How do you review the arts?

I think it’s safe to say that no two people review the arts the same, but there is a general set of clichés or stereotypes that people fall into when they attempt to review to arts. The one important thing to remember is that a review is an opinion. An educated opinion hopefully, but nevertheless, an opinion. This means that there is no right, and there is no wrong. When a critic attends an event with the intention of writing a review, several things can affect the review that the event itself has no control over.

First off, is the critics’ background. For example, in the recently released film Speed Racer, a critic who grew up watching Speed Racer will write a very different review than someone who didn't. Along the same vein if that person grew up hating Speed Racer will also affect the review. A critic's life and personality greatly affect how they perceive an event. Someone who loves racecar driving would write a very different review of Speed Racer from someone who hates it.

The second item that affects a review is the critics’ expectations. A critic can go into a film with low expectations and be more impressed than he would have if he/she had gone in with high expectations. More likely, however critics enter an event with unrealistic expectations and are left disappointed. People who visit review websites (or newspapers, I suppose) use reviews not only to find out what events to see and what to avoid, but also to use them to base their expectations on. Since all the critics on rottentomatoes.com seemed to loath Speed Racer, I lowered my expectations, and was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed the movie.

An important question a critic has to answer is, “Was the [writer, director, performer, etc.] ‘s goal reached? Whatever it was, be it a particular emotional response, a tribute to something long passed, or a simple bit of entertainment. If the goal was reached, then one can hardly give a negative review. All you can give is your reaction, and whether or not you thought the goal was reached.

So what am I saying? Well, as the assignment asks, “How do you review the arts?” Each review is unique to the person writing it. Each reviewer enters with a unique background with different expectations. That means that no reviews will completely mimic how I experience an event, no matter how many I read. Does that mean that they are useless? No, reviews help people choose what events to attend, and how to mentally prepare for them. They help to inspire competition for rival production studios, to inspire establishments to come out with better events. But also, they are a form of entertainment in and of themselves. It is entertaining to read reviews (albeit it is more entertaining to read negative reviews, which is why there are more of those written). I can’t possibly count how many times in conversation someone has asked me If I’ve seen a movie, and I replied by stating how badly or well it did in the reviews. It makes for interesting conversation.

There are certainly other parts and criteria of which some might consider to be a “proper” review, but in my opinion, as long as a critic writes the most objective review possible, while injecting a bit of their unique perspective, I consider it to be a successful review (providing it is well-written). Everything else is icing on the cake.