We hated Shrek 2 and were shocked that nobody agreed with us. In vain, we searched for friends who shared our opinion: Shrek 2 was nothing more than unfunny puns strung together by slick and soulless animation. And that donkey is the most annoying character in cinema history.

But no! Shrek 2 was universally loved! Only with much hard work did we discover others who shared our vehemenence. They exist, those rare people with tastes similar to ours, and nowadays we listen closely to their opinions. The experience taught us that it's not enough to read reviews and talk with friends -- you get the best recommendations from the people whose tastes best match yours. The idea of Criticker and the TCI (Taste Compatibility Index) was born.

Criticker aims to match you with the people who share your taste in film most exactly. By using the Taste Compatibility Index (TCI), you can identify with whom you most agree, out of thousands. It's more than just movie recommendations: you're paired with the people whose tastes are most compatible with your own, and thus get the most accurate advice possible.

We strive to make Criticker an open system. Although the calculations behind the TCI might only be interesting to a small group of geeks people, we make it available. You can see exactly why a certain user is in your top 10, or why a particular film was recommended. If you want, you can sit there with a pen and paper and do the math yourself (geek heaven!) Also, we're honest: Criticker will never push films upon you -- if the math predicts that you'll hate a new blockbuster, that's what we'll tell you!

Mike Powell and Juergen Horn are based in sunny Valencia, Spain (although neither of them is Spanish). They are also the creators of the Ebay-bargain site Lastminute-Auction.com, the entertainment blog Random Good Stuff.com and the Valencia City blog Hola Valencia.

Originally from the great state of Ohio, Mike is an IT specialist who relocated to Europe in 2001. Asked why, his answer might be 'for love', 'for money', or 'for rock and roll, mutha f*@#a', depending on his mood. He's a nice guy who frequently rescues kittens from drowning, though some people might call that 'changing his mind'.

Juergen is German and lived in Boston for a few years before moving back to Deutschland, Ireland, and now Spain. He's an accomplished photographer and refers to himself as 'King Jogi' -- an aggravating mannerism, though the little crown he wears around is endearing.

Want to know anything else about us, or the site? Please feel free to , and we'll answer as soon as we can.