FILMCLUB’s Film Review Top Tips!
Our friends at FILMCLUB are experts at reviewing films and they’ve given us some top tips on how to do it!
Inform the reader:
- Summarise: give a brief explanation of what happens (but don’t give away the ending or any surprise plot twists, that’s called a “spoiler”!)
- The Talent: Tell the reader who the director, writer and actors are (have a look on www.imdb.com, if you’re not sure) and give some relevant background information e.g. “Comedian and Elf star Will Ferrell is back…”
- Contextualise: Put the film in context – tell the reader about the genre of the film or similar films, e.g. “It was wholly inevitable and now it’s arrived…the first wave of High School Musical imitators.”
Entertain your reader:
- Describe: Use your language to recreate for the reader the experience of watching the film
- Reference: Help the reader to understand what the film is like by comparing it to other films they might have seen (and this is a good way to show off your film knowledge too!)
- Exaggerate – get your readers excited about the film – either positively or negatively by using ‘hyperbole’ or over-the-top language, e.g. “Avatar has the best special effects since cinema was invented!”
Sum it up!
- Evaluate: Did you think it was a good or bad film overall, or somewhere in the middle? This is usually the last paragraph or sentence
- Rate: How many stars would you give your films (usually out of 5)?
Want some inspiration? Here’s Emma reporting on Disney’s film Brave!
And here’s a couple of written reviews from Cameron and Stephanie…
Oz The Great and Powerful (PG, 2013) Film review by Cameron, age 13
I though Oz The Great and Powerful was an amazing film – it involves lots of exciting and dramatic scenes. I thought the story line was quite good, it was different to Victor Fleming’s 1939 take as his was about Dorothy who arrives in Oz and sets out to kill the wicked Witch, but Oz The Great and Powerful is before Dorothy comes to Oz and is about how Oz came to power. It has a warming feel to it, about a man who learns not be self-centred and half-hearted but learns about team work and true love. And if ever get the chance to see this film see it; it really will change your perspective of Oz.
Rise Of the Guardians (U, 2012) Film review by Stephanie, 9
‘Rise of the Guardians’ is a heart warming family film about a boy named Jack Frost…Jack has lived for 300 hundred years, using his magic to create fun and mayhem. Jack loves his life, but there is just one tiny snag – nobody can see him! At the North Pole, Santa’s globe (which keeps track of all the children in the world) is engulfed in what seems to be black sand…pitch the evil bogey man-has come. Santa calls all the Guardians to his work shop – can the Guardians come together to save the world from Pitch? Watch this exciting, family film to find out. I would recommend to children 7 and over because they may get a little scared. 5* from me because it is one of the best animations I have seen all year.
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About FILMCLUB
FILMCLUB is a nationwide education charity and experts in film for young people. The initiative offers access to thousands of popular and classic films from around the world for young people and teachers to watch and discuss in their school film clubs.
If you would like a club in your school as your teacher to visit www.filmclub.org for more information. And don’t forget you can browse the website for fantastic film recommendations for all the family!
