What a good or bad movie/book/song really means

It is always interesting to hear someone complain about or debate the merits of a movie/book/song because I have been taking recommendations from people on movies, books and music for quite some time and I think it is the best thing I have done for my knowledge and understanding of the 'arts'. When you hear one group of people praise the same thing that another group of people criticize, it is not difficult to see that there are better things to spend your time on instead of thinking about which group was right or wrong. A movie can have a complicated and sometimes illogical plot, a cast of actors who are taking the role because they have to or because the money is good; it can be two hours longer than required to tell the story, and it can even be the fifth time you have watched the film.

But does any of it really make the movie/book/song good or bad? Take all the elements of a 'good' movie and flip it around, would you get a 'bad' movie (and vice versa)? Maybe it is subjective, maybe it is based on your point of reference, and maybe those Rotten Tomato Ratings are not perfect. Perhaps instead of placing a movie in the 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down' bucket, try reflecting on what the movie/book/song made you think, and you'll probably end up with the same mental stimuli that you were hoping for in the first place...