How the whole thing works
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/713c55_f3d1e9178ae8484b81e5aa1cdb084bf9~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_890,h_374,al_c,q_85,enc_auto/713c55_f3d1e9178ae8484b81e5aa1cdb084bf9~mv2.png)
Beginning, middle, and end stars: What I’m looking for with these 3 stars is all about the story and plot of the movie. Did the story follow well? Did the beginning set up the characters and story well or did it set the audience up for confusion? Did the middle move the story forward and have good action? Good action in the second act of a movie is so important for me. Did the middle set the ending up well? Was the ending satisfying and did it explain what it needed to? If the ending was ambiguous did that work well or was it just plain confusing?
Casting & acting star: Was the movie cast well? Were the actors good in their roles? Were they good actors but cast in a role that wasn’t right for them? That’s all I really want to know for this star. Actors and actresses have a huge stake in whether or not a movie performs well so it would be remiss of a movie rating blog to not take a look at whether they helped or hurt the film.
Everything else: The cinematography, soundtrack, directing, script, etc. for a film can also help or harm it. For this star, I just look at the rest of what I haven’t previously covered and discuss the points that stood out to me. How was the lighting and/or camera filter they used? Was the music helpful for creating a mood/tone or was it distracting? Was the VFX done well? Were the action scenes too gory or not gory enough? Etc…
Bonus 1: I added this star in because marketing and the release date don’t have a huge effect on the film’s overall story or success but they do have an effect. Was the marketing helpful or did you go in expecting a different movie than you got? Was that a good/bad thing? Did the release date help or harm the movie? Did it make sense to be released at that time?
Bonus 2: Obviously movies don’t always have to make sense in context of the others to make money (think Transformers) but oftentimes they are supposed to. I added this star in because I noticed myself coming out of movies and either liking or disliking how they fit in with the other films. Did it make sense in the context of the other movies? Did it follow the same story line? Did it set itself up well for a sequel (should it even get a sequel)? Were there any end credit scenes and if so, and they are supposed to be part of the plot, did they make sense?
Other good info: New blog posts will come as I see movies, take a day or two to think it over and write, and then hit the button. I will try to get posts up by Tuesdays as most people like to see movies Friday-Sunday so that would give you guys time to plan your weekend if you choose to do so. However, it is not going to be a set schedule of every week -- at this time -- on this day -- a post shows up. I will also be starting a monthly “here’s what I’m hoping to see” blog post with little reasons as to why.
Overall: I hope that all made sense. I wanted to give insight into how I think through whether or not a movie gets a star. Hopefully, this guide is helpful for you. This will stay up on the blog for as long as it is a thing. Feel free to reference it as much and as often as you like.
So let me know:
Was this page helpful?
Do you have another factor you’d like me to review?
What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to movies?
I'm looking forward to great and insightful movie reviews! It seems like you've really thought out the rating system and I like that I know where/why the stars are assigned. My biggest pet peeve would have to be plot holes or discrepancies between movies in the same series. Can't wait to watch some good movies! :)