Calling all film buffs! (How To Write A Good Movie Review)

Member Name: giksy21

Product:	How To Write A Good Movie Review
Date:	23/01/09 (118 review reads)
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Although some people may not consider me an authority on movies, I do know what I like. I have, by now, been around the block more than once on dooyoo. It is a special place, where I like to spend some time reading quality reviews, and gain some great information on products I may not have considered before.



I have tried some movie reviews, with varied amounts of success. But the experience has helped me to understand more what makes a good movie review, and although I have not received any crowns for my movie reviews, they are now generally well received. One tip from me, would be to get yourself a spunky title. Try and force someone to read your review! There is nothin I hate more than seeing a movie review titled 'Pulp fiction review'!



.......................... Layout .................................................. .........



I think that it is very important to structure your review properly. This is true for all reviews, not just movie reviews. When I started on dooyoo, I tended to spout out a lot of personal opinion, in a huge garbled paragraph. The result was basically a great big mess on the screen. People are unlikely to pick through your review to find the information they are looking for. I soon learned, that if you break your review down into defined sections of information, your review will instantly become more interesting to look at, as well as being more useful. A reader can instantly access information from your review, and therefore it is more likely to aid them in making their purchase decision. That is, after all, what dooyoo is all about.

Not everyone on the site will read your whole review. Bear this in mind when choosing the sections contained in your opinion. If you are thinking about watching, or purchasing a movie, what things would you want to know. My personal thought on the matter is, that I would want to know about the films Background, the plot, the Actors, the performances, the dvd package itself (extras etc.), and the reviewers opinion of the movie itself. The order that you put these in is up to you, as long as it flows well.



......................... Background .................................................. ......



A small section, but an important one none the less. This is where you can put facts and figures, as well as information on the director, or the reception the film got when it was first released. You dont want to lose your audience, so don't bombard them with figures, but perhaps how much it took at box office, or how much it cost to make. Anything relevant to the making of the film can be put in here. For example, in my latest review on Donnie Darko, I included the fact that it was filmed over the same time period that the film was supposed to span. Keep it short and sweet, and use your own writing style to try and make it interesting, or even humourous if thats your thing.

......................... The plot .................................................. ........

Probably the most important section. If you do not include a few notes on the plot of a movie, it'll be about as interesting as a big mac without the gherkin! I cannot stress enough how critical it is that you do not spoil the film for potential viewers. Remember that they may be using your review, to decide if they should watch a film or not. They do not want to have the film ruined, by reading your review, and learning an important plot twist, or the ending from your synopsis. A good plot section will have decent detail of the first ten minutes or so, but just leave a few teasers as to the rest. Pretend that you work for the movie, and you are trying to sell it to the reader.



........................ The actors .................................................. .........



I think it does no harm, to include a list of the actors in the film. How many times do you see a film, and say to yourself " I didn't know he was in that!". For example, did you know that Johnny depp was in Platoon, and nightmare on Elm Street? Some people follow actors, when they watch movies. So simply knowing that a certain actor is in the movie, may make them decide to watch. I, personally like to know who is in a movie before I watch it. You will likely have heard who plays the major roles, but there are a lot of really good actors out there, who can put in amazing performances but get very little credit. If you list the characters, list them beside the name of the character they play. This helps the reader to get a feel for the movie.



......................... The performances ................................................



Big actors, don't mean big performances. They have all stunk, at some stage. It is pretty important to give the reader an idea of how good, or bad an actor was. Did a certain performance pull you into the movie. Did they make you laugh, or were they laughable? Did they make you cry tears of joy, Or tears of pain due to their wooden acting? It means a lot to know a bit about how the actors played the part. A movie may tick all the right boxes, in terms of stars, but if the actors fail to make you believe the part they play, then the movie will stink worse than a week old sandwich.



........................ The dvd package ..................................................



Although, I generally don't bother with extras when I buy a dvd, I acknowledge that there are some, for whom it makes all the difference. If the menu screen is the coolest thing you have ever seen, then let the reader know. Is there a little game to play, or lots of info that you are able to find? Or, are the extras completely useless? This is your one chance to tell the consumer about it. Throughout the whole review, don't be afraid to let your emotion out. If you loved it, or hated it, don't hide it. But remember, you don't have to put this section in. If you choose not to, state somwhere that it is a film only review.



...................... Reviewers opinion ..................................................



Now's your chance to shine. It doesn't matter if you want to write a love story about one of the actors, or if you want to stick the boot in. Because you have included the main information already, the review will stay useful to the reader, even if they disagree with your opinion. By the time you start to have your say, they have all the information they need, in order to form their own opinion of the film. In a way, this section is just for you. There are some, who will religously follow your opinion. This is especially true, if you are a respected dooyooer. As long as you make plain your true feelings about the film, you will be fine.



Somewhere in your review, give a wee bit of information on where you got it, how much it cost etc. This also allows the reader to attach a sense of value to the movie. You may say that the film was poor, but if it cost a couple of quid, then they may still take a chance on it.
Don't be afraid to use info from other websites, as long as you state this and don't try to pass it off as your own. Also don't let other peoples opinions taint your own.

Finally, you can do a lot worse than to read some of the reviews that are already on dooyoo. This is an excellent way to get tips on how to write a good movie review. If you like reading it yourself, then it has been written well. You can try and emulate the structure of the review yourself (but not the content!). Try reading some of the reviews by dooyoo's excellent movie guides.

I hope that this review has been helpful to you, and I look forward to reading some quality movie reviews from you soon!

Summary: A brief guide to writing a good movie review