I would like to write a review about the movie Spider-Man: Homecoming. Here is the link to the movie if you choose to watch. The quality is not too good but watchable. Beware of popup ads though.
Below is the instruction from the professor. Let me know if you have any question. Thank you.
Movie Review Assignment:
Sometime during our 6 week summer session, you have to go to an actual movie theatre and see a film. After you've seen the film you should write a movie review of it. The review should include the name of the film, the theatre where you viewed the film, date of the viewing.
The paper should be 2-3 double spaced pages. Proofread and check spelling, punctuation and grammar.
1. After you have selected your movie, get familiar with its context. By this I mean, before you even see the movie, get to know a little about it. What have the actors and director worked on before? Maybe check out some of their past work. Are they Oscar winners? Are they known for a certain style? Is the movie based on a book or an historical event? Is it a remake or a sequel? Look into those kinds of things. All of this information will help you understand the movie better. You'll pick up on details, allusions, trademarks of the actor or director, and probably have more insight into important story elements. You'll be able to tell readers how it lived up to the original, say, or the book. These are the things that help a critic write a solid movie review that is of interest to the fan.
2. After you see the movie, formulate a specific opinion in one sentence. Your job as movie reviewer is to give an opinion of the movie. Ultimately, this may come down to a "thumbs up" or "three stars out of five." But you want to have a specific thesis to drive your critique. For example, "I didn't like this comedy" becomes "The story had funny moments but it went on too long." "This horror movie is good" becomes "This horror movie works because it builds suspense right up until the end." So, try to find that very specific opinion that will be the foundation of your film review.
3. Create a good lead. There are basic writing tips that apply to most forms of writing. One of those tips is to grab your reader immediately. You want your reader to be interested in what you have to say. Grab her in that first or "lead" paragraph in one of several ways: Start with a great quote from the movie, and explain how it reflects the movie; refer to the reputation of the actor or director and compare it to how he or she did in this movie; compare this movie to another well-known film in a few sentences or two; explain what your expectation was, and then if it was fulfilled or not. Then end that first paragraph by writing your opinion statement.
4. Recap briefly, but don't give away anything big. If you've read professional movie reviews, you know they always include a little bit of recap. Some readers like to know what they're getting into before they lay down their money for a ticket. You can tell people the basic premise of the movie. In fact, you should write the basic premise, and tell them how the story builds, but don't give away key moments, especially not the ending! And keep the movie synopsis brief. Then get to reviewing.
5. Back up your main opinion with specifics. The readers now know you think "This comedy had funny moments but went on too long." It's time for you to prove it. Write about how the teen actors had good timing like they did in that other movie. Write about how the writers did a great parody of that famous film. But then add that there were too many scenes involving the family or the boyfriend. Talk about the fact that there were multiple endings and all of them were long. Use specifics to make your readers see you're right.
6. Be interesting. Just because this is a movie review doesn't mean it's got to be dull. From lead to ending paragraph, make the review engaging, using metaphors, analogy, specific adjectives and adverbs in your movie ratings and reviews to create the images you're looking for. But also be concise. A review isn't a place for long diatribes or flowery prose. Then again, where is the place for long diatribes and flowery prose?
7. Be honest in your appraisal. Your reader and the work you're critiquing both deserve an honest opinion, right? So even if you HATE that actor or LOVE that actress, when writing a movie review be sure not to hold back your true opinion of the film. Have some standards in mind. A comedy should be funny, a horror movie should be scary, etc.; judge the movie against those standards, not against any pre-existing opinions you may have. It will make the review more valuable to the reader and honest writing is always best, isn't it?
Extra Tips:
• Don't spend too much time summarizing the plot.
• Don't give away key moments!
• Make sure to have a good strong main opinion.
• Comment on specific details to support your opinion.