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Movie review essay
Composition II (ENGL 1302)
Lone Star College System
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Composition 100 Movie Review Essay 1 st Draft due Friday, Feb. 23 750-900 words Final Draft due Friday, March 9
Write a review of one of the movies from the list below, arguing whether it is a “good” movie or a “bad” movie based on your opinion and the criteria listed. Your essay must include an introduction in which you have a clear thesis statement which should be an evaluation of the film or some aspect of the film and a general statement of why, and the rest of the essay should consist of evidence from the movie to support that thesis. Do NOT use the words “good” or “bad” in your thesis statement – have a thesaurus in hand, or go to thesaursus. Your thesis may also be an evaluation of some particular aspect of the film, say the characters or a particular theme (e. the messiah theme in The Matrix ). Your essay must also have a conclusion.
Sample thesis statement: "Lilo and Stitch" is a prime example of an adventure film, which becomes more obvious when comparing it to other, similar adventure films, such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Pinocchio," and "A Bug's Life."
In order to make an effective evaluation, you need to consider specific criteria. Below are some key criteria based on our discussion in class and on the ideas of film critics. When viewing the criteria it is important to keep in mind that the movie you are reviewing fits a certain genre; consequently, you need to answer some of these in relation to how this movie fits within that genre. In other words, a love story needs a different type of pacing than an action or suspense story; the originality of a science fiction movie is going to be different than the originality of a romance. One excellent way to establish standards for excellence in a genre is to compare your movie (don’t overdo this) with other classic movies in that genre. You might, for example, compare American History X to a Clockwork Orange. This may involve doing a little research on the web to find out what the classic films in a particular genre are.
Criteria If you are writing a general evaluation of the film, you must use at least 7 of the following criteria in your essay , though more may be necessary. If you are focusing on one particular aspect of the film, you may need to use only 3 or 4 of these criteria, but they will need to be more targeted. (Contact me and we can put together those criteria.)Your job here is not simply to write a sentence answering these as questions – these are only suggestions to help you really examine the specific elements of the movie and how they work or don’t work. Go beyond these particular questions.
Personal response: What is your gut reaction to the movie? What works especially well in the movie? What doesn’t work well? What appeals to you most and least about the film? Does it appeal to your mind, your emotions, your spirit, your sense of ethics, your patriotism? Does it surprise you, make you laugh, make you cry, make you angry?
Storyline. The story holds the audience’s interest as a story, and we believe in, or are willing to believe in, its characters and plot, whether they are imaginary or lifelike. Are any of the scenes in the movie unnecessary?
Complexity. The film has complexities in one or more of the following: characterization, plot, meanings. If the film concentrates on characters, at least some of them have an emotional range and richness comparable to what we find in life.
Audience participation. The film has subtleties and requires of its viewers attentiveness and intelligence. The film neither shows nor explains too much. It requires of its viewers active participation. Did you become involved in this film and stay involved in it? Why or why not?
Filming techniques. What types of special effects are used? Do they seem to enhance or hinder the story? Are visual effects and special effects more essential to the movie than story and character? How effective are the sound effects? Does the film use appropriate and normally unobtrusive techniques--camera work, sound track, and editing--to convey its story. How, for example, are close-ups, subjective camera shots, or pan shots used? Why?
Characters. Are the main characters believable? How well do you get to know and understand the major characters? Are they convincing? Why did you love them or hate them? For the major characters, how is the characterization revealed: actions, appearance, speech, thoughts, etc.? Which of these four methods is used the most? The least?
Conflict. What are the major conflicts between characters and how are they resolved? Do the conflicts seem realistic? Are there any conflicts, major or minor, that seem irrelevant or that irritate you as a viewer?
Atmosphere/Mood. What are the principal moods/tones/emotions that the director is trying to evoke? Does she or he do this consistently and successfully? How does he or she achieve these moods: what specific techniques are used? How, for example, is the lighting or shadow used to create any particular mood? Music, cinematography, dialog, etc?
Quality of the filming. Is the film competently made? Pacing - does it flow well? Are there awkward edits? Are sound and lighting appropriate throughout? Is the cinematography noteworthy in any ways?
Originality. What, if anything, is original about this film? What seems old or stale? What is revolutionary in the themes or in the way the movie is made?
Comparison to genre. What are the “classics” in this genre (action, science fiction, romance, suspense, etc.)? How does this movie compare to one or more of these classics? Be specific – compare pacing, plot, characterizations, visual effects, etc. Does it fits the general elements that define the genre?
Music. Is the music well-integrated into the movie? How was the music used? Does the music heighten the effects of the film from scene to scene and assist in creating a mood appropriate to the storyline and the action? Were any pieces used as character themes?
Theme. What is the film’s theme or meaning? Is it disturbing or reassuring? Is the meaning subtle or explicit? Explain. Is there a particular point where the viewer becomes aware of a message or theme? Does the film have any important symbols? If so, what are they? What do they mean? How do you know?
Films to chose from: American Beauty American History X Blow Crash Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Goodfellas The Matrix Moulin Rouge The Notebook Pulp Fiction Titanic V for Vendetta
Examples of student film reviews:
Real Women Have Curves cwrl.utexas/russell/spring04/realwomen
Lilo & Stitch cwrl.utexas/russell/spring04/lilo
Points: 1. Do not tell the story of the movie. Remember, I have seen it. Refer to the storyline only as a part of your review process. 2. Keep your writing fresh. Avoid common, overused words like nice, good, interesting, awesome, bad, etc. These words tell the reader nothing. Use a thesaurus! 3. You must provide evidence for every point that you make. For example, if you write that a particular scene has great emotional impact, you must indicate why, giving specifics from the film itself.
Movie review essay
Course: Composition II (ENGL 1302)
University: Lone Star College System
