 If you’ve ever read a book, watched a TV show, seen a film, gone to the theatre or played a computer game, then the chances are that you have told someone about it – you have given a review  A review has two purposes.The first is to tell your readers a little about the plot or subject matter of a book, play, film, etc.; the second is to advise them whether the book, play, film, etc. is any good. 2Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 A review is a buyer's guide. It exists to tell you about some new product (film, books, play) that you can buy or see, read, and whether you should or should not buy it... Criticism is an informed discussion, by an knowledgeable observer of a medium, of the merits and importance (or lack thereof) of a particular work.  Criticism isn't intended to help the reader decide whether or not to invest money on something; some readers‘ decisions may be influenced, but guiding their decisions is not the purpose of the critical work.  Criticism is, in a sense “critiquing about" -- about art, about dance, about theater, about writing, about a game-- about any particular work of art. 3Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 It follows that a review normally falls into two main parts: a short description or summary of the item under discussion, followed by a section in which the writer expresses (and justifies) his or her decision 4Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 When writing a review of any fictional work (e.g. a novel, play, or film) you will need to summarize the plot or storyline. You may have to sum up the whole story in just one or two sentences. 5Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 Snow White thought she had found refuge from her wicked stepmother at the house of the seven dwarves, but...  The downtrodden servant of her ugly sisters, Cinderella had a miserable life – until... 6Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 When giving an opinion on the quality of a book (or a play, or a film, etc.) the reviewer has to sound authorative. If you don’t sound as if you know what you’re talking about, your readers won’t pay much attention to what you’ve got to say. They might not even bother reading your review!  Certain words and phrases can lend authority to your assertions by giving the illusion that they are fact, rather than opinion 7Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

No one could deny that this is an appallingly bad film. This is undoubtedly Rowling’s best book yet. Tolkien’s classic fantasy has stood the test of time 8Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 A book review should :  Describe what is on the page,  Analyze how the book tried to achieve its purpose,  Express the reviewers reactions to the book.  Outline the contents of the book  Evaluate and make critical comments on the book 9Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 Use quotations or references to the new ideas in the book to illustrate your theme  Compare the book with a similar work by a contemporary  Point out the author's intentions, including the audience for which the book is intended  Relate the work to a social or literary trend 10Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 The reviewer needs to justify the reasons for calling a book good or bad  The readers would be unwilling / sceptical to accept the reviewers views if he /she has not made an effort to demonstrate the reasons behind them.  The other is that an opinion backed up by evidence sounds much more authoritative than one which apparently comes from nowhere. 11Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 A and B have both reviewed an historical novel set aboard a pirate ship.  Whose opinion do you think carries most weight, and why? A This book is so boring! I couldn’t get into it at all. In fact, it was so bad I didn’t even finish it. B The characters were stereotyped, the dialogue clichéd and the action slow. A very dull read! 12Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 B explained why the book was boring. In a more extended example, he might have supported his points about characterization, dialogue and action with evidence from the text “The author plumbs the depths of characterization with a hundred and fifty pages of dialogue along the lines of “Shiver me timbers, me hearties!” By the time the plot finally limps to a close with a drawn-out naval battle the novel’s long since sunk.” 13Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 A book review needs to include information on the title, author and publisher as also the year of publication the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) number and sometimes the number of pages and price 14Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 The opening Does it grip the reader straight away? Is it exciting? Atmospheric? Difficult? Slow? What are your first impressions?  The plot What genre of story is it (e.g. adventure, fantasy, etc.)? Is the plot believable? Original? Easy to understand? Are there any surprises or twists? What about the ending 15Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 The setting When and where is the story set? Is the setting described well? Is it believable? Is it interesting?  The characters Describe the main characters Are the characters believable? Interesting? Irritating? What problems does the main character have? How do the characters develop? What do they learn?  General Did you enjoy the book? What are the best/worst parts? How does the book compare to other, similar works? Is there a message, lesson or moral 16Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 Create a good lead. 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. 17Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 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.”  As the writer of the review, you must make your opinion of the film clear and you should always ensure that all your views are substantiated and well motivated. It is acceptable, to both praise and criticize a film in the same review. 18Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 Brief reference and description of the main characters - introduce your reader to the main characters and include a catchy one-liner about each character.  Outline the stars of the film - you may want to refer to any award winning accolades or other noteworthy recognition that the stars may have received. "Star appeal" tends to lend "credibility" to the film.  Discuss the genre of the film - identify the main genres that are evident throughout the film. Most films are a combination of a few genres. [fantasy, romance, thriller, sci- fi, historical epic, horror, docudrama or a adventure] 19Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College

 Entertainment value or money ill spent - your film review should include your opinion on the entertainment and enjoyment value of the film, or conversely your views if you feel that the film was not enjoyable. [you may want to include comments here on the emotions and feelings that the film evoked]  Comment on the acting - formulate an opinion on the acting portrayed, whether t was realistic and effective as it relates to the genre and purpose of the film.  Costumes, special effects and computer graphics - comments on exceptional costume or set design and any notable special effects and computer graphics. Remember to include your views as to whether they enhance the film or detract from the film.  Mission accomplished - the directors envisioned a purpose that they hoped to portray to the viewers. Did they aim to educate, entertain or inform the audience [or a combination of the fore mentioned]. Consider whether the film achieved what it set out to do and comment accordingly.  Age restriction and rating - suggest a suitable age restriction and comment if relevant on any gratuitous violence, bad language or promiscuity.  Film review in a nutshell - comment forthrightly on the fundamentals of the film. Say it “right"...avoid fawning and flattery and frame your content to incorporate the structures outlined above.Say it “right" 20Seema Narendran, Ramnarain Ruia College