No spoilers here! (How To Write A Good Movie Review)

Member Name: eatingpinkzebras

Product:	How To Write A Good Movie Review
Date:	13/01/09 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Dooyoo is a great place for looking at movie reviews

Disadvantages: Some people give away too much of the plot

There is such a huge variety of movie reviews on Dooyoo, which I think is great, as you can choose from an in-depth film analysis or a brief plot overview, depending on your preference. Personally, I like something in between the two. Reviews which basically give the equal of the blurb on the back of the DVD case, followed by 'I liked this movie, it was great' don't tell me a huge amount. I want to know WHY the reviewer liked it. On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of really long reviews that give masses of plot detail followed by a huge amount of history on the director, cinematographer and everyone else involved in the film.

I can hardly lay claim to being an expert on movie reviews, having only been here a while and only written a few film reviews, but I can say what I think should be included and what shouldn't.

I like reviews which include:

~A brief resume of the film's general set up or concept. This should cover the general themes of the movie but not give away any plot points which occur more than about 15 minutes into the film.

~How exciting is the plot? How realistic? Does it fall flat or come to an explosive conclusion which keeps you on the edge of your seat? Is it ultimately fulfilling or disappointing?

~A mention of whether the characters are unique, lovable, easy to identify with, etc.

~An assessment of how good the actors and casting are. Do the actors make you laugh, make you cry, are they wooden and unconvincing?

~Maybe a few words about the style of the film, the cinematography, and the soundtrack.

~Possible suggestions of similar films that readers may like if they enjoyed this one.

~A mention of where you can buy the DVD cheapest, and details of any extras on the DVD and whether they are any good.

~Finally, a warning of who it is and isn't suitable for.

~Mentioning previous films involving the actors or directors is fine too if it's relevant, but I don't need to know everything they've been involved in since they were born.

I do NOT like reviews which include:

~Spoilers. They are called spoilers for a reason, because they SPOIL the film for anyone who's not watched it. Don't give away major plot points or character developments. Don't even hint at it, because what you might think is subtle might be glaringly obvious to someone else.

A good review doesn't need to include everything I've mentioned to be useful, but it should at least contain some.

Summary: I hope this was helpful to someone! :)