Ratings Key

BOMB!

Absolutely shatteringly awful.  One of the worst films ever made.

*

A film with little reason to exist, seriously poor big budget films to seriously underwhelming genre entries.

*½

Not entirely awful, but totally forgettable.  Only really watchable after returning from the bar/pub.

**

OK, but not a success in anyone’s book and generally distinctly average.  Don’t let the dog miss his walk for this.

**½

Barely above average, you’re kept watching by one or two things – a performance, the photography, whatever, but it’s generally a minor affair.

***

This is a very good way to spend an afternoon.  Above average, and generally entertaining.

***½

An excellent film, maybe never approaching greatness, but the sort of film that will not disappoint and better than 90% of films released these days.

****

A thoroughly entertaining or near classic which entertains all the way, but falls just short of the best of its type.

****½

From faded milestones of cinema to classics of a given genre, as near as dammit to the masterpiece level but just fractionally below.  You’ll get only a few of these a year.

*****

An absolute masterpiece of cinema, one which leaves one with a glow upon ejecting the DVD and, in general terms, could not have been done any better.  If you get one or two of these a year, count yourself fortunate.

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