Ratings

[lupercal]

I've suspected pretty much from the start that I'm more frugal with my 4-star reviews that most reviewers, but I was bored, and it was sufficiently easy to go through the top 5 reviewers list and actually see what percentage of their reviews are 4-star reviews. If you're not on this list, it's probably because I decided on a minimum number of reviews cut-off point, as I suspect a lot of people tend to review their favourite movies first. I probably did. Anyway, rounded off, here's how generous we are with our 4-star reviews

Lupercal - 10%
Toonboy - 19%
Thalia - 23%
Athena - 27%
Greykitty - 21%

Starlac - 33%
Juuchan17 - 24%
PC Unfunny - 26%
Inkwolf - 19%

As I suspected, I'm the stingiest. But that only measures the high end. To get a true picture I'd have to count every review and get an average. But before you write me off as too mean, if you count the number of 1-star reviews, I gave out the lowest percentage of those, too (tied with Greykitty)

Even that doesn't really tell us anything, I suppose, unless we know what three stars means to the person concerned.

Loop

[Juuchan17]

Wow.

I never thought of this before . . . . This is quite interesting, but I see your point.

I mean, I don't think you're stingy on 4-star ratings; heck, sometimes I feel stingy! (but according to your list, I must be pretty darn generous) But I think people showing different opinions and ratings is a good thing. I mean, there is no such thing as a perfect animated movie . . . . and people have different tastes with them . . . so the similar/different ratings are expected.

Nice. Verrrry nice. ^__^

[lupercal]

Like I said, this was just a frivolous excercise really. It doesn't prove an awful lot unless you know what someone's average rating is (for example, I use 3.5 stars a lot more than some people, I suspect).

Starlac might seem the most generous of the people I sampled, with a third of his reviews 4 stars, but another third of his reviews are 1 stars, whereas only 3% of mine are, so we may average out about the same.

And you have to know what someone means when they award three stars. For instance, I've seen people write what seem to me to be pretty scathing reviews and then give 3 stars, whereas to me, even a 2 star films can have its merits. I tend to take the description literally, 'fair - has some problems'.

For me, something has to be damn near perfect to get 4 stars, or I just have to love it so much that I'm impervious to its flaws. As with 'Wizards', some might say.

I don't think anyone should change the way they grade things. I think it gives a more accurate picture if people stay true to their 'system', whatever it is.

Look, I'll mention this here, though I know I have before, so apologies if it 's nagging, but I think the 3-star designation 'good - an enjoyable romp' ought to be changed, because it sort of assumes that everything in the database is a comedy or light adventure.

Loop

[athena]

Look, I'll mention this here, though I know I have before, so apologies if it 's nagging, but I think the 3-star designation 'good - an enjoyable romp' ought to be changed, because it sort of assumes that everything in the database is a comedy or light adventure.

Hmm, point taken... any suggestions?

[starlac]

Get rid of the "Romp" part and just have something along the lines of:

Good - an enjoyable film

as I suspect a lot of people tend to review their favourite movies first.

In my case, I just happened to start reviewing my most and least favorite films etc, hence the apparent steep gap between the two. In time, as I review other profiles, I pretty sure this will even out.

[athena]

Get rid of the "Romp" part and just have something along the lines of:

Good - an enjoyable film

Done... hehe, if only everything on my 'list' was so easy. :rolleyes:



In my case, I just happened to start reviewing my most and least favorite films etc, hence the apparent steep gap between the two. In time, as I review other profiles, I pretty sure this will even out.

I was a bit surprised to see I was up there in terms of 4-star ratings since it's been a while since I've seen what I felt was a blow-my-socks-off piece of animation. For past reviews however I do tend to toss in quite a few points for nostalgia factor... if I absolutely loved something as a kid then I'll bump the rating on the grounds that people of that age group would probably enjoy it as much as I did.

When I set up the system, my thinking was that reviews should be out of four stars because that gives you a clear cut line between a good and bad film... so if it's three stars there's more good than bad, if it's two stars then it's more bad than good... originally there were no half stars but there ended up being so much demand that I added them in... this may be another reason that so many of my reviews have four stars since many of them were written before 3.5 stars was an option...

[lupercal]

That's an improvement, but to me 'enjoyable' still has connotations of 'fun'. A film can be good and traumatic, depressing or horrific.

Simplest solution would just be 'good', but then you'd need to change all the others as well/

Good - worth seeing
Above average


I dunno. I'm sure you'll work something out. I just wanted to argue for removing words which suggest what sort of a film it is.

Loop

[starlac]

Of course you can find a horrific film enjoyable. Certainly there are plenty of horror and chiller films that I've enjoyed over the years. However I like the one you suggested...

Good - Worth Seeing

... As it'll have ties with "Poor - Not worth Seeing" and "Excellent - A Must-See-Film"

To get a true picture I'd have to count every review and get an average.

I was bored and this sparked off my interest for something meaningless (but fairly easy) thing to do.

So here are the average marks of these same nine members, from highest to lowest.

Jucchan17 = 3.19333
Toonboy = 3.068323
greykitty = 3.025773
athena = 3.021186
inkwolf = 3
P.C. Unfunny = 2.955357
thalia-is-crazy = 2.94186
lupercal = 2.797009
starlac = 2.428571

Ironically, since I had the highest percent of 4 stars ratings (although I also have 33% 1 stars ratings), I'm at the bottom of the list, next to Lupercal. So we are both around the same average mark overall.

For past reviews however I do tend to toss in quite a few points for nostalgia factor...

I did think about putting some nostalgia points for He-Man; however, I'd decided a long time ago to put nostalgic feelings aside when I'm reviewing something. That and the fact that Kids can be even more fickle and dismissive than adults at times.