James Whitehead
A lot is made these days about a film’s score on Rotten Tomatoes; a reference point for many film reviewers and a deciding factor for many audience members, the site has grown to have a significant influence. But many out there aren’t aware or aren’t sure of what anyone means when they talk about “tomato-meter”, or whether a film is “rotten” or “fresh”. So, with its growing significance it’s important to truly understand what Rotten Tomatoes is, so that you can use it effectively.
The biggest issue working against Rotten Tomatoes is the confusion about how their scoring system works. Take these two films and their respective scores for example.
The standout focus from these images is that “The Dark Knight” received 94%, whilst “Man of Steel” received 57%. Many people’s takeaway is that the first is a 9/10 with the latter, closer to being a 6/10. But that’s due to the common mistake people make. Due to websites like IMDB, people see the percentage and think of it as a score from an exam, but on Rotten Tomatoes, their scoring is an aggregator score of whether people simply liked the film or not.
You see on Rotten Tomatoes; you can only give a “fresh” or a “rotten” review. If six out of ten people like the film, the score is 60%. Whilst this system is effective to give an overall temperature on the film, it doesn’t portray the depth of enjoyment or distain in its review system.
For example, Man of Steel’s 57% score, doesn’t reflect how strongly a lot of those 57% do feel about the film. A film that everyone agrees is just above good, will end with a very high score on the ‘Tomato-meter’. But a film that strongly divides opinion could end up with a much lower score, deeming it ‘rotten’ with the sites scale, even if those that enjoyed the film may have thought it’s the best thing they have ever seen, it’s very one-dimensional in regards to scoring a film, that’s simply not the purpose of RT.
The “Tomatometer” is an aggregator score for all verified critics, whilst their “Popcornmeter” is for the average audience members who submit their thoughts. It’s important to understand what these scores mean and always be sure to look deeper and the individual reviews to determine whether a film is for you. Rotten Tomatoes is a great site with very useful information regarding a film’s perception, but the worst thing you could do as a film fan is look at the score of a film and pre-determine the quality. As ever, look deeper into some specific reviews and more importantly go and make your own mind up.
As well as Rotten Tomatoes, be sure to check out the Tv and Film News section on our Hits Player, for our own thoughts and reviews of the latest big screen hits.
