Does reading critic reviews before watching the movies, compromise?

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Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
I use to read critic reviews all the time before watching movies cause of what they had to say about it, but now I feel that by doing so, it causes me to develop a compromised judgement of the movie, cause if something bothered the critic, I will be looking out for that when I watch the movie.

For example, when I read Roger Ebert's review of Die Hard, he pointed out how he didn't like the idiotic police commanding officer who kept making mistakes, and then when watching the movie, I couldn't help but be on the lookout for that. Something I might not have noticed as much, had I not been told that as a criticism beforehand.

So I will check to see if a movie got much of a score on rottentomatoes or not, but will not read the actual reviews. But what do you think?



I think even just seeing how well recieved the film is before seeing it can compromise your judgement, but ofcourse i guess it really depends on who you are. Admittively I like reading the most positive reviews of a movie sometime before watching as a means to get me pumped up and make it easier push myself into watching it as I often have to direct my focus out of the gutter. Ive had the same problem as you mentioned but i cant think of any examples at the moment. Still high praise isnt enough to get me to pretend to like a movie I end up hating. I think knowing a film is panned is more compromising tbh.



I read/listen to part of a review just to see what the general gist or reception a film is getting, but I don't want to hear any spoilers or even story specifics so no. As to whether a film is panned or praised, I don't really care. Either I'm interested in the film due to the cast/premise/trailer, or I'm not. If it's something I'm on the fence about I may be influenced to give something a chance, but the greatest reviews in the world would not be enough to get me to see a film like, I dunno, Moonlight. It's just not something that would interest me or which I would find entertaining. Likewise the worst reviews in the world would not be enough to dissuade me to see films I'm already set on seeing.



Master of My Domain
I don't read reviews to decide which film I'm going to watch. If I hear about an upcoming film that has an interesting director, writer, and star attached, then that's the one I'm seeing. I refer to reviews when examining the opinions of others, or finding aspects of the film I missed during my initial viewing.

So I'm not qualified to answer your original question, but I think it's reasonable to say the opinions of others can easily effect a viewing experience.
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Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Reading reviews before watching a film? WTF?!
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



I'll look at ratings typically but not read full reviews.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
I guess another example would be The Village (2004). I remember way back Roger Ebert said it suffers from an anticlimax, but then I was expecting an anticlimax, and I feel like I got it... but might not have felt that way, had I not watched the review.



I love reading reviews, but only after the movie. Before, I try to go in as blind as possible. I even hate long trailers sometimes.



Never done this, i've read essays about directors without seeing films that are mentioned but never thought i'm going to watch this Ozu for the first time better read a few reviews. I don't think it'd decide for me whether i like it or not but it would possibly explain the movie for me and i like interpreting things myself.

Rarely read reviews after i watch a movie either (unless someone i talk to about movies has posted a review somewhere), it's often months later when i come across something by a critic i like on a particular film i've seen.



Also can people stop telling Ironpony to stop? If you don't like his threads just don't read them, he sometimes sparks interesting discussions, sometimes not but who cares. Not sure why everyone wants to stifle one of the few members actually attempting to discuss movies here.



mattiasflgrtll6's Avatar
The truth is in here
I'd take a thousand ironpony threads over a thousand threads bashing Leonardo Dicaprio again and again. At least he shows that he actually cares about movies, and not just popularity. That's something to be encouraged, not silenced down.



"Ironpony" and "discussion"...
Does not compute


Sometimes it's just our insecurities that make thing like this thread worth



"Ironpony" and "discussion"...
Does not compute
Should try reading, or better yet just avoid his threads if they bother you.

Sometimes it's just our insecurities that make thing like this thread worth
Have no idea what this means.