There are a lot of different rating systems out there used by movie critics and reviewers. Most seem to use some variation of a Star system. Usually, a system of 0 to 4 Stars or 1 to 5 Stars with half star increments is used. This gives you a nine point rating system on which to evaluate the latest Hollywood concoction.
In trying to not be just like everybody else, New Movie Friday went another way but ended up in basically the same place. The purpose of a movie review is to let the reader know if they should shell out their hard earned cash to watch it or not. So, that is what New Movie Friday will try to do. The following is a nine point system that will let you know at a glance if and when you should see the next big theatrical release.
Movie Review Rating System:
- Pay Full Price and See it Twice – These are the movies we find to be top notch and extremely entertaining. They are worth the price of admission and then some. This is the equivalent to a 4 Star movie, if you will.
- Worth a Full Price Ticket – This is a very good movie, one that you will enjoy completely. This is a 3½ out of 4 Stars movie.
- Worth a Matinee – This is a good movie that is worth seeing on the big screen just not quite worth full admission price. This could be considered a 3 out of 4 Stars movie.
- Worth an Early Matinee – This is a better than average movie. If you have a discount coupon, free movie pass or your local theater has an early matinee like some AMC Theaters do, then go ahead and see it. Otherwise wait for the rental. This is a 2½ out of 4 Stars movie.
- Worth a Rental – This is an average movie, one that you shouldn’t waste your time or money seeing at the theater. This is a 2 Star movie.
- Wait for the Rental, if Not Longer – Maybe worth renting at some point or adding to your Netflix queue even though it will likely hover perpetually towards the bottom. This would be a 1½ out of 4 Stars type of movie.
- Check it Out When it Hits the Likes of HBO or Showtime – If you are already paying for one of the premium cable movie channels then you should wait until it premieres there. This is a 1 Star movie.
- It Might Be on TV One Day – This is a bad movie. It will probably show up on your local TV station’s Saturday Afternoon Matinee or fill the hours on one of the cable outlets like F/X, TNT or USA. If you’re bored, it’ll help you pass the time or at least provide noise in the background while you balance your checkbook. Thank your lucky ½ Star.
- Don’t Even Bother – Pretty self-explanatory.
A note on the rating of movies: Ratings should be considered within genres. Meaning that a top rated romantic comedy is not necessarily equivalent to a top rated drama or vice versa.