Reviews - time to revamp the basics?

"Each person's understanding, mental level, likes and dislikes is as unique as their thumbprint. There are no two people alike...no two people who understand the same sentence the same way..."

Often while dealing with people, incidents, books, feelings etc. we try to fit them to our concept of what they should be. We often forget that our concept of what they should be might or might not be the voice of a majority, might not be in sync with what a majority thinks.

Reviews, be it for books or movies or a program, has always given us an overview about the content, the positives and the negatives in totality. In fact it does help us to compare things, but should not be a measure to judge something and make decisions based on it. Yet, many of us are compelled by the sheer intensity of reviews.

Thus, the point is should a reviewer be actually as much vocal and intense in expressing his/ her opinion about something which may or may not be what the masses agree with????

In my opinion, no. You are a reviewer, and it's your profession for sure to give your honest opinions. But you are just writing your opinions, what you felt about it, which can be conveyed as per something which you feel about it. So ideally the flow of any review should be:

1. The brief of the content.

2. Your likes - how it aligns with things which you like personally

3. Your dislikes - how it aligns with your dislikes personally

4. For whom it might be a decent/good read

5. Your final verdict for those whose habits and characteristics align with your own (because you are not sure about others)

But rarely have I seen any reviews where a reviewer explains all of these. Mostly, they simply give their own opinion in a tone or language which could be labelled as mass opinion. Trust me, reviewing something is as easy than actually working on something. 

E.g.

"I would rather throw this book in the dustbin than reading it, and would suggest not to waste your hard earned money on buying it"

"I wonder why people make such movies, and try to prove themselves as directors. They should be hanged till death for such a pathetic concept"

Now these are not reviews. These are venting your own personal emotions. Keep your emotions aside and write re-views. that will help the readers, not these.

Whatever it is as good as bad (as per your own opinion), there is definitely a lot of effort involved in it, which might be catering to a certain segment of the people. Even so called B and C grade movies might get rejected by the elite section of the society, but there is definitely a market for them. And that is the reason people are still investing money to make such movies.

So, ideally to conclude, we should leave the decision on the readers of reviews and try to refine the language in a way which could not drive the final impact. Rather, it must gives a decisive view to reader whether to go for it or not as per his / her own taste.

P.S. I am not a reviewer, nor I am offended by anyone. Just shared what I see around and felt should be conveyed. And I intend not to create a controversy, but to provide a different view to what we already witness.