# Has a movie review ever stopped you from seeing a movie you had planned on seeing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147 "2011-07-24T03:45:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/1 "2011-07-24T03:45:44Z")
Premise is pretty straightforward. Have you ever thought ‘Cool, I want to see that movie’ and then read a review that stopped you from seeing it? I’m especially interested in reviews that come out before the movie even does, but any experiences at all along that line are of interest. ETA: I read reviews after I’ve seen a movie. I like to just dumb down and enter the world. AFTERwards, I tend to read reviews to see if they match what I thought. They often don’t. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/2 "2011-07-24T04:00:07Z")
Usually not for a single review. But if a move starts ends up under 30% or so on RT, that usually gives me pause. Like “Skyline,” which really looked cool in the trailers. Finally watched it a couple weeks ago. The critics were right. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/3 "2011-07-24T04:22:50Z")
I was pretty pumped for the _Last Airbender_ movie. Then the reviews started coming out. Still haven’t seen yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Sparky\_the\_Wonder\_Spirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky_the_Wonder_Spirit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/4 "2011-07-24T05:22:34Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I was pretty pumped for the _Last Airbender_ movie. Then the reviews started coming out. That’s just what I was thinking about. I was on the fence about seeing _The Green Lantern_; if the reviews had been good, I would have. As it is, I’ll wait for Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/5 "2011-07-24T09:03:08Z")
I’m not quite sure how to answer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a review and decided not to see a movie, but I have done the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/6 "2011-07-24T09:16:52Z")
The most recent one for me was _Sucker Punch_. The reviews told me it was not the movie the trailer made it out to be, and so it was not the movie I wanted to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/7 "2011-07-24T10:59:59Z")
It must be admitted that I almost never see a movie in the theater, but usually watch them on DVD at my convenience. Once in a great while, I’ve seen a trailer or have heard enough word of mouth to be anticipating a movie. Even more infrequently, I’ve let a negative professional influence me. Especially if I’ve also gotten the impression that my friends don’t like it. Most recent example, _Watchmen_–really, it wasn’t just that the reviews were bad, they were bad in a way which made the movie sound unfun. I wanted to see what they’d done with it because I’ve read the book, but I’m not enthused about the prospect, and may never get there. Counter example, _Secretariat_. The reviews weren’t great, feedback from friends was that it was a nice little movie, and I’ve seen it and enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/8 "2011-07-24T11:05:10Z")
I vote yes only because it happened in the past. I’ve learned that reviewers tastes and mine are different so I never pay attention to them anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/9 "2011-07-24T12:20:57Z")
Yes, but it usually only prevents me from seeing it in theater. I usually check it out later on DVD or on demand services. No need to pay a premium for garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/10 "2011-07-24T12:38:11Z")
I like to research what I’m buying before I make any purchase - and that includes movie tickets. It’s not as if they’ll give me a refund if I don’t like the movie. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/11 "2011-07-24T12:54:27Z")
As has been said, not one review, but if the preponderance of reviews and audience ratings is bad, it can make me decide not to see a movie I was on the fence about seeing…recent examples being Transformers 3 and Green Lantern. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/12 "2011-07-24T14:06:06Z")
I can’t recall ever changing my mind after reading a review, so I checked “never”. I suppose it may have happened, but it would be a rare event indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/13 "2011-07-24T14:28:51Z")
Yes, if the reviews were spectacularly bad, I won’t see it - like Transformers 2, for example. Most reviews were saying that it was way too long and way too boring - I don’t want to see that. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/14 "2011-07-24T14:59:28Z")
_Last Airbender_, definitely. And I’m waiting for\* Green Lantern\* on DVD. I was really looking forward to it, too. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/15 "2011-07-25T00:04:34Z")
Sort of yes. If I’m on the fence about a movie, or thinking it might be good despite it not being my cup of tea, and I see it has good or bad reviews, then it’ll influence me. Two recent examples are _Transformers 3_ and _Green Lantern_. For _Transformers_, I enjoyed the first one for the most part, but the second one I found actively insulting to me as a moviegoer. So, when the third came around, I checked the reviews. Better than the second, but not as good as the first seemed to be the consensus, so I decided to give it a miss in theaters - why pay for a meh movie? We will probably rent it at some point in the future. On _Green Lantern_, that hero isn’t one I was much interested in - too hokey. The trailers didn’t inspire much interest in me either. Then the reviews came in…not even a rental on this one. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/16 "2011-07-25T00:32:24Z")
No single reviewer will sway my opinion on whether to see a movie or not. Instead, like the others in this thread, I’ll read others just to get an idea on what the consensus on the film is. From there, I weigh the consensus with my personal interest in the movie itself. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/17 "2011-07-25T01:06:10Z")
I tend to use Ebert’s reviews to help decide what to see – not because I always agree with him, but because I know his tastes and style enough to know what I’ll think based on what he thinks. The most recent movie I was dissuaded from was Men Who Stare at Goats. On paper, it wounded perfect – government boondoggles, conspiracy theories, Clooney, and The Dude. Reviews made me leery. I finally watched it on DVD; they were right. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/18 "2011-07-25T01:08:13Z")
All the time. Money is too precious to waste on bad movies. Lots of movies I’ll be jacked up about, but if the reviews start trickling in horrible, I’ll wait for DVD or just skip all together. Shymalan’s movie the Happening was coming out on my b-day. Yay. First R-rated movie. Double Yay. Reviews started coming in as one of the worst movies of the year, all of a sudden ain’t worth the $25 bucks. Seeing it on DVD, wasn’t worth the buck. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/19 "2011-07-26T01:16:19Z")
I wish. 🙂 _The Last Airbender_ was a treat for his birthday selected by my son… and I made the mistake of reading the reviews before seeing it… :eek: I really should have let the awful Shyamalan experience come as an (albeit suspected) surprise rather than having the existential dread loom the entire way to the theater. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147/20 "2011-07-26T04:49:14Z")
Like many others, _The Last Airbender_ was the one I was specifically thinking of when I answered, too. A shame: I loved the cartoon. I _was_ a little skeptical about fitting it into a single movie, but if the reviews weren’t so uniformly horrid, I would have given it a chance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-review-ever-stopped-you-from-seeing-a-movie-you-had-planned-on-seeing/590147.md?page=2)