Film Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes

I find it difficult to accurately convey how much I dread that feeling of regret when, after having had high expectations for a movie, you put it in the player and it turns out to be truly awful. Those two hours of wasted life can never be reclaimed but fortunately for all of us I know of a website designed to prevent such incidents arising in the future.

I am aware that film critics have been around for as long as the movie industry itself, however the opinion of one person can very rarely be trusted. For this reason I've started relying on a website called Rotten Tomatoes to do a little bit of quick research before I decide to rent a film.

Rotten Tomatoes compiles the reviews of dozens of movie critics for any given film and works out an average rating after taking all these opinions in to consideration. Whilst it could be argued that one mans rubbish is another mans gold, this website will at last be able to get an idea of whether you're likely to enjoy the film or not. In order to aid your decision, users are also invited to submit their own ratings and reviews online so that you get a more objective opinion than simply that of a critic.

To get started visit www.rottentomatoes.com and type in a movie of your choice hit the search button. As there are usually several results which potential matches so simply click on the movie that exactly matches your description. From this point you will be taken to a page which gives you all the information that you need to really know about the film; this includes but is not limited to the following:

- The average rating of the movie based on the critic reviews along with a chance to read each individual review in full.

- The average user rating of the movie which is made up using information submitted from other users of the website.

- Information on the DVD itself such as running time, special features and format.

- A movie synopsis which rarely contains any spoiler material which would affect your enjoyment of the movie.

- DVD Photo Stills and Theatrical Trailers.

- The Movie Mistakes section is great if you like deconstructing a film by spotting continuity errors and factual inaccuracies or even the cameraman's reflection in the mirror.

Rotten Tomatoes has interviews with actors and directors along with general news, a dedicated forum for like minded folk to meet and discuss whatever aspect of any given movie tickles their fancy. Other slightly more random features crop up occasionally ' for example last years rather nice Halloween 'Top 50 horror movies of all time' that I enjoyed greatly. A variety of different charts populate the website further, detailing films that have hit the box office lately or have just been brought out on DVD and thankfully letting us know if they are worthwhile spending money/time on or not.

Rotten Tomatoes have also broadened their horizons to cover games using a comparable system that lets users investigate video games to help them make a decision before purchase; I would imagine this would be particularly useful for well meaning parent/grandparent in the run 'up to Christmas.

Of course, I do know there are circumstances where you will enjoy a movie that others have hated and I certainly don't think that you should live your life avoiding the unknown based purely on the opinions of others. That having been said, I've personally found Rotten Tomatoes to be an invaluable and free resource. By taking the opinions of dozens of critics and hundreds of users, you should be able to work out which movie is right for you to watch this evening.