1. Overall entertainment: Despite there being many categories of films, the movie must catch the audience’s attention in some way. Whether that be through action, comedy, suspense, or drama, the movie must be entertaining and draw, as well as sustain our attention. Plus, isn’t that why we go to the movies in the first place, to be entertained?
2. Directing: A director is like the coach of the team. They must keep an eye out for everything that is going on, and make sure the overall goal and vision of the movie is being met.
3. Cinematography: The cinematographer and director must work hand in hand to deliver what the director has as a vision for the movie, and put it into images. The cinematographer has an important role of capturing scenes and displaying them as the director intends them to be.
4. Plot: Some films may not be driven by the plot, but at the end of the day, a movie must have some sort of goal it’s trying to accomplish. The movie should make sense to the viewer, and not have the viewer still confused at the end of the film.
5. Acting: Acting can make or break a great movie. The movie may have a great plot, great cinematography, and an excellent director…however, if the acting just seems lackluster and the actors do not seem to portray the scenes correctly, the movie could take a serious hit in regards to the quality of the film.
6. Originality: Although many movies seem to replicate some areas of previous movies, the movie should be majority new content. Viewers do not want to watch a movie they feel like they have seen before.
Some other notable criteria: Sound track, special effects, animation.
The Five Dollar Tuesday Movie Critics 