There's a new sheriff in town...

.. and it's name is the 4 star rating system. Before where there was chaos, order has been restored.

Let me make the simple argument for 4 star ratings instead of a 10 scale:

First, its an industry standard. Go over to our hated rival site rotten tomatoes and you'll see that the vast majority use the 4 star scale. Simple, classic, and has withstood the test of time.

Second, everyone's favorite dvd renting site netflix uses the similar 5 star scale. But in my opinion it has a fatal flaw. That flaw is the dreaded 'middle rating', or that 3rd star. It gives the reviewer an out, basically not calling the flick good or bad, just average.

I think a stand needs to be taken. Movies should be good or bad. With 4 stars, you're forced to make a decision. For me that line in the sand represents the question 'would I want to see this movie again?' or 'if I came across this movie on TV, would I change the channel?'. From there you have 2 buckets on either side of the fence to further categorize the flick. Anything more nuanced than that can be explained in the body of the review.

So to summarize, here is a brief description of each star:

4 star: excellent movie, very few flaws, and one that you'd love to own, see again, and would actively recommend to others.

3 star: above average movie, not quite up to snuff relative to the 4 star movies, and one that you wouldn't mind seeing again, and would recommend to others if asked.

2 star: below average movie, flawed, not one you'd want to see again and would not recommend to others.

1 star: bad movie, horribly flawed, one you're mad you even wasted your time and money on and one that you would wish on your worst enemies.

From here forth, you'll see all my flicks rated in this manner.