Week 3

Key Points in a Movie Review

I know nothing about being a movie critic so before I start watching movies, I need to do some research on the key components of writing a general movie review. I want my reviews to be as great as the movie critics’ reviews on my last post, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. It would be nice to be the one of the most renowned movie critics in history and have my own TV show. Plus, I would get to watch movies, with style. Many have asked me if knowing what movie critics know will ruin my experience as a devout movie watcher. But as Disney said I would get to watch movies in "a whole new world. A new fantastic point of view."

GIF from Disnney's Aladdin

Without further ado, here is what I have been researching this past cycle

on writing a good movie review:

• Break the actual movie down into different parts
• Paying attention to the plotline. Every single movie has a main character. He/she is the hero in the story. There is always a problem (the problem could be a person, object, or even a situation) that prevents this hero from reaching a certain goal. How does the hero interact with the problem? How do these interactions move the plotline forwards? What are the hero’s and problem’s goals? Also, I have to consider if the events that unfold are predictable. If I know what’s going to happen next, then the movie is not very good. In general, I need to pay attention to all of the characters’ interactions and their importance to the story.
• Paying attention to the colors being used. To make a deeper understanding of the movies, many movie producers use different colors. Movies that are well put together use a color scheme to convey emotions and character development. The colors can be in the setting, clothes of the characters, and anything on the screen. Here is a list of colors and what they can mean in movies:

	Positive/Neutral	Negative
Red	Passion, love, desire, desire, strength	Anger, danger
Pink	Love, innocence, romance, femininess	N/A
Yellow	Wisdom, joy, optimism, imagination, hope	Dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy
Orange	Humor, warmth, enthusiasm	N/A
Green	Healing, good luck, renewal, youth	Pride, jealousy, envy
Blue	Faith, loyalty, calmness, unity, trust	Coldness, depression
Purple	Royalty, mysteriousness, change	Cruelty, arrogance, mourning
Brown	Earthliness, reliability, comfort, stability	Materialism
Black (dark)	Power, elegance, wealth	Mystery (the unknown), fear, unhappiness, evilness, sadness
White (light)	Protection (angel-like), love, purity, peace, innocence	Coldness
Silver	Riches, natural, sleek, elegant, high-tech	Greed
Gold	Riches, preciousness, warmth, prosperity	Greed

Most of these colors have their positive and negative representations so I have to pay close attention to what a color in a movie could represent. To do this, I have to pay attention to reappearances of colors and the consistency of the moods and plot during the appearances of these colors. [DISCLAIMER: This skill is not useful in real life. If you see someone wearing white, it does not mean that they are your guardian angel trying to protect you.]

• Paying attention to music. Like colors, the music used in movies can help convey the character’s mood and development. A good movie is not going to have a joyful song during a sad scene. Although, in comedy, the music can create an atmosphere that is different than what is being portrayed, but that is just to add some humor. If i am amused by the music in a comedy movie, then the movie writer was successful.
• Write the emotions you feel. The emotions that the movie gives me is also an important component of movie criticism, so I need to write them down. In the case of comedy movies, they should make me feel happy and they should make you laugh.
• Pay attention to the acting. Acting is important in any movie. If the actors or actresses are bad, then we, as an audience, are not convinced that their roles are remotely real. This is why it is important to have a good cast.
• Include a short summary. Sum up the movie in a few sentences WITHOUT any spoiler alerts.
• Include an analysis. Analyze the movie critically. Include ideas like themes and plot.  
• Rate. At the end, I want to rate it, whether it is a scale from 1-10, a 5 star system, or a thumbs up/ thumbs down system. When I start to rate movies, I am going to use the 5 star system.

All of these key components should be specific to comedy movies, which are meant to make the audience laugh. It seems like the end of the world when you pick a bad comedy movie when you are ghanging out with friends. Here are some of the main components to a good comedy movie:

• Funny characters. Whether the movie is character comedy or not, the characters in the movie have to be funny. Their jokes and silliness are what will entertain the audience.
• Timing of the jokes. It is important for the jokes in a comedy to be said at the right time. This will result in more laughs and less awkwardness. Once, I was having dinner with friends and we were talking about one of our favorite movies. Then, when we started talking about a different subject, I made a joke about the movie that we just talking about. The table just became really silent and awkward in an instant. Characters in comedy movies cannot pull a Matt. They need to tell jokes at the right place and right time to be funny.
• Staying true to the genre. The three genres, or sub-genres, of comedy that I will be watching are character comedy, slapstick comedy, and parody. Each movie that I watch should be true to the genre. For example, if I am watching a character comedy, it better be a character comedy. It better have a plot line revolving around a hilarious character based on stereotypes [as I explained in a previous post]. If I am watching a slapstick comedy, there better be exaggerated physical activity used in a creative and funny way. If I am watching a parody, it better make lots of jokes about the movie(s) it is based on.

  

  Slapstick comedy at its finest