impossible 3 etc etc. Therefore it's easy to make a scale around that

5.0

Exceptional - examples are The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Bullet in the Head, 2001, Alien, Sin City, Young Frankenstein, Lolita (Kubrick), Fist of Legend, Robocop, Spinal Tap, The Elephant Man, Police Story, Star Wars, Blood Simple, American Graffiti Reservoir Dogs, The Life Aquatic etc.

4.5

Extemely good but no masterpiece - examples, Dawn of the Dead (1978), Danny the Dog, THX-1138, The Royal Tenenbaums, A Self Made Hero, Assault on Precinct 13 (Carpenter), Blade Runner, Kill Bill v1&2, The Thing, Snake in the Eagles Shadow, Wild at Heart, Raising Arizona, The Darjeeling Limited, Tideland, Starship Troopers etc.

4.0

A good solid entertaining film - Black Hawk Down, Spider-Man trilogy, Hero (Yuen Biao) My Young Auntie, The Transporter, Kiss of the Dragon, Mr. Vampire, Equilibrium, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Sleepy Hollow, Dune, Dragons Forever, Righting Wrongs, One The Run, Night of the Living Dead, Paper Marriage, Desperado etc.

3.5

A pop-corn movie, a bit of fun but nothing that solid - Rumble in the Bronx, First Strike, Talladega Nights, Rush Hour 1&2, The One, Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain, Superman III, Day of the Dead (Romero), Attack of the Clones, Big Trouble in Little China, Pedicab Driver, Land of the Dead etc.

3.0

Average - Vampires (Carpenter), Die Hard 4, Mission impossible 3, Jurassic Park 2, Rush Hour 3, Fatal Move...

2.5

Average, but a bit bad - Flash Point, Superman IV, The Myth, The Medallion...

2.0

Just bad - The Tuxedo, Killer Meteors....

1.5

Bad, terrible in places - The Setting Sun

1.0

Unwatchable - Guy Ritchie's Revolver.