Different Ways to Review Movies

You've already gotten some assignments on reviewing movies on this blog, with the assumption that you already know how to review movies, whether you are an armchair or a true-blue movie critic. There are, however, techniques that you can use to review movies, as well as questions to ask yourself while you are watching a movie. This way, you can have an organized review, or even a themed review of the movie, without simply telling the story over again.

Here are a few questions that you should ask yourself while watching a movie. If you can, print them out and write your answers down as you watch. If you are watching a movie in the movie house, however, pick a few questions and keep them in mind as you watch; and then write down your answers afterward:

1. DIRECTION AND WRITING: Who directed the movie? Who wrote the script? What might the scriptwriter have intended with his/her work, and did the director meet the intention?

2. DIALOGUE: How well-crafted is the dialogue? Do characters have their own tones, or does everyone sound alike? Is the dialogue well written, or do conversations sound stilted? Is the language that the characters use appropriate to the setting, plot, and themes of the movie?

3. PLOT: How plausible is the plot? Does the story flow well, or is it forced? Are there any loopholes?

4. SETTING: Could this story have been set in any other time and place, and would it still have turned out the same? How unique is the story to the setting?

5. CHARACTERS: How well formed are the characters? Do all the characters act alike? Are they moving the plot along, or are they being moved, helplessly, by the plot? Who stands out? Who doesn't?

6. ACTING: How well was the movie acted? Did anyone stand out who wasn't supposed to? On the other hand, did someone fade into the background because of a bad acting job? How well did the actors capture the identities of their individual characters?

7. EMOTIONS: Did the movie excite you, move you, make you want to watch it again, make you sad that it all ended? Or was the movie dragging, ordinary, unable to elicit any emotions, and one that you could not wait to turn your eyes away from?

8. IMPROVEMENTS: How would you have made the movie better?

9. IMPACT: What are the movie's high moments? What are the movie's low moments?

10. TECHNICALS: Did the production design, costumes, and makeup meet the requirements of the plot, theme, and setting of the movie? Was the music appropriate to the film?

11. RECOMMENDATIONS: Would you recommend this movie to other readers? What kinds of movie watchers will like this movie? What kinds of movie watchers will not?

12. OVERALL CRITIQUE: Did you like the movie? Why or why not?