On rating comics and movies

If you follow me on Twitter (@psarascomics), you've probably seen me rating comics and mostly comic-book movies on a scale of 10, among with words like wathcable, re-watchable, masterpiece, etc. You might also notice that most of my ratings range from 4 to 7, whereas most people's ratings have an equal number of movies for each rating, except the perfect 10. People that have studied basic statistics will recognize a Gaussian (normal) distribution with a mean of +5 and a variance close to 2.
There's a reason most of my ratings range from 4 to 7, based not only on the normal distribution, but also on the comic-book and movie industry. Products that will end up drawing ratings lower than 3 are scrapped before they are finished, and seldom reach the consumer. On the other hand, stepping up from a 5 to a 6 is more difficult than stepping up from a 4 to a 5, and it gets even more difficult for higher ratings. That's why the ratings curve has an obvious tilt, with more movies or comics on the 8 and 9 than on the 1 and 2. What's more, re-watching and re-reading stuff of high ratings in order to compare them to each other, is much more intriguing than doing the same for lower ratings.

To be more specific, let's get to shortly describing each rating and giving a few popular examples from the comic-book movie industry.

1-3: Not-watchable / Not-readable
As I've said before, it's really hard comparing stuff of lower rating. I'd say only Elektra and Ghost Rider are that bad to be a 3, and Hollywood hasn't done anything so bad to be lower than that.

4: Curiosity only
This rating is for stuff you didn't like when you first watched/read it, but if they're part of a bigger trend or an extended universe, you do it every once in a while to remind yourself what bad is. Excessive negative heat at the time of the release or a later time can play its part, too. Here you can find good adaptations that are bad movies, like Daredevil, but mostly bad adaptations that are otherwise watchable movies, like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Superman IV and Batman & Robin.

5: Watchable
If you paid to watch this movie in a theater, or even organised a special night with pizzas and pop-corn before renting the DVD, you've probably regretted it afterwards. Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong with them, it's just that you could have spent your money and time in something better. If there's one of them on TV and nothing better airing on a different channel, you're never tempted to turn it off like you would be with a 4. Spawn and Iron-Man 3, are some of the movies that are watchable but nothing more. I've rated many MCU movies with a 5, especially after watching them for the second time, but I'm trying to give popular examples here.

6. Re-watchable
This is as simple as watchable. Movies that you will choose to watch, perhaps because they're part of an extended universe or because you are a fan of the genre, but have nothing more to offer besides being just good. They might also serve the purpose of watching a good movie that doesn't need too much of your attention when you're tired, but there are also prequels, mid-quels and spin-offs that do the exact opposite. Batman Forever and Hulk (2003), but also X-Men: First Class, are some good examples.

7: Very good
From here and above, these are movies you would use to introduce someone to the genre. The distinction between their ratings also gets harder and personally biased, but time sifts 7's from 8's. A good director's cut can also transcend a movie from a 7 to an 8. I'd say Batman Returns and Iron-Man 2 are two certain 7's.

8: Great
As I just said, a great movie needs to stand the test of time. Unlike its sequel, Batman (1989) could fit here. The Richard Donner's cut of Superman II also does what I've previously said on a movie otherwise rated 7 or even 6. I also believe Avengers: Age Of Ultron is the most recent movie that could stand out as an 8.

9: Exceptional
Comic-book movies are adaptations, and it's my opinion that it makes it harder for them to be rated that high. However, they're becoming such a trend the last 15 years, that they're taken more seriously by both studios and fans. Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Returns as a trilogy could be here, although I would rate the first two parts with an 8. And of course, there's Watchmen, for which I'll talk about in the next paragraph.

10: Masterpiece
I'm afraid there's no example from the comic-book movie genre that can fit here. And even from the comic-book and graphic novels world, there's only Watchmen. It takes centuries to create masterpieces, and neither graphic novels nor movies have been around for that long. Specifically the comic book and graphic novel industry is lucky to have Watchmen so early in its history, and so many 9's like Maus, V for Vendetta and The Dark Knight Returns.

That's my opinion on rating movies and comic-books, which I believe extends to rating anything that can be rated. I'm annoyed by people so lenient on mediocrity, who create a disturbance in the force a certain imbalance by rating almost everything from 7 to 9. I hope this article will help avoid arguments in the future, and also give a more balanced image to personal ratings in the future.