What is the purpose of movie and TV reviews?

The role of movie and television critics has evolved over the years. More often than not, in the perpetual echo chamber that is the Internet, the conversation that surrounds any given review centers on the score or grade the film or show received.

It's a reductive way to assess a critic's take, but more reductive still is the “Wait, you gave X movie a B and Y movie an A???” As if that inherently means that you are calling one piece of art more worthy than another.

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert got into a heated (though short) debate during one of their shows in which Siskel called Ebert out for giving Benji the Hunted a thumbs up and Full Metal Jacket a thumbs down. 

Take a look below at the 3:40 minute mark.

A conversation about critics' relative usefulness sprung up around Batman v Superman, recently, causing us to ask the question: What is the purpose of a movie review?

In the video above or below Roth Cornet and Drew McWeeny discuss that question and how they arrive at the final score.

Take a look and let us know what you think.

Chat with us here or on Twitter.

Roth: @RothCornet

Drew: @DrewAtHitfix

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