Consider This from NPR Rotten Tomatoes Changed The Role Of Film Critics. But Is That A Good Thing?
Sep 15, 2023
The podcast dives into the transformation of film criticism brought about by Rotten Tomatoes. It contrasts the traditional, nuanced critiques of icons like Siskel and Ebert with today's reliance on aggregated scores. Listeners will hear about how this shift has impacted audience perceptions and movie marketing. The discussion also raises concerns regarding the credibility of reviews on digital platforms and highlights the rise of independent voices in film criticism versus the established critics.
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Siskel and Ebert's Impact
- Siskel and Ebert's accessibility made audiences feel smarter about movies.
- They covered diverse films, from highbrow cinema to junk, fostering broader movie conversations.
Rotten Tomatoes' Formula Flaw
- Rotten Tomatoes' reductive formula gives equal weight to all reviews, regardless of intensity.
- This allows mediocre movies with okay reviews to score higher than challenging, but great movies.
Paddington 2 vs. Raging Bull
- Paddington 2 scored 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than Raging Bull's score.
- This demonstrates how a simpler movie can outperform a critically acclaimed classic on the platform.