The purpose of review is to inform the reader about something to help them decide if they want to use it or buy it.
Review appear in magazines, newspaper, on the radio, TV and on the internet every day.
The following are most commonly reviewed in the mainstream media:
Books, movies, plays, concerts, music CD’s and singles, computer games, TV programs, exhibition and so on.
Here are the common structure to write a review:
A Book Review
1. First Paragraph-Background
- Tittle of review
- Name of the book
- Name of the author, if necessary mention other books by this writer
- Type of genre of book, for example romance, thriller, science fiction, etc.
- Intended audience, for example children, teenager adults, etc.
2. Second Paragraph-Main Body
- List briefly and describe the main characters
- Give a brief summary of the plot (story), but don’t give the ending away.
3. Third Paragraph-Main Body
- Next include your opinions, praise and criticism.
- Are the characters realistic?
- Are they well written and described?
- Comment on the plot. Is it simplistic/boring/complicated/intelligent...?
- Mention the style of writing/descriptive language used.
4. Final Paragraph-Conclusion and Recommendations
- Give Brief overall opinion positive and/or negative
- Recommend suitability for target audience or recommend an audience
- Mention released date if it’s a new book, its cost and where it can be bought
Movie Review
1. First Paragraph:
- Tittle of review
- Name of movie
- Who the movie is by director & producer
- Names of actor
2. Second Paragraph
- List briefly and describe the main characters
- Briefly describe the plot
- DON’T give away the ending
- Comment on writing/dialog
- Comment on technical aspects like lighting, sound, music, special effect, etc.
3. Final Paragraph
- Give Brief overall opinion positive and/or negative
- Recommend suitability for target audience
- Mention where & when it can bee seen
Review on TV Program
1. First Paragraph
- Tittle of review
- Name of program
- Who the program is by for example Sinetron
- Genre of program/movie
- Names of actor
2. Second Paragraph
- List briefly and describe the main characters
- Briefly describe the plot
- DON’T give away the ending
- Comment on writing/dialog
- Comment on technical aspects like lighting, sound, music, special effect, etc.
3. Final Paragraph
- Give Brief overall opinion positive and/or negative
- Recommend suitability for target audience
- Mention where & when it can be seen
Review on CD Album
1. First Paragraph
- Tittle of review
- Name of artist and album
- Genre of music
- Number of album: debut (first), or second
2. Second Paragraph
- List briefly and describe the main songs
- Choose one or two songs and describe in more detail, include opinions of music and lyrics
- Comment on the overall theme/style
- Comment on production
- Make comparison with other albums by the artist and in this genre
3. Final Paragraph
- Give Brief overall opinion positive and/or negative
- Recommend suitability for target audience
- Mention where & when it can be bought and cost
Example of Movie Review.
Kungfu Panda 2 Review
(R.L. Shaffer)
(R.L. Shaffer)
Animated sequels can be rough. They're not always bad, but they're most certainly not always good, either. Basically, if you're not Toy Story, don't expect your sequel to turn out all that great. Case in point, Ice Age 2-3, Madagascar 2, the later Shrek sequels, Happy Feet 2, the DTV Disney collection (pretty much all of them) and even do-no-wrong studio Pixar had a misfire in Cars 2.
So naturally some apprehension was expected with Kung Fu Panda 2, a film that seemed, at least on the surface, to be a retread of the first film (it's not). Oddly enough, I saw the film as part of a double-bill with Super 8 at a cozy local drive-in theater. Super 8 was unequivocally my most-anticipated movie of the summer. But, quite shockingly, my favorite of the two films that night ended up being Kung Fu Panda 2. Perhaps it was the lowered expectations, or the tasty pizza I was munching on while watching the film, but I'd chalk it up as good old fashioned storytelling that drove KFP2 to the top. The film is rich with character and emotion, not to mention some fantastic action beats, playing more like a hardened kung fu action drama than a kids-centric animated picture. The usual pop culture junk from other Dreamworks films is stripped away, leaving a movie that focuses entirely on the plot and characters. Now, the film does have its goofy moments, too, with several scenes where Po (voiced by Jack Black) does something dumb just to make the kids laugh. But between those gags and silly set ups, there's a very genuine, sweet film, with an honest, heartfelt message about family, friends, forgiveness and coming to peace with who you are – not to mention summer 2011's single best plot twist tagged on right at the end of the picture (if you saw the film, you know what I'm referring to). I was upset when many box office pundits hailed KFP2 as a financial disappointment, despite earning more than $660 million worldwide. Yes, it underperformed in the U.S., grossing a "mere" $165 million, but the film was hardly a failure, or even a mild disappointment. Usually I don't bring up stats like this in a review, but after the film's awesome finale, I can't help but long for at least one more adventure with Po and the gang (who are sorely underused in this sequel – the film's biggest issue). It promises to be the series' most emotionally complex installment yet. Let's hope we see the sequel soon, and that it delivers something just as special as this chapter. Kung Fu Panda 2 chops, kicks and slides to Blu-ray encoded in 1080p/AVC, mixed in thunderous 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio. If you've come to KFP2 expecting a demo-worthy presentation, be prepared to smile ear-to-ear. This is one fantastic presentation, packed with dazzling texture, inky, bright visuals and pristine depth and shadows. There's not a speck of compression on the transfer whatsoever, either. Like so many direct-to-digital transfers out there, KFP2 looks remarkable.
And it sounds remarkable, too. The 7.1 lossless mix is staggeringly designed, with aggressive surround cues that deliver a balanced, engaging listening environment. Bass is finely tuned and polished. Dialogue sounds fantastic – no mic distortions, hiss or crackles reported. And surrounds are flush with discrete elements that dance all around the listener. Again, if you want reference – look no further. Kung Fu Panda 2 is a knockout. Extras continue the impressive streak, with a great collection of goodies that not only explore the production, but also complement the extras found on the first film's Blu-ray (from way back in 2008). For starters, there's a picture-in-picture commentary track titled "The Animator's Corner," which explores the production, featuring cast and crew interviews, storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage and so much more. If you listened to the previous "Animator's Corner" track from the first film's Blu-ray, you know what you're in store for. Not into PiP tracks? There's also a clever pop-up trivia track and an audio commentary featuring the crew of KFP2 that's equally as great, though much information is repeated.
Next are two shorts, Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of Masters and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (from the TV series). Both run about 23 minutes and are well worth a look, especially for kids and hardcore fans. There's also a few deleted scenes and two featurettes, one hosted by the cast and one that highlights pandas and their struggle to survive. On the interactive front, we've got a great assortment of goodies geared mostly at the kids. There's an interactive map showing the film's inspirations, a tutorial on speaking Mandarin and a few games for the little ones. Rounding out the goodies are a few trailers and a flier that gets you access to the Kung Fu Panda online game. The two-disc set includes a Blu-ray and a Digital Copy/DVD copy of the film. Oddly, Paramount/Dreamworks doesn't deliver any BD-Live features.
If you passed on Kung Fu Panda 2, you missed a great film. But fear not, the Blu-ray is here, and it's a magnificent release, demo-worthy in every way imaginable. I have one simple recommendation: Buy this one. You won't regret it.
So naturally some apprehension was expected with Kung Fu Panda 2, a film that seemed, at least on the surface, to be a retread of the first film (it's not). Oddly enough, I saw the film as part of a double-bill with Super 8 at a cozy local drive-in theater. Super 8 was unequivocally my most-anticipated movie of the summer. But, quite shockingly, my favorite of the two films that night ended up being Kung Fu Panda 2. Perhaps it was the lowered expectations, or the tasty pizza I was munching on while watching the film, but I'd chalk it up as good old fashioned storytelling that drove KFP2 to the top. The film is rich with character and emotion, not to mention some fantastic action beats, playing more like a hardened kung fu action drama than a kids-centric animated picture. The usual pop culture junk from other Dreamworks films is stripped away, leaving a movie that focuses entirely on the plot and characters. Now, the film does have its goofy moments, too, with several scenes where Po (voiced by Jack Black) does something dumb just to make the kids laugh. But between those gags and silly set ups, there's a very genuine, sweet film, with an honest, heartfelt message about family, friends, forgiveness and coming to peace with who you are – not to mention summer 2011's single best plot twist tagged on right at the end of the picture (if you saw the film, you know what I'm referring to). I was upset when many box office pundits hailed KFP2 as a financial disappointment, despite earning more than $660 million worldwide. Yes, it underperformed in the U.S., grossing a "mere" $165 million, but the film was hardly a failure, or even a mild disappointment. Usually I don't bring up stats like this in a review, but after the film's awesome finale, I can't help but long for at least one more adventure with Po and the gang (who are sorely underused in this sequel – the film's biggest issue). It promises to be the series' most emotionally complex installment yet. Let's hope we see the sequel soon, and that it delivers something just as special as this chapter. Kung Fu Panda 2 chops, kicks and slides to Blu-ray encoded in 1080p/AVC, mixed in thunderous 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio. If you've come to KFP2 expecting a demo-worthy presentation, be prepared to smile ear-to-ear. This is one fantastic presentation, packed with dazzling texture, inky, bright visuals and pristine depth and shadows. There's not a speck of compression on the transfer whatsoever, either. Like so many direct-to-digital transfers out there, KFP2 looks remarkable.
And it sounds remarkable, too. The 7.1 lossless mix is staggeringly designed, with aggressive surround cues that deliver a balanced, engaging listening environment. Bass is finely tuned and polished. Dialogue sounds fantastic – no mic distortions, hiss or crackles reported. And surrounds are flush with discrete elements that dance all around the listener. Again, if you want reference – look no further. Kung Fu Panda 2 is a knockout. Extras continue the impressive streak, with a great collection of goodies that not only explore the production, but also complement the extras found on the first film's Blu-ray (from way back in 2008). For starters, there's a picture-in-picture commentary track titled "The Animator's Corner," which explores the production, featuring cast and crew interviews, storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage and so much more. If you listened to the previous "Animator's Corner" track from the first film's Blu-ray, you know what you're in store for. Not into PiP tracks? There's also a clever pop-up trivia track and an audio commentary featuring the crew of KFP2 that's equally as great, though much information is repeated.
Next are two shorts, Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of Masters and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (from the TV series). Both run about 23 minutes and are well worth a look, especially for kids and hardcore fans. There's also a few deleted scenes and two featurettes, one hosted by the cast and one that highlights pandas and their struggle to survive. On the interactive front, we've got a great assortment of goodies geared mostly at the kids. There's an interactive map showing the film's inspirations, a tutorial on speaking Mandarin and a few games for the little ones. Rounding out the goodies are a few trailers and a flier that gets you access to the Kung Fu Panda online game. The two-disc set includes a Blu-ray and a Digital Copy/DVD copy of the film. Oddly, Paramount/Dreamworks doesn't deliver any BD-Live features.
If you passed on Kung Fu Panda 2, you missed a great film. But fear not, the Blu-ray is here, and it's a magnificent release, demo-worthy in every way imaginable. I have one simple recommendation: Buy this one. You won't regret it.
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