I recently updated the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of Sack, Animated to include the following information, but I figured I would post this article just in case you don’t get a chance to read that section.
I have written two film reviews and several TV show reviews since I started this blog back in September. But I realized that while I understand my rating system (obviously, because it would be weird if I didn’t understand my own system), the people reading my reviews might not know the mindset I’m in when I make my ratings.
The rating is often the last thing that I write in my review; I write reviews by simply letting my thoughts on a film or TV show flow from my brain to my keyboard and onto the screen in front of me. Once I have had the chance to read over my review, I gauge how favorably I have treated the film or show in question, how much I still enjoy thinking about it, and how badly I want to watch it again. After I take all of that into account, I give the film or show a score out of 10, which I call The Sack Score.
In terms of film reviews, the film that I use as my gold standard against which all other films are measured is The Lion King, my favorite film of all time. Along that same line of thought, I use Avatar: The Last Airbender as my gold standard for TV show reviews, as Avatar is my favorite TV show of all time.
Now, on to my actual rating system. I must admit that it is not wholly my own; the original basis for my rating system comes from YouTuber and video game critic Joe “Angry Joe” Vargas. Here is my version of Vargas’s rating system, plus a few examples of what films or TV shows would get certain ratings:
0/10: Destroy all copies onsite (The Last Airbender (2010))
1/10: What were they thinking?!
2/10: Garbage
3/10: Terrible
4/10: Slightly below average (Star Wars Rebels S3E6: “The Iron Squadron”)
5/10: Average
6/10: Slightly above average (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride or The Lion King 1 1/2)
7/10: Satisfying; may leave you wanting more (Star Wars Rebels S3E7: “The Wynkahthu Job”)
8/10: Definitely worth your time (Young Justice)
9/10: Must-see (Moana)
10/10: Masterpiece (The Lion King, Avatar: The Last Airbender)
So, there you have it: my rating system, plus a little inside look into how I rate films and TV shows. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to comment below or send me an email. Thank you and have a great day!