Write a Movie Review

A film reviewer must watch an entire film for a professional review, or state that their review is based on a portion of the flick. Their reasoning for the review can vary. They may be watching the film as a member of the film industry association, a member of the media (TV, radio, print, website), or an individual with a blog. Whether the movie is a critical failure or a flick destined for commercial success, the reviewer should personally state their own opinion and analysis of the film.

1. 1
   Usually, a movie review starts with an introductory part stating the following

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   Title of film and year released, the studio producing it, the director, the lead actors, rating and the movie genre.

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2. 2
   The movie ends with your personal rating

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   This can be either a star or letter grade. Another option is to use illustrations to give an example of the quality of the film.

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3. 3
   As you are watching the movie, make notes of parts that impact you and ones that leave you shaking your head

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   The highs and the lows should be included in an impartial review.

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4. 4
   Be open to pausing and rewinding the film as needed

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   If you feel like you missed something important and are lost, rewind the film. That way, you can avoid adding assumptions into your review. This can also allow you to catch a pivotal line that is important. You can even use this to catch problems in scenes that others will spot, like a brand name item showing up in an 1850s setting.

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5. 5
   If you understand the technical side of things, you can add those to the review

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   They can include:  

   1. Acting. Are the actors actually worth voting consideration at the Oscars or Golden Globe? Or did they turn in forgettable attempts? Were some actors great but were pulled down by the amateurish performance of the others?
   2. Direction. Analyze the style of the director in how he interprets the script or a novel through the film. Was the film dragging, or do you think he omitted some major points? If it was a novel he adapted it from, and a novel is usually long and elaborate in details, so was he successful in portraying it on film in the very short length that it is financed for? Should the film's length be only the standard 90 minutes or should he lengthen it to three hours to give it justice?
   3. Cinematography. What digital techniques were used? The background and the setting should help create a certain atmosphere.
   4. Evaluate the worthiness of the script. Did the dialogue of the actors sound credible and true to their characterization or do they sound forced? Is the script unique or you think it is a rehash of something you read somewhere not long ago? Did you realize you were dozing off when you were reading the script?
   5. Editing. The movie should flow smoothly from frame to frame if the editing is great. Even if the movie does not have action scenes and is mostly dialogue, if the sequence of scenes were glued together perfectly, the moviegoer should still be sitting up straight (slouching is a sign of boredom) by the end of the movie.
   6. Costume design. Were the clothes worn by the actors appropriate for the era or the culture of the movie? Or were the actors overdressed or too drab for cinematic purposes?
   7. Set design. Is the location for the shoot ideal for the purposes of telling the movie's story appropriately? If it is shot in a studio or an internal location shoot, were they properly executed?
   8. Movie soundtrack. Did the music and the sound effects sync well and harmonize with the scenes? Did the music and the effects enhance the value of the movie or did it irritate you instead?

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6. 6
   It is best that you watch the movie a second time

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   It might be the first time you watched the movie, you were tired, or your car broke down. Give the movie justice by watching it a second time from start to finish. You might notice aspects which might give the movie some credibility and give it a better tomato rating.

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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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