Posted by Something that has annoyed me for the past several years has been the way the majority of publications choose to rate various forms of media. Whether they judge out of 5, out of 10, or out of 100, it seems most critics of films, stage plays, video games, and music whose work I have read treat their scores as if they are on the traditional U.S. grading scale. In many cases, if they cannot award a work at least the equivalent of a 70, the judging critic considers it on the lower end of its category, and woe betide any media that receives a rating below a 60. In many circles, this has also influenced those who read these reviews, and as a result the court of public opinion uses the same system.
Now, I’ll come right out and say that this system is not inherently “bad” or “incorrect.” I disagree from a subjective point of view. I prefer having 50 (or 2½ or 5) as a truly neutral point; a lower passing grade, if you will. At 50 you have a film that is watchable, a game that is playable, a song that you wouldn’t mind coming on the radio. The media in question is quite average, but it’s not something that would only be viewed or used because of how horrendous it is, or that shouldn’t be viewed or used for any reason.
To make things plainer, I’ll list the ratings from low to high and explain what media has to do to reach each tier:
- 10 — RAW SEWAGE — Media at this tier is utterly irredeemable. It has gone so far beyond “So bad it’s good” that it’s not even worth seeing how awful it is. Perhaps as a mercy, I am not able to personally attest to any media that falls into this category.
- 20 — TRASH — At this stage, you reach media that, while still awful, at least exhibits the barest hint of effort. Someone in the production had a plan, or did their job surprisingly well given the quality of the rest of the product. Media here may even be worth trying once just to experience how awful it is. Many films reviewed by Mystery Science Theater 3000, such as Manos: The Hands of Fate, fall into this category.
- 30 — ENTERTAINING TRASH — Here lies the realm of truly “So bad it’s good” media. Yes, it’s bad, but by golly it’s (unintentionally) a laugh a minute. As an added bonus, media at this level may even do something, anything well. A bad film with a good soundtrack, or a terrible music album with a song that has a good beat to it. An example in cinema is the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever.
- 40 — LOW-END — These pieces of media are, perhaps, the most infuriating on the list. They come so close to being something decent, only to fail due to cliches or underwhelming performances. The good can’t make up for the bad, and the bad is not so overwhelming that it becomes enjoyable. Films such as the Star Wars prequels and many video game adaptations of films fall in this tier.
- 50 — AVERAGE — As I mentioned earlier, this is the neutral point. Works at this level cease to be objectively bad. They won’t do anything groundbreaking, but they’re also not going to offend you. Many of these will be pleasant for viewers or users (some might say “guilty pleasures”), and there are often surprisingly standout moments. Some might call them wasted potential, I call them underachievers. A film example is the recent Sonic the Hedgehog film, while a video game example would be The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.
- 60 — GOOD — Where 50 ceases to be objectively bad, 60 is where a work begins to be (all-around) objectively good. Films and stage plays are well-written, well-paced, and have quality acting. Video games have fairly tight controls and offer a challenge. Music is played well and well-sung (if applicable). These are things that gets people excited. Examples here include films such as Thor, or video games such as Sonic Adventure 2.
- 70 — GREAT — Now is where works begin to shine a bit. They have that “something” that stands above several of their peers. Perhaps an actor gives one of their best performances, or the writers have generated a unique plot, or a game has a unique element to it that keeps it fresh and interesting. While works here won’t be perfect, the bad is can be ignored with relative ease. A film example of this would be The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
For me, a 70 on this scale is an outstanding grade. For a work to score higher than this requires something truly exceptional, whether that is because it has done something groundbreaking, or because everyone involved has performed at such a high level that there are few-to-no issues to be found. My view for the following three tiers is that they should be treated as Michelin Stars. Works can be good without them, but these are the cream of the crop.
- 80 — EXCELLENT — Works in this range are going to leave an impact beyond their initial release. They may not be the best work of their year, but they will be among the best at the time of their release. At this point you will start to see award nominations going out, such as technical Oscar nods or Pulitzer Prize recommendations. Many Disney animated films are present here, as are books such as the A Series of Unfortunate Events series, and games such as Super Mario Sunshine.
- 90 — EXCEPTIONAL — If a work reaches this category, it is going to be among the best of its year, or perhaps even a decade. Awards are almost a certainty, and such works will not be forgotten. Examples include Toy Story, the original Star Wars trilogy, novels such as Slaughterhouse-Five, the stage-musical version of Les Misérables, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
- 100 — NIGH-PERFECT/GENRE-DEFINING — The pinnacle of media. A work that is so well-made and creative that there is no doubt it either has or will define the era it comes from. Virtually no errors, and everyone involved in production was at the top of their game. Examples include Citizen Kane in film, The Lord of the Rings in literature, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in video games.
So there we have it, a definition of my rating system for media. I am not trying to completely redo the scale, but instead adjust ratings to what I feel is a more accurate indicator of the value of any given piece of media. Agree with me or disagree with me, this is the system that I will be using if and when I review any media on this blog.
Thanks all,
-Johnathan D. Williams