Do you read reviews?

[CylieDanny]

I used to read reviews for movies before seeing them, or movies. I somewhat enjoyed them, but I also never judge anything till I've seen, played ect myself.

I haven't so much read many now, because some stuff I've seen that's left me frozen, critics think are the best ever. Then some movies I love critics hate xD Everyone is entitled to themselves, but I do sometimes read them after.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions after all.But I know some people read reviews about movies and the critics opinion stays with them, so like games too. People let that opinion over power their own thoughts. So eh, it's again in your own opinion. But it is fun to read up what everyone's thoughts are.

But regarding any kind of review type, for anything. Do you read them?

 

[Alolan_Apples]

Yes, I do read reviews, whether they’re positive reviews or negative reviews. I like to learn about the opinions from others.

 

[ribbitribbon]

i’ll sometimes hop on rotten tomatoes out of curiosity. i think looking at the people’s opinion rather than the critics’ is better because critics nowadays are very biased/judgemental. i always read reviews before buying something online, but a lack of reviews on safe websites doesn’t scare me away or anything.

 

[Xara]

Sometimes! I do occasionally read reviews for tv shows and movies, but I never read them prior to me watching, because I don’t want to risk accidentally coming across a spoiler. I like to be surprised by everything I watch and not know anything other than what was shown in the trailer(s) (if applicable), so if I’m going to read reviews, I wait until after.

That said, I mostly only read reviews if there was a part in the show/movie that I didn’t understand and I want other peoples’ take on it, or if I loved the show/movie so much that I want to read about what other people thought of it.

If I happen to read a review before watching, I don’t take the review seriously or let it affect what my opinion will be after watching. Just because a critic didn’t like a show/movie, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad or that I also won’t like it.

I take product reviews more seriously, though. If I’m looking to try a new product, I always look up reviews for it first to see what other people‘s experiences with it have been, and if it’s worth the purchase. Product reviews always determine if I choose to buy the product or not.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

I read reviews for movies just to get an idea of what the general thought is but I pay more attention to the audience reviews compared to the critics. I still see the movie regardless, but I always like to see what people think of the movie beforehand.

I do pay attention to the product reviews of things because I feel like those ones seem to be more informal and help me decide if I really want to buy the product or if I want to pass on it. I don't like to buy things that haven't been reviewed, it seems suspicious to me.

 

[Flicky]

When I'm on the fence about something, yes, definitely.

If it's got a fandom, I immediately filter by medium to negative ratings only. I know that sounds harsh, but fans tend to give 100% ratings to anything with their brand slapped on it. It's made worse on places like Goodreads, where people can review before they're even released - I've seen a few books get five stars before release, then when the actual reviews roll in, people admit it was disappointing. Those reviews are subsequently buried by the 'false' reviews made earlier.

I do find that the most helpful reviewers are the 2-4 (/5) rating crowd - they always admit flaws, but also tell others what they enjoyed, regardless of how they felt about the product overall.

That being said, I don't let them influence me too much. I'm looking through those reviews searching for certain things that have put me on the fence in the first place, be they hidden in positive reviews or otherwise.

 

[TN4U]

I almost never read movie or TV show reviews, unless I know already that they're going to be bad or are listed in all-time worst lists (The Room, The Emoji Movie, Jack & Jill, etc.). I don't really like to be influenced on if something can be considered bad, which is why I have a lot of Blu-ray movies of mediocre films. I even have Stayin' Alive (1983) on 4K, and it has a 0% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Why do I own that movie? I dunno. Just felt like watching John Travolta poorly dance to disco music in the '80s I guess.

When it comes to music, I never read reviews. I'll be the final judge if I like an album or not. There's probably old rock songs that I absolutely love that others probably feel haven't aged well, and again, I don't want to be influenced on general negative opinions about songs or albums I like. Everyone's got their own personal tastes, and I'll just stick with what I like.

For products like on Amazon, it's different. I'll pay attention to star reviews and if it's less than 3.5 stars, I'll take a look at the reviews and see what others have to say. Sometimes, it's pointless one star ratings that have nothing to do with the product itself such as "it didn't arrive on time what the heeeeeck", "im a 70 year old grandpa the instructions are confusing this thing sucks" or "i bought the wrong thing". Those kinds of reviewers really need to buzz off because they don't know what they're doing. For actual, helpful reviews that describe the product and its flaws (if any), it gives me an idea of what to expect, which is very much appreciated.

Seller feedback is extremely important as well. People really need to do their research when it comes to this. If someone's feedback is 100% and have a ton of reviews, they can be relied on. If it's lower than 100% or barely have any feedback, I gotta check out and see what's wrong. I made that mistake two months ago when I bought some gaskets for my car from an online parts warehouse in New York. The UPS label was created, but the item never shipped out. I contacted the seller several times and did not receive any response. Eventually after a whole month and a half of this debacle, PayPal had to step in and give me my money back, as the company never bothered to message PayPal either. Turns out, I saw after the refund that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) gave them a big fat F rating, and the company has a 2.4 star average rating out of 1,100+ something reviews on Google. Many other buyers had the same problem as me with items not shipping out or the wrong thing being sent. Some sellers just want your money and nothing else, so ALWAYS be careful.

 

[Croconaw]

I read reviews, but not normally ones of books, video games, movies, or shows like one would think. As someone that travels a lot, I often read Greyhound bus or Amtrak train reviews - the former is much more entertaining. I get more enjoyment from those reviews than a person probably should. It's just a guilty pleasure of mine.

If I'm buying a product, I do personally read reviews but not extensively. I'll just look at the bad reviews and go from there, but I take those with a grain of salt. People are more likely to leave a review when something goes wrong, after all. Speaking from experience, I'm more proactive in leaving negative reviews to warn people if I experience problems with a certain product. I still leave reviews for positive experiences, but I don't feel nearly as tempted to leave one if that makes sense.

 

[Beanz]

yes! especially if it’s for a product. i like reading written reviews and unboxing videos of the product.

 

[Oblivia]

I don't read reviews for movies or books in order to avoid possible spoilers, but I always read reviews for new products, businesses, restaurants, and especially new doctors/physicians. I will typically look at the overall rating for a book or movie to help me decide if I'd like to pursue it further, though.

 

[Kitsuragi]

for products i intend to buy, absolutely. games, it depends. i like to take a quick look at the best reviews and the worst reviews to see what people say, but really, i'd rather watch a gameplay video to get an idea if i'd like it.

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I only read reviews for expensive products that I might purchase and reviews for doctors/dentists/etc. I don't really care about reading reviews for games or TV shows/movies -- I usually end up disagreeing with them anyway (which I find out by reading the wikipedia article after I finish playing/watching the thing).

 

[Saylor]

I like to look at the Letterboxd reviews after I watch a movie but most of those aren't reviews so much as short little comments. I always go there and then to a Reddit discussion thread after I finish a movie/watch an episode of something because I am interested in what people think about them, but I don't normally look at anything like that until after to avoid spoilers.

I look at reviews before buying games and other products though! Sometimes I look at reviews of restaurants too just out of curiosity, but my taste in food is questionable so they don't really sway me either way.

 

[Aniko]

Not for movies, music, etc, I like surprises! I don't even read the synopsis. So I often watched movies not knowing what it was about.
I read reviews for products and companies, especially the bad ones.

 

[Yoshi155]

I actually really like reading reviews for movies, tv shows, etc, even if it's something I don't plan on watching. I read reviews for Chicken Little a few days ago, something I definitely don't want to watch, just because I like reading people's thoughts on it. For some reason I don't like reading video game reviews as much.

 

[QueenCobra]

I read them all the time. From movies to games to TV shows…to the dentist, to various products (even charcoal gas-reducing pills, for giggles…!) I’m a review junkie. I could read an entire novel of reviews! I especially like the funny ones on Amazon.

 

[nightglow]

For movies I don't. Maybe I would if streaming services were not a thing? As for seeing a movie in a theater, I'd go if the trailer interested me.
For games, I do but not by people who get paid to review, just regular gamers. I do it mostly to get a better idea on what the game may be and if it is something I would like rather than if said person liked it or not. Before the internet, I just picked games based off of box art (especially the back of the box) or if a friend said x was really good.
For products, absolutely and it absolutely will stick with me and make or break me purchasing it depending on the dates.

 

[Rainbowhorn]

Only for videogames and then it's only to know if they work well, like if they're too glitchy. Anything else I go for it if I find it to my interest, taste is mostly subjecive anyways

 

[Corrie]

I absolutely do on literally everything! I consult reddit for gaming suggestions/opinions, google/RT ratings for movies, and star ratings on company websites when buying items. Things are made too crappy these days so it's gotten harder to filter out the garbage, especially when buying online while you're depending on a photo to make your choice. I hardly buy anything anymore without reading reviews first. I don't have the money to throw away.

 

[Violet Witch]

I only read and watch YouTube reviews for video games as I like to get a feel for the game before I hit purchase. There's nothing worse than buying a game and hating it a few hours after playing, especially when you can't get a refund for it.