movie review aggregator

Atchity does acknowledge that “there is less space for subtlety” in Rotten Tomatoes.

It used to be fairly easy to be a reviewer for the site. Any member of a critics’ organization was eligible.

“That’s no longer the case,” Atchity said. “That’s merely a part of the qualification.”

Like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic’s staff of six reads reviews and decides whether they’re positive or negative. But they try to address how good – or how bad – a movie is.

Sometimes it’s easy: If critics give a movie four stars out of a possible five, Metacritic automatically gives the review an 80. But 40 percent of Metacritic’s reviewers do not assign scores, so Metacritic’s staff of six gives the review a number.

“There is a process of us reading these reviews and evaluating them,” Marc Doyle, Metacritic’s editor-in-chief, told TheWrap.

Metacritic, which is owned by CBS Interactive, reads far fewer reviews than Rotten Tomatoes – 44.

And while at Rotten Tomatoes, all critics are created equal, Metacritic assigns scores to critics as well as to their reviews.

The greater a critic’s stature, the more influential that critic’s opinion will be on the Metacritic score.

Like Metacritic, it has a relatively small number of critics – 51. And like Metacritic, it assigns each critic his or her own level of importance.

But instead of weighting critics based on stature, it looks at their readership.

Anybody working for a large-circulation publication – even someone with no previous experience – would be considered especially important in Movie Review Intelligence’s formula.

“The mainstream taste needs to be heard as part of the mix,” David Gross, the site’s editor and publisher, told TheWrap. “I proudly include People magazine and Us Weekly and AP, along with the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, LA Weekly and Slant magazine. There are some wonderful small publications that are doing fantastic critical work – but I think all voices need to be heard.”

So how do their ratings stack up?

All three gave high marks to “The Artist,” the highest scoring best picture nominee across all three sites, across all three sites: an 89 from Metacritic, a 92.2 from Movie Review Intelligence and a 97 from Rotten Tomatoes. In a potentially ominous sign for its Oscar prospects, the sites were far more mixed on “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” which got a 46 on Metacritic, a 62.2 on Movie Review Intelligence and a 45 at Rotten Tomatoes.

Gross said that for the time being, he's pleased with his site's niche.

"The other sites are giants," Gross told TheWrap, "and so we’re happy to be the independent.”

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While society has shifted away from the concept of having thousands of channels via cable or satellite TV (though this continues to exist for customers who choose to pay for these services), the growth in streaming means there’s still seemingly infinite choice.

Not only do customers have to sift through thousands of options to find quality content to watch, they also need to figure out where to access it among the various streaming services available and to which they subscribe. Thankfully, there are many websites and apps designed to help narrow down the search and find content suitable to all types of viewers.

Reelgood provides a detailed look at TV shows and movies from more than 150 services, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Disney+ as well as networks like Starz and Showtime, along with lesser-known services. Type a specific title in the search field of the website or Android or iOS app to find out where it is. For inspiration, search by genre, what’s new, what’s trending, by specific service, what’s free, or even by keywords like “Emmy nominees” or “IMDb top-rated.” There’s also the option to see not only what’s coming but also what will be leaving a specific service.

RELATED: 10 Netflix Series With The Best Re-Watch Value

To get down to the nitty-gritty, search by various filters at once, like streaming service and genre, and see results with IMDb and Reelgood rating. Also sort by release date or most popular. A fun roulette feature can be used to search for random titles on Netflix based on genre and IMDB and Reelgood scores: sign up for an account to include other streaming services as well.

The Decider search engine for locating content is powered by Reelgood, but the site also offers plenty of added features. See round-ups of the best movies or TV shows on different services, scroll through the “What to Watch” section, view recommendations by genre, platform, or even moods like “frisky” and “weird.” There’s a description of each show or movie along with a list of all the places it can be accessed, whether it’s via streaming or only available to buy/rent.

The handy “stream it or skip it” section highlights new content and provides expert opinions on whether it’s worth watching or not, including some of the most highly anticipated new TV shows streaming in 2022 .

Rotten Tomatoes

One of the most respected review aggregator websites, if a movie or TV show has been released, chances are it will be in the Rotten Tomatoes database, complete with a summary of top critic ratings as well as both critic and audience score. If a title is “Certified Fresh,” it means the site and its experts highly recommend it.

RELATED: 10 Best Movies Of 2021 According To Rotten Tomatoes

See a line-up of new and upcoming content on Rotten Tomatoes , read helpful articles about shows, and find links to reviews. There’s a continuously updated list of the most popular movies and TV shows and a breakdown of the latest Certified Fresh content for those looking for top-rated content. Also, get instant access to trailers and other videos related to popular content, and read “best of” and “most anticipated” guides.

Like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic is a respected review aggregator website. While its database isn’t as expansive, the reviews are provided by expert critics as well as audiences. See editor’s picks along with summaries and rating, see a highlight of what’s new, and read informative articles about what to watch from month to month.

Also covering music and video games, some titles are given a “must-watch” label beside the Metascore, which indicates editors believe it’s a top choice worth considering. With each title, see a breakdown of the reviews, full text, summary of the show and even episodes, and the overall rating.

Flixable ’s primary focus is Netflix, but with millions of subscribers making Netflix the most popular streaming TV service, ranked by subscriber numbers , it’s worth including for those who can't suitable titles through Netflix’s own recommendation engine.

Search by movies, TV shows, or both, then narrow down by genre, rating, and other parameters like what’s new or even a specific release year. See weekly highlights of added content and get a heads-up of what will be leaving to watch before it’s no longer available. There’s even an option to search by specific actors. Search for “Tom Hanks,” for example, and see that, at the time of this writing, his available titles include Catch Me If You Can , Road to Perdition , and The Terminal .

With both an app and website, Taste.io requires a login with an e-mail address and/or phone number for access. Once a profile is set up, the service offers movie and TV reviews and suggestions based on others who have similar tastes. Rate a few movies and the site determines individual tastes from this information, connecting subscribers with other like-minded ones.

RELATED: 10 TV Shows That Moved From Network TV To Streaming

With more than half a million movie fans subscribed, the site also highlights what’s trending, top-rated content, classics, things to watch for a light mood, and even hidden gems.

Download the JustWatch app or visit the website for movie and TV show recommendations from top services, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video, like the best TV shows of 2022 so far, according to Reddit . Search for a specific title, see what’s new or popular, or tap the "discover" link to get personalized recommendations based on interests and tastes.

There’s no login required: click on movie and TV shows that are appealing based on a selection provided and after selecting four or five, a list of worthwhile options will show up. The set-up is similar to an actual streaming service, with unique sections with themes like recently added, movies or shows available for purchase or rent, content that has been flagged as a favorite by other subscribers, watch lists from users with similar tastes and preferences, and even humorous ones like “romantic movies that don’t suck.”

Dubbed the “world’s largest tracking tool for TV and movies,” TV Time is available on the web or scan the QR code on the homepage to download the mobile app. Track favorite TV shows and movies to get notifications when they are available or returning with new seasons, discover new content, and view data-driven insights on what others are watching when, and why they chose the content.

Designed to be a pseudo-TV guide, it aggregates content from a variety of services to present them in a guide format, including both linear networks and streaming services, like the smaller streaming platforms that are worth checking out . Have friends sign up too and keep track of who’s watching what, how far they have gotten into a season, and more.

Watchworthy

Access Watchworthy , powered by Ranker, via web browser or mobile app and get personalized TV recommendations from content across more than 200 streaming services to avoid having to flip back and forth among multiple ones. Use the app or site to build a personal watchlist to refer to whenever there’s a lull in the schedule, like after finishing the latest season of a show.

First, confirm the applicable services and channels. Then, functioning similar to a dating app, as show titles appear, pick which ones have already been viewed, if they were liked or disliked it, or for ones not yet seen, if there’s any interest or not. Not sure? Swipe right or left to skip. As the information is fathered, Watchworthy will determine the probability of liking or disliking a specific show, thus affording it a “worthy” score. Like magic, up pops a variety of shows that would likely appeal, with the most “worthy” at the top of the list. Click the like or dislike button for each and the engine will continue learning over time.

Another aggregator website and app, Qewd includes details on content from all the top streaming services, making it easy to explore trends and get a personally curated list of options to consider from both the site’s own tastemakers, as well as friends and family members.

The powerful engine is only part of the equation: Qewd focuses as much on the social aspect, helping users connect with friends, family members, and even favorite influencers and brands to see what other like-minded people are watching and recommending. Curate a personal “channel” with content from multiple streaming services, social platforms, and even other videos on the internet, so it’s easy to access via a single click. The app is new and there’s still a waitlist, but for TV and movie lovers, it might be worth waiting for.

NEXT: Every Major Streaming Service Ranked By Price

Why You Should Use a Review Aggregator (+Best Tools)

As a business, you need to keep a keen eye on what your customers are saying about you. Your online reviews largely control the perception of your  brand , which you must manage as much as possible.

Review aggregators are platforms that collect a large amount of reviews on a product, service, or business. It then “aggregates” and gives an average score. Consumers use that score to assess your business, its products and services.

It affects their purchasing decision, which is why they’re so important.

Don’t know much about them? Don’t worry, this guide will cover everything you need to know, including:

• What a review aggregator is
• Why your business should care about review aggregators
• The 15 most important review aggregators to focus on
• How to manage your reviews with ReviewBot

Ready? Let’s get started.

What Is a Review Aggregator?

Review aggregators are platforms that collect reviews on a product or service, ranking them based on an accumulated average score. Consumers use them to help with research before making a purchasing decision.

Review aggregators exist for a number of different industries, products, services, and niches. Some popular examples include:

• Rotten Tomatoes for films/movies/TV series
• Metacritic for video games
• Yelp for local businesses
• Glassdoor for employer reviews
• Google Play Store for Android apps
• App Store for Apple apps
• G2 for software reviews

Review aggregators make it extremely easy for consumers to compare products and services, based on available reviews. Some of them are websites, while others are software apps.

Why Should Your Business Care About Review Aggregators?

Review aggregators are important to consider for your business because they can influence your sales. Consumers will go to review aggregator platforms and assess the quality of a product or service. They’ll compare it to other options available on the marketplace.

For instance, the Rotten Tomatoes score of a film/movie can greatly affect how many people pay to see it. The same is true for buying games, based on a Metacritic score. In fact,  every additional 5 points over an 80+ Metacritic score equates to double the sales .

As a business, you need to keep a keen eye on all review aggregator platforms that feature your products or services. They’re the best indicator of how good what you’re offering is, and where you stand compared to the competition. It’ll also give you a good idea where you can improve.

These Are the Most Important Review Aggregators to Focus On

There are quite a few review aggregators out there — a lot of them aren’t worth your time. Below we’ll list the most important ones you should focus on. Depending on the nature of your business not all of them will apply to you.

The  App Store  is an Apple platform that allows consumers to browse, purchase, and download Apple-based apps. Users can leave  reviews  for each app they use, which affects its aggregated score.

The platform allows users to identify all the highest rated, most popular apps for their Apple devices. Filters can be added to make this an easier process. The apps can be used on any Apple device, including the:

• Apple Watch

With over 1.8 million different apps on the platform, there’s endless options for Apple users. The most popular apps include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

• Google Play Store

The  Google Play Store  is a Google platform that acts as the official app store for Android devices. On it, Android users can browse, purchase, and download various different apps created for the Android operating system.

The platform also acts as a  review aggregator for the apps , hosting a large amount of user reviews. If you’ve bought an app from the Google Play Store you’re able to give a review yourself. Each app has an aggregated total score, which makes it easy to assess quality.

Aside from Android apps the store also features music, books, films/movies, and TV series.

And if there's something hugely important for mobile apps to focus on, it's their reviews: both good and bad. Replying to criticism and appreciating compliments gives new potential users a sign that you care. ReviewBot gives you instant alerts on new reviews so you can be fast in your customer support.

Yelp business pages

Yelp  is a crowd-source local business review and social media site. The platform allows businesses to create their own pages, which customers can leave  reviews  on. For businesses, the page is a resource that gives important information to potential customers.

Local businesses can set up their Yelp business page, adding images, opening hours, product/service details — and much more. It’s also possible to  respond to user reviews , which is important for  online reputation management .

Consumers can use the platform to assess the quality of local businesses. The user reviews of each business adds to an aggregated score, which makes it easy to compare available options.

Amazon  is the world’s largest online e-commerce marketplace, selling just about anything and everything. As a business, the platform offers a place for one to sell its products to a large audience.

Amazon sellers can set up a storefront where consumers can buy their products and leave  reviews . Every product an Amazon seller puts up for sale will have an aggregated review score, based on all its reviews.

Amazon storefronts also can be reviewed by users, which adds to its overall score. The quality of reviews are important on Amazon as it influences consumer purchasing decisions. Being able to assess product and seller quality is an essential component to consumer research.

• Google My Business

google-business-review-aggregator

Google My Business  is a platform for local businesses that combines with Google Maps and Google search. Businesses will have a business profile that shows up during a localized search query, or on Google Maps. The profile includes a variety of details about the business, including:

• Business name
• Physical location/address
• Phone number
• About/blurb
• Google posts
• User reviews
• Aggregated review score

The platform provides a way for local businesses to connect with local search users. Consumers can browse all location options, comparing user reviews, and the overall aggregated score, which is out of 5 stars.

iTunes for podcasts

iTunes  is a client app for the iTunes store, which offers a wide variety of digital multimedia. Some of the types of things on the platform include:

• Movies/films

Aside from offering those, the iTunes client app doubles as a multimedia library, categorizing a user’s digital collection. It also works as a media player and CD ripper.

The iTunes store is a great place for businesses that want — or have — a podcast. It makes it accessible to a large number of people.  Users can leave reviews , which affects an aggregated score. Consumers can easily sort through all the best podcasts available, choosing the best.

The  Mac App Store  — also known as the App Store — is a platform that offers Mac operating system apps. Consumers can buy/download all sorts of different softwares for their Macs, including:

• Safari browser extensions
• Apple arcade games

Developers can join the Apple Developer Program, which allows them to submit apps for consideration. If successful, their apps can be featured on the App store.

All Mac App Store apps can be  reviewed by users , which adds the app’s aggregated review score. This score makes it easy for individuals to compare apps, making it easy to find high quality options.

Trustpilot  is a consumer review website that allows individuals to write reviews for various businesses. The categories of businesses reviewed are diverse, including things like:

• Travel insurance
• Jewellery stores
• Car dealerships
• Furniture stores
• Pet services
• Dental services

Those are just a few of the many — Trustpilot pretty much covers all industries and niches.

For businesses, Trustpilot is used similarly to  Yelp  and Google My Business in that you set up a page. It’ll include images, product and service details, opening hours, a website and a phone number.

Each business will have an aggregated review score, based on all the reviews they’ve received. Consumers can use this accumulative score to easily find the best options available to them.

Angie's List

Angie’s List  is a crowd-sourced review website for local businesses and contractors. It covers popular services like:

• Landscaping
• Housecleaning

Consumers can enter in their ZIP code and compare the top-rated service providers in their area. The ratings of each business/contractor is determined by price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality, and professionalism.

Each business/contractor has its own page, which includes images, service details, a website, physical location, and phone number. All individual reviews are also visible, along with an aggregated score. This makes it easy for users of the platform to find the best option for them.

Glassdoor  is a job search engine and review website where employees can anonymously review its employers. The reviews critique specific aspects of employment, including benefits packages, salary, and work environment.

The platform makes it easy for employees who are currently unemployed, or receiving additional offers to make informed career decisions. Employees are able to claim their company profile on Glassdoor, which includes important information about the organization.

Each employer has an aggregated review score, based on all the reviews given by employees. Glassdoor has a stringent screening process that ensures all reviews are authentic, actually coming from real employees. This makes it a great resource for employees to browse.

Foursquare  is a local search-and-discovery app that recommends locations, based on the user’s geographical location. Dubbed the “Foursquare City Guide,” the app will identify local restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, nightclubs, theater, and much more.

Using the app, consumers can discover new spots they’ve never known about before, creating opportunities for new experiences.

Each local business has its own page, which includes important information, like:

Each local business has an aggregated review score out of 10, which is based on all the user reviews given. This makes it easy for consumers to find high quality local options in their neighbourhood.

Capterra  is an online marketplace and review website for business softwares. On the platform consumers can review and compare software from over 700+ different categories — examples include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Email marketing
• Human resources
• Helpdesk software
• Inventory management
• Task management

Software vendors can create listings for their products and services. Your product profile will include features, screenshots, and reviews.

Each individual software product has an aggregated review score, based on all user reviews. This makes it effortless for individuals to compare all available options.

GoodFirms  is a research and review platform for finding better software and service providers. With it, consumers can find the best solutions available for their specific needs. Some of the software categories featured on the platform include:

• Document management
• Marketing automation

For service providers you’ve got mobile app development, SEO services, digital marketing, web design, e-commerce, and many others.

GoodFirms serves as an effective consumer research tool for those that need business software. The platform makes it easy to compare all available options. Each specific product and service has an aggregated review score, based on all user reviews.

G2  is a tech marketplace and review platform for business software and services. Real, authenticated reviews are used to give each individual product and service provider an aggregated score.

The platform covers a wide variety of different software categories — popular examples include:

• Payment gateways
• Mobile app development

Software developers can claim a listing for their products and services. The profile page will include essential information, like pricing, a short biography, contact details, and a website. There’s also the aggregated review score, based on all user reviews.

Yahoo! Local Listings

Yahoo Local Listings  provide a way for you to control your local business listings across 70+ different online listings. Dubbed “Localworks,” users can keep their various listings up-to-date regarding business information.

The all-in-one platform gives you easy access to all the reviews across your listings. You can easily optimize for search engines, GPS, social media, apps, and digital maps. By aggregating all of your business profile listings, it saves you time and effort.

Here's How to use ReviewBot to Manage Your Reviews in One Place

Managing all the reviews your business and its products/services can be time consuming. With so many different business listings and platforms you need to be on, you’d have to visit them all. What you need is a tool that can manage all of your reviews in one place.

ReviewBot  can help you do this. It scans all of your reviews across all the major platforms, such as:

• The App Store

Real-time tracking will keep you apprised of any and all new reviews. You’ll be sent a notification, so you can respond promptly, ensuring time sensitivity. Notifications can also be filtered according to feedback, so you’re only alerted of reviews you care about.

ReviewBot effortlessly integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zendesk — it’ll fit in with your other tools. Other great features include competitor tracking, automatic language translation, status reports, and social sharing.

With ReviewBot, you’ll be able to more easily manage your online reviews, taking your reputation management to the next level.

In this guide we covered everything you need to know about review aggregators.

Review aggregators accumulate large amounts of user reviews on a product, service, or business. They spit out an average, accumulative score, which consumers use as a research tool.

They — review aggregators — influence consumer purchasing decisions, which is why they matter for your business.

Make sure you keep your customer feedback in check with ReviewBot . With a 14-day free trial and plans starting at just 5$/month, any business can now show their users that they care about them. 

An Introduction to App Landing Pages

Weekly and Monthly Reports for App Reviews

Getting App Reviews in Trello

Top 10 Best Movie Review Sites

Of course, this is the biggest, most well-known, and best movie-reviewing website of all time. With hundreds of thousands of votes from random people and critics around the world, you can submit your rating out of ten stars, and it contributes to the final rating. Many movies have over a million ratings and thousands of reviews. You can write your own review, but it is unlikely anyone will get to it as there are so many. The only problem with this website is that there are tens

The best movie reviewing site by far. There are two review sections: for users and for experts.

Some of their reviews are very questionable, but overall this website is okay.

This recently deceased critic has detailed, accurate, and in-depth reviews of practically every movie. He was a very good critic, but as he is just one person you can't exactly say he's better than IMDb, which has over 10 million users.

This website is pretty amazing. It only has one random person who gives the movie a rating out of five stars, with the average being three. The rating is usually inaccurate, so the reviewing aspect of this website isn't great. However, they give a very accurate age rating and a ranking out of five for different categories such as violence and inappropriate content. Users can also give their own rating out of five stars and age rating, though it goes into a different category. This is quite good.

Ah, I forgot WatchMojo! Thank you to whoever added this to the list.

I knew nothing about them before this, but while researching for this list many people seemed to like them. After checking out the website, they seem good.

This website is definitely not for people who just enjoy watching movies for their own sake, but for serious scholarly film buffs. It puts out print magazines that highlight a handful of articles focusing on the different artistic aspects of the movie. Very good, but sometimes a bit boring and maybe not for the average person.

Just an average movie reviewing website. I have nothing negative to say about them, nor anything positive, so they earn a place on here.

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Eli roth’s ‘borderlands’: what the critics are saying.

The Lionsgate live-action adaptation of the popular video game stars Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Gina Gershon and Jamie Lee Curtis.

By Abid Rahman

Abid Rahman

International Editor, Digital

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Lionsgate ‘s Borderlands hits theaters Aug. 9, but the review embargo for the film broke Thursday, and the early reaction from critics has been dire.

A live-action adaptation of Gearbox Software’s popular video game series, Eli Roth ‘s film takes place on the planet Pandora and tells the story of a band of outlaw misfits. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt and Jamie Lee Curtis, with Jack Black providing the voice of a wisecracking robot.

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Below are key excerpts from some of the most prominent early reviews.

In his negative review for The Hollywood Reporter , David Rooney writes that “the big mystery [with Borderlands ] is how such a noisy nothing of a movie landed the stacked cast.” David zeroes in on what went wrong with the film, highlighting big changes during the production. “To be fair, the project for which Blanchett and other major names signed on possibly looked a little different given the number of screenwriting hands it passed through. The most notable of those belonged to Craig Mazin, a co-creator and co-writer of The Last of Us , who reportedly chose to remove his name from the project. The script credit ultimately went to Roth and first-timer Joe Crombie, with speculation that the latter is a pseudonym.”

In a zero stars review in the New York Post , Johnny Oleksinski writes that Borderlands is a serious misstep for an actor of the caliber of Cate Blanchett. “If I was the two-time Oscar winner, I’d hire a crack team to work around the clock to scrub all mention of it from the Internet. The film is that embarrassing,” writes Oleksinski. The critic was not moved on any level, writing that “everything about Borderlands is appalling: the acting, writing, direction, design.”

In his review for The Daily Beast , an exasperated Nick Schager headlines his piece with: “Cate Blanchett, what are you doing?” After a run of great video game adaptations, Schager is confident the streak ends with Borderlands . “Gearbox Software’s games were light on plot and heavy on action, and Roth doubles down on that formula to monotonous results,” writes Schager. “Lacking the emotional depth, narrative creativity, and witty humor of James Gunn’s beloved [ Guardians of the Galaxy ], Roth’s big-budget venture is propelled only by borrowed ideas and stale execution, both of which cause it to crash and burn in spectacular fashion.”

Writing in The New York Times , Amy Nicholson begins her review with questions over the co-writer of Borderlands , suggesting the mess of the film owed much to production problems. Nicholson shies away from excoriating the film totally, but was still left disappointed. “You can see the jokes, but most of them don’t land. Still, there is some neat design work if you squint,” Nicholson writes, adding that Blanchett was one of the few highlights: “The two-time Oscar winner endures the nonsense by carrying herself like a warrior on a kitschy propaganda poster.”

In another mixed review, Collider ‘s Taylor Gates felt Borderlands had some positives, including the performances of Ariana Greenblatt, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis, but ultimately the flaws pull the film down. “ Borderlands is an action-adventure movie at its core, and it undoubtedly delivers on that front. The action — especially the hand-to-hand combat and more acrobatic fight choreography — is a blast,” writes Gates. “The film suffers when it comes to pacing, too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have a movie sit well under two hours — something the majority of films these days don’t seem to do — but the speed at which plotlines get resolved feels rushed instead of efficient, the breakneck pace sacrificing clarity and much-needed tension and stakes.”

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Critic reviews of the Borderlands movie are absolutely savage

Stop, stop, it was dead on arrival.

After first contact with fans yesterday , critics are somehow even more disappointed with the Borderlands movie. They hate it. They don't even give it credit as "so bad it's good." It is simply, by all appearances, a truly and extremely bad movie. It holds a remarkable 3% approval on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes as of press time. Without further improvement that will place Borderlands at a comfortable midpoint on RT's 100 worst movies of all time list… and at first place on their Worst Blockbusters of All Time list—below even 2010's disastrous The Last Airbender.

Perhaps the choicest Borderlands smackdown was delivered by Rolling Stone , where reviewer David Fear called it "an insult to gamers, movie lovers, and carbon-based life forms." Which I think is unnecessarily harsh judgment on the tastes of theoretical Silicon-Oxygen-Fluorine biochemistry life forms. They would also hate the Borderlands movie.

"You seriously wonder if the sole purpose of Borderlands is to make every other video game adaptation look a thousand times better in comparison," says Fear. Later saying that "It is, in no uncertain terms, a horrendous waste of time, talent, and pixels. Not even the pleasure of seeing Blanchett twirling pistols and kicking ass can salvage this."

On home turf at IGN , where you might expect a videogame movie to do better, Borderlands failed to land, earning an "Awful" rating from reviewer Matt Donato, who noted that it failed to live up to any of the promise the games hold. The fun locales are there, but they're "all spoonfed, familiar, and as filling as a single rice cake."

Even Variety failed to find anything lovable: "By the time 'Borderlands' unlocks its vault, not even the characters seem to care what’s inside," said Peter Debruge.

What I found to be the finest summary of critic views, however, comes from The Wrap via writer William Bibbiani . Bibbiani's review notes all the ways in which Borderlands tries to be like other, better films and fails rather than finding its own voice derived from the games.

"The biggest problem with Eli Roth’s 'Borderlands' isn’t that it’s bad," says Bibbiani, "it’s that it’s not interesting enough to be bad. It’s mass-produced pabulum. All the edges have been sanded down so it can be safe and mainstream, but they went too far and there’s almost nothing left. It’s technically a movie based on 'Borderlands.' Not much else."

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We'll see if Borderlands' box office numbers can hold up to its aspirations, but I think we all expect that it's not going to take off there either.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.

Kingmakers, the game about going back in time with an M4 tank, doesn't have a release date yet, but it does somehow have a movie deal

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is still holding out hope for the Borderlands movie: 'Let's give the film a chance'

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‘It Ends with Us’ Delivers Ceiling-Shattering Global Box Office Debut

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The Big Picture

• It Ends With Us debuted with impressive earnings, thanks to a strong marketing push and the star power of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
• The film's global gross stands at $80 million, surpassing expectations for a movie that only cost a reported $25 million to produce.
• Despite mixed reviews, It Ends With Us received a positive audience response and holds the potential for further success, following in the footsteps of similar female-skewing films.

Are we witnessing this year’s “Barbenheimer” event ? After months of build-up and cross-promotions with Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine , Sony’s It Ends with Us debuted with ceiling-shattering figures this weekend. Incidentally, both movies star the married couple, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively , who’ve been going on marketing overdrive for the last few weeks. The buzz helped Deadpool & Wolverine break records in the last few weeks, and now, It Ends with Us is here to keep the momentum going. The romantic drama exceeded expectations in its opening weekend , particularly at the domestic box office, where it finished a close second behind Deadpool & Wolverine .

With $50 million domestically and another $30 from overseas markets, the film’s cumulative global gross stands at $80 million . That’s a stellar debut for a movie that reportedly cost a relatively modest $25 million to produce. Based on Colleen Hoover ’s 2016 bestseller , It Ends with Us didn’t merely rely on the Lively-ness of it all; the movie also found itself in a bit of a pre-release controversy akin to 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling . That movie concluded its global run with just under $90 million, which It Ends with Us should be able to pass in a matter of days.

Other comparable titles include The Fault in Our Stars , Twilight , and Fifty Shades of Grey . The John Green adaptation generated $48 million domestically in its opening weekend, and went on to gross over $300 million worldwide. Stephenie Meyer ’s generation-defining YA adaptation generated $60 million in its first weekend and went on to gross over $400 million worldwide. Based on E.L. James ’ erotic thriller, Fifty Shades of Grey made $85 million domestically in its opening weekend, and concluded its global run with nearly $570 million. More recently, Where the Crawdads Sing was quietly able to generate nearly $150 million worldwide, while The Girl on the Train concluded its run with a little over $170 million.

Could this Mark a Comeback for Book Club Fare on the Big Screen After a Streaming Detour?

Like each of these female-skewing films, It Ends with Us has also received mixed reviews but positive fan response . It holds a 59% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , although its audience score stands at a far more positive 94%. The movie also earned an excellent A- CinemaScore from the opening day crowds, which bodes well for its future. In her review , Collider’s Isabella Soares praised the movie for handling delicate themes of domestic abuse, and compared it favorably to the source novel.

Directed by and co-starring Justin Baldoni , It Ends with Us also features Brandon Sklenar , Jenny Slate , and Hasan Minhaj in supporting roles. You can watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

It Ends With Us

Lily believes she's found true love with Ryle, but when a painful incident triggers past trauma, she must decide if love alone can carry her marriage through. However, things are complicated when her first love returns to her life.

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Like Doug Liman ‘s recent Amazon remake of Road House , his latest streaming effort The Instigators quite frankly misses its calling. Both films should have had wide theatrical runs before hitting the services. They are the kinds of films that are fun to watch with a crowd.

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With a mismatched group of robbers along for the ride, he is planning an election-night heist against the corrupt but popular Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman), who has been stashing away illicit cash for most of his many terms in office. It is set in motion by low-life wannabe crime boss Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg) and associate Richie DeChico (Alfred Molina), who runs a bakery as a cover. They apparently couldn’t get anyone else to attempt to pull this off, so they scrape the bottom of the barrel with Rory and Cobby. To say it all goes terribly wrong would be an understatement, but it leads to a citywide chase with cops, mob types, henchmen and others pursuing our boys.

What really makes it soar in its terrific cast. Damon and Affleck are perfectly matched as an odd couple we want to succeed. Chau, who worked with Damon in Downsizing , somehow makes us believe this medical professional would so easily abandon all reason and join up on this nutso game. Stuhlbarg, Molina and Ving Rhames as a seen-it-all cop take one-dimensional roles and make then sing, as does Paul Walter Hauser and rapper Jack Harlow, who both have their moments as pathetic crooks. Perlman plays the rotten mayor for all he’s worth, but Toby Jones as his ever-faithful (until he isn’t) lawyer/fixer steals every scene they are in together or apart.

Shout-out to film editors William Goldenberg, Saar Klein and Tatiana S. Riegel, who, under Liman’s guidance, keep this thing humming. As the filmmaker behind the likes of Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith among others, Liman knows how to navigate this kind of material, never take it seriously and keep us engaged. I should note that Boston itself delivers quite a star turn as the ideal location for this craziness. It’s the perfect summer movie. Enjoy it on your couch.

Producers are Damon, Ben Affleck (the second project for their Artists Equity after Air) , Jeff Robinov, Kevin J. Walsh, John Graham and Alison Winter.

Title: The Instigators Distributor: Apple Original Films Release date: August 2, 2024 (limited theaters); August 9, Apple TV+ Director: Doug Liman Screenwriters: Casey Affleck and Chuck MacLean Cast: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Tobey Jones, Jack Harlow, Paul Walter Hauser, Ron Perlman, Andre DeShields Rating: R Running time: 1 hr 41 mins

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